While one always expects to see in mid-August a Mount Hood very different from the one we left in late June, the sheer amount of snow loss in six weeks never fails to amaze.  The lanes on which we skied in June were only starting to show some rocks.  Now, that same slope is nothing but massive rocks and trenches 10 feet or more deep.
Today was the first day on snow for the BMA U16 men and women.  Despite the great loss of snow since our last visit (which was expected) the snow that remains on the Palmer snow field is plentiful for this time of year, and the conditions were very good.  We had an excellent first day!  More pictures will follow, but for now here is the view of Mount Hood that greeted us this morning:

The day ended with fog, but the cloud cover throughout the morning kept the temperature down and the snow firm for a good part of the morning.