Cowboy & Big Chief Mountains

May 7, 2016. Student Instructional Scramble. Trip length: 8:15-4:30 with roughly one hour lunch/view break; frequent stops for instruction and skill-building. Bright sun, warm day, one minor incident (a student with a calf cramp: reported). Some bare places, mud, grass, trash, and running water on the flats and lower slopes of the ski area. One snow-cat was in operation; otherwise, the area was closed and space for parking was no issue. The FS outhouse in the upper (PCT?) parking lot was in service. Snow was consolidated underneath but generally had a sun-softened layer a few inches thick on top. No traction devices needed. Conditions on Seventh Heaven were excellent for safe glissading and plunge stepping. Anyway planning a Cowboy or Big Chief snow scramble needs to act fast: the snow is currently there, but will be getting increasingly thin over the next week or two.