Day 9 - Thursday Dec 20 - A Morning of Solitude

(Or at least across the street). CJ and I went up around 6am this morning, parked at Solitude, and crossed the street into Willow Fork. We broke trail for the majority of the skin up in the deep snow. We had our usual in depth conversation concerning gear and, in particular, the pros and cons of active vs. less-active bindings. I am sure you would all find it fascinating. This was my first time in Willow Fork. I liked it. The snow was deep and it made for some great turns (CJ was wallowing a little on his skinny skis). I think I prefer Mill D or Butler Fork to Willow Fork, but it is nice to have another area that is easily accessed and well protected. We were able to make a couple laps before we had to be on our way to work - which was a considerably further drive for me since CJ currently works at Solitude. It was a good morning. The snow was deep and the turns were smooth. No major instabilities in the snow were observed.