This course really helped fill in some of the gaps from my AIRE 1 course. Adding an emphasis on technique and learning how to become more efficient with my uphill travel along with picking better routes. Our instructor Solveig was extremely helpful answering questions about ascent routes, avalanche observations, and in general was an awesome guide to be leading our trip.
Day one we headed up the skin track toward East Peak. We practiced basic searches in the meadow/swamp below, and started our attempt to climb toward East Peak. Skinning conditions were quite greasy… A few days prior the snowpack received ~5″ of rain creating a really thick rain crust followed by 5 to 7 inches of heavy snow that appeared to be completely noncohesive to the ice layer below. So those of us newbs had the bottom of the track blowing out and hanging on for dear life on a slick surface. We aborted our primary plan and went to the backup plan since the group was not making progress. Albeit our guide Solveig seemed to have traction everywhere, skills.
We headed up the summer trail toward Bullion Peak/Bluebell area and dropped in off a lower ridgeline. The tour was still greasy, and ski crampons were extremely helpful as it went from 5″ heavy snow to ice and back again. The ski conditions were surprisingly excellent and soft though. After getting down the hill we traversed out the long track to get out of Bullion Basin
Day 2 we skinned up Quicksilver and primarily had a day focused on skill building. Multiburial searches, snow pits, skinning form straight up the hill, rest step practice, and then back to the lodge area for a tour and map planning lesson. The time calculations will certainly come in handy for future trip planning.
Day 3 we arrived to another 5-6″ of fresh snow, and the best conditions all weekend! The skin track wasn’t quite as sketchy and slick, or at least on the lower angle slopes we never really hit the ice layer except in the trees. We started the day skinning up Quicksilver, past Hen Skin Lakes area and worked our way into the basin. We took a run on a low angle test slope. Face shots and powder turn after turn! Who can complain about that! So we went up for another lap. We were eyeing a line by Chicken Head, but there was large ices chunks in the run that had came down from the rain event, and it had some wind effect so we just took another lap on a heavenly fluffy pow slope. I’ll need to get back out there and check that out soon. After another powder lap we ascended higher and crossed over toward the Silver Basin groomed exit. Amazing day, lots of skills practice, excellent guide, and what an excellent group of people to spend the weekend with.
Adventures Through The Looking Glass 
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