The snow is wet, sloughy, and clumpy in most places, ice in the covered places, and has a thin layer of powder up above 5000ft. We used all the gear we brought, including ice axe, crampons, and snowshoes. Forecast was downright mediocre, but ended up being reasonable most of the day, albeit cold and windy, and we got hit with snow flurries up top, and it started pouring rain right as we were a few minutes from the car.
The trail is clear to the first waterfall crossing, at which point it is snow nonstop above. The crossings are do-able now, but won't be in another week or so....we hit this hike right on the cusp, and it really won't be safe to hike again until most of the snow is gone.
Oddly, I'm sore in more places than usual, most unexpected. Like my core (abs, pecs, lats, sides) which I suspect is from constantly shifting my weight and stance on the nasty terrain. But anyway, here are some pictures to slake your thirst (speaking of thirst, Andrew made me try a Corona at the little mexican restaurant in granite falls....not bad.)
Gearing up with ze alpinist stuff.
Some sketchy snow-bridges, though not as scary as ones on a glacier...
More posing.
As a good portion of the "normal" trail is buried, it ended up being easier/safer/shorter to go straight up into the basin.....
Second Breakfast
Now I'm mad, I cleaned the lenses and inside of the camera as good as I could, and the damned specks are still there, might be time to bust out a computer blower thing.
The weather was "inclement", in that clouds were coming and going, but it was way better than a solid blue sky.
Not much different, but cool clouds
I've never been up here in the winter, its really cool ALL year apparently.
Shafts of light
The sad and broken monte cristo road, access to a lot of hikes I really like.
People whine about shooting animals, what about the constant murder of poor defenseless signs?
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