invisible lines

     So today I was flying solo and decided to do a longer tour that may/may not have worthwhile results and check another goal off my list. Bluebird day, calm weather with mild breeze at peaks, warming temps with the sun as the day progressed.  I headed on-base with the goal of the back side of Knoya peak as suggested to me after a previous KGK post.  I also wanted to check out the possibility of lines off the North side of Wolverine down into the North Fork of the Campbell Creek.
     Spring is pretty much here as I discovered by the nice pile of bear scat near the Stuckagain trailhead and numerous tracks both there and higher up-valley.  Also, some ptarmigans' tails are brown already.  I wished I had brought the bear-spray then.  There had been rumors and sightings but I guess I was in denial.  The moose with thier calves are moving up-valley as well.  I saw the hole of one eager ground squirrel. 
     I did a relaxing skin up to the drainage leading to the backside of Knoya, picked my line and route up, and skinned up with no problem on mildly variable snow with a thin sun crust.  At the top I had some lunch, took in the view, hoping that my stalling would allow the sun to soften the crust up a bit.  I skied it down a bit prematurely due to my impatience.  There was a wind crust too that made it one of my less-than-smoothest skis.  This gully would be great with better snow conditions.
     My urgency was to get to a line across the valley that I had spotted while eating lunch.  A top-to-bottom run, perfect aspect for powder, minimal avy danger, and likely my line of the day.  I skinned up to realize I was almost to the bowl at lookers-left of Wolverine.  I could skin up to Wolverine and ski that out, make it an annual tradition, but I wanted this line and needed to get back to the car without a long skin and Lucy was looking tired.
     It was great.  Non-stop to the valley floor, perfect snow the whole way.  Soft, not slabby or sun-crusted or wind buffed.  Consistent.  I didn't stop to wait for Lucy, she'll be fine and this could be the last powder run of the season.  I couldn't have asked for a better run.  I called it good after that and skinned/skied out to the car.  I like skiing this drainage because not many people do, it has a mostly-ski-out trail, and the peaks are pretty tall. 
     Before dropping down into the trees I looked back to see it.  It was almost invisible.  Neither line can be seen from the city or residences.  I will definately keep this last line in mind for the future and hope for enough snow next season to open more lines off the back of Wolverine.  This valley would make a good ski-camp location: a lot of options.

springtime is here