First skinning session of the season

We had a reasonably good storm (at least for October) starting yesterday and through the night. So this morning I went to Les Grands Montets (my French substitute for Alta in the pre-season, see 09 post) with my my skins and the gear for a real training session. When I say real, that is as opposed to dry land which obviously is merely fake training. The snow cover varied quite widely from 1/2 an inch to 1.5 feet and more. Anyways, although the conditions were heinous:

40 mph winds
Under very dark clouds
-13 Celsius
Rocks through the snow left and right

...this will still count as the first skinning for the season as I was able to skin uninterrupted from the lift base at 4,000 some feet (1,252 m) all the way to Lognan at about 6,500 feet (1,972 m ). Not the most brutal elevation gain but as bad as things were down at the base it was outright ridiculous at the lift mid-station so I attached the skis to my back pack and started the walk down. Here are the pictures (click to enlarge).

On the south side of the massif at Aiguilles Rouges, the
blue skies would peek through  every now and then.

Another view of Aiguilles Rouges.

Back to my side of things: Crossing one of mant streems.

Skadi always enjoying it whatever the conditions are...

All this snow is less than 24 hours old...

What a difference a couple of weeks can make (click here to see this same waterfall)