I packed everything I needed to go do one of the more technical chutes in the west bowl, then promptly converted it all to dead weight once I got on trail and decided to switch plans and try Register Ridge.
RR is clear to above 8000, then it's just patchy until you join DBB. Snow was soft, with good boot traction; no crust or ice until you get to some thin or shady spots, then you might bottom out into the old icy layer once in a while. Nothing sketchy, I was able to forgo crampons all the way to the summit and back. Temps were warm, it was sunny and blowing a steady 20-30 up top.
I saw two pairs of climbers coming up the bowl when I got up on the 'bone, but I don't know anyone so I can't really say who they were. Saw another guy at the hut with a cool dog, then another couple pairs of hikers on the SHT on the way down.
I took exactly 3 pictures.
Here's the bowl yesterday:
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/lh4.googleusercontent.com/_tarrJ4WYOJo/TYF27oWsotI/AAAAAAAAABM/-1EkM2W20aI/s640/IMAG0121.jpg)
Everyone else seems to take pictures of poop, so here's this I guess:
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/lh3.googleusercontent.com/_tarrJ4WYOJo/TYF2m_a-6bI/AAAAAAAAABE/x7by4FRmqrM/s640/IMAG0118.jpg)
AKA "OMG WORST COFFEE EVER"
Hero picture:
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/lh6.googleusercontent.com/_tarrJ4WYOJo/TYF2_WUXrgI/AAAAAAAAABQ/wvOKRAf5N44/s640/IMAG0124_edit0.jpg)
I only took this to look cool on facebook. I traversed/downclimbed into the bowl to do a chute so I wouldn't feel like I wasted time and energy hauling gear up. But it ended up doable without crampons and even the tools were overkill, so it just felt contrived.
Best part of the day was glissading down the entire west bowl. How come I wasn't informed earlier about how much fun that is?