Winter Scramble - Skyline Lake, Skyline Ridge & Tye Peak

Lightly snowing upon our arrival in the Stevens Pass north parking lot, one other vehicle at this location. The road up had a thin cover of snow over the melt freeze crust, at lower elevations this was the frozen ground, and as we got higher became an actual melt freeze under the centimeter of snow. Reached the end of the road, above Moonlight Basin and turned into the forested ridge to the west to ascend Skyline Peak at 5447'. Thin coverage in the forest and the crust underneath was a bit slippery. Some flagging on the route, why? not needed, and should be removed by the team that places it on the way up, when they are descending. The introduction of surveyor's tape/micro plastics needs to come to a stop, and an alternate material should be used by all future flaggers. Retraced our route partway back down to utilize the safest route in the slippery conditions, before turning SW towards Skyline Lake. Thin cover on the lake and plenty of water showing along the shoreline. We used Peter (Cottontails) tracks quite often to follow the path of least resistance. Once NW of the lake ascended the saddle to the west, then dropped toward the tributary of Nason Creek, hoping to avoid 'the Rock Garden'. Snow cover on the crust at the lake area was toe boot, then became boot top as we ascended, and remained so on the other side of the ridge. Progress was very slow with the overage current low coverage, lots, and I mean lots of small trees crowding everywhere. After about an hour of difficult travel and not having attained the toe of the talus field, with visibility at a hundred meters at most, we decided to summit Tye Peak another day when there would hopefully be somewhat of a view of at least the local area. Retained the saddle and followed the ridge SW to a high point for an extended break due W of the lake, dropped back to the lake and circumvented this time on the S side, and once again returning via the road. With the new couple of centimeters of snow, the road walk was interesting with all the loose rocks under the new snow. What a great day in the mountains, saw no one else all day.