Frances and I attempted to ski Rabbit Ridge this morning, and we had a good time, but did not get to the goal.  The weather was clear and cold, and, as predicted by Weather Underground, the earlier winds had diminished to near zero by the time we got on the trail.  

On the meadow, the track was indistinct, and the surface was smooth and windblown on the meadow.  Beyond the CC/RR intersections sign, the depth increased to 1" - 3" with some drifts. We encountered some obstacles, including debris and a downed tree, which we were able to get around without much difficulty.  As we climbed higher, we found that the wind had carved lovely "snow sculptures" - dune-like structures that crossed the trail diagonally. They were pretty solid, but covered in powder, and so getting over and around them slowed us down a bit.  Their presence also destroyed the fantasy of an exhilarating powder run back to the meadow.

About 1.5miles from the trailhead, we were confronted with two trees that had fallen across the trail. To get by, we would have had to remove our skiis and crawl under, so we turned around and descended.  That decision was made easier by the declining temperature as we got higher.  After we got out of the "dunes," the going was very pleasant, and we cruised through light powder, executing easy-going turns all the way down.

We met Alan Shapiro and Sarah Stout, who had started out somewhat later on the way down.  They turned around before the top, but then went on to the trailhead by way of the rest (east end and lower branch) of Coyote Call loop.

The roads were plowed and sanded, and the trailhead parking was plowed to accommodate 2 side by side, or 4 friendly, cars.

Our track is shown in the attached screenshot. Waypoints mark obstacles, and the Coyote Call loop is north of our track.

Happy trails,

Mike Meier