Julebukking 2016
Christmas Eve's Eve 2016
Ri and I scrambled up to Raven's Roost Cabin two days ago from Boggs' pit. It's quite the climb with ski boots and skis on the pack. Jack and Amanda tried to follow up and meet us yesterday but they got turned around, spooked, and decided to bail.
Meanwhile, Ri and I were skinning over near RMK hill, where we found a few good turns in the trees. On our way there from the cabin we experienced a few dozen pucker-inducing woompfs. I've never felt propagation like that around home. Usually it's just saucer-sized surface crust slabs that go. It must have been collapsing on the surface hoar layer from the cold snap a week ago. The storm that buried it came in cold before going to slop, making the perfect recipe for preserving that 3" hoar layer.
The cabin has been pretty posh for Ri and I the last two nights. The stove only threatened to explode a few times the first night, and the mice have only taken a few bites of the butter. I guess they own the place more than anyone, god knows more than the government. The same missing bottom stove pipe piece was missing two years ago. But there's plenty of kerosene, so who cares? The mice are celebrating the warmth with some serious acrobatics. They can go straight up a 10' beam arete to attain the loft, so they can scurry around our feet. One even dropped from an upper shelf to land in our food bag. But they aren't as confident with overhanging routes, so the I hung the food under one.
Today we plan to skin out Twins. It sounds a lot more pleasant than going back down to Boggs' with more snow and all the required techy footwork. We'll see how well I remember the trail out to Twins. It's been 7+ years since Smitty and I booted from that side to hook up with Paul for a tow. I can't remember if we came all the way to the cabin from that side. so this could be a first for me, definitely a first to link up Boggs' to Twins. It should be good if we can find a mellow safe way up RMK hill and if we can coast out most of the way to the shelter and then down the road. Either way it ought to be smoother than downclimbing to Boggs' with skis on the pack in fresh snow. Have I convinced myself yet? Then maybe we won't be too burnt out to do Crystal in a day or two. After shredding some julebukking of course.