Hauling the skis back out

Climbing Showdown's Golden Goose ski run

Steve Taylor crests the top of Showdown 

A wintry scene less than a month from the first day of Summer

Below the Porphyry Peak Lookout

I should have known better than to pack my ski gear up for the season after our May 1 backcountry trip.
After a couple of weeks of delightful, warm and sunny weather the rain and snow returned and skiing was the obvious choice when our Wayne's Wednesday Walks day rolled around yesterday.
We could see that Big Baldy, Long and Barker peaks in the Little Belts and Highwood Baldy had gotten new snow.
The weatherman also promised 12 inches of fresh powder.
But, you know how that goes.
It turned out the 12 inches was more like two.
No matter, we pulled out our gear and went to the trailhead and had a delightful day doing the Porphyry Peak Traverse, skiing to the top of Porphyry (elevation: 8,210 feet) on the empty Showdown Ski hill and back down Trail No. 747 to a road that wraps around the north side of Porphyry.  We used that to connect to the O'Brien Creek Trail and then back to Showdown and Kings Hill Pass where we were parked.
The weather roiled the clouds a bit, but it eventually cleared and there were blue skies.
Driving up we anticipated having to slog through slush, but didn't hit the good snow until just beyond the Silvercrest XC Ski Area.  We figured the good snow was at 7,000 feet and above.  The new snow from the night before frosted the trees on the top.
The new, wet snow covered several feet of hardpack, making tele-turns pretty treacherous.
Where there was direct sunlight the snow was heavy and would capture our ski-tips catapulting us forward.  So, I proceeded more cautiously.
Then, with some caution when I returned home I put my skis up for the season.