3/10/2011 Route: East Ridge Posted On: 3/11/2011, By: jimmtman Info: Snow all the way from the parking area to the top. The trail was well packed down. The first hill above treeline had boot deep snow before putting on the snowshoes. Above that the trail was pretty firm so shoes may not have been required but helped since the surface was icy. Shoes helpful on the decent. It was a warm day so at noon back near treeline I was punching through even with the shoes on (22" MSR Evo). |
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2/18/2011 Route: East Ridge Posted On: 2/18/2011, By: vetmike Info: The first 3/4 mile or so of trail is solid boot pack. Then it gets a bit more sketchy - the storm last night dropped a few inches of new powder that is blowing around. There are a bunch of tracks going in different directions (most of them used for ski ascents), so the key is to stay on the hard stuff. Snowshoes are a must in the soft spots in my opinion, although as things settle boots might be ok in a few days. Once you get above the tree line, everything is boot packed and solid. There is definitely some wind loading and hard slabs on some slopes, I stayed to the left and on the ridge to avoid them. It was really windy when I was up there today - I‘d say gusts were around 55mph or so. I‘m no expert at guesstimating wind, but a few gusts knocked me off my stance and one put me in the snow (I was using ski poles for stability). With the new snow I experienced a few short whiteouts. I didn‘t have anything to measure temps, but it was chilly when the wind got moving. I just got some Mountain Hardware mitts and was glad I had them. The actual summit was surprisingly calm, I‘d like to figure out the physics behind why that was... Overall it was a good day. Drop me a message if you need more info. I‘ll be posting a full trip report soon. |
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1/8/2011 Route: East Ridge Posted On: 1/9/2011, By: Barb4rian Info: Boot packed trail about 95% of the route length. The other 5% is either bare spots due to wind or loosened snow from hikers. For skiing, the snow above treeline is close to the consistency of concrete and very contoured due to the wind; below treeline is mostly packed powder to powder, depending on whether you‘re on the trail or not. Certainly ski-able from top to bottom (since we did) but it may be a bit uncomfortable if you were to fall above treeline. For my ascent I strapped on my micro-spikes and they served me perfectly from car to summit. A lot of people had snowshoes which also would be fine (might just add a little more weight). I would definitely recommend some type of traction though. |
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12/29/2010 Route: East Ridge Posted On: 12/29/2010, By: TylerStorm Info: High winds!!! I got by without snowshoes, but it would have been far more pleasant with them. There is plenty of snow; I wish I had brought my skis. |
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12/26/2010 Route: East Ridge Posted On: 12/26/2010, By: MountainHiker Info: Packed trail. We wore snowshoes all the way to the top. Without snowshoes there would be some post holing. The snow below and just above treeline is too deep to go off trail without flotation. The skiers were getting some turns up high and again just above treeline. Poles and traction recommended. |
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11/26/2010 Route: East Ridge Posted On: 11/27/2010, By: mtnmike Info: Post-Thanksgiving; below treeline the trail deviates somewhat from the established summer trail. Bootpack is pretty good in most places, snowshoes might be helpful in one or two short sections (left mine in the car - not worth the weight IMHO). Trail above treeline is hardpack/icy -- typical winter conditions up there. Yaktraks/microspikes/crampons might be helpful if you‘re not confident with the terrain. Winds were pretty stiff on the morning of the 26th - was blown off my feet along the ridge at 13,100‘ and turned back there. Snowpack for skiing is continuous from nearly the summit, variable snow conditions from crust to soft. |
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11/21/2010 Route: East Ridge Posted On: 11/21/2010, By: Monster5 Info: Trail (read: bootpack that follows the trail pretty closely) was obscured by drift but still easy to follow. Snowshoes would be helpful in some drift areas below treeline but I left those, axe, and crampons in the pack - good bootpack covered by a couple inches of loose snow. Started at winter closure at 7:45 and returned ~2:30 going at a moderate pace. The usual wind and blowing snow above treeline, but still pretty bare. Two parties and a solo made the summit; didn‘t look like anybody turned back. Visibility varied, but 1/2 mile on average. Skiing - good coverage and continuous skiing below about 12500. A lot of rock still uncovered above and you‘d be hard-pressed to find a semi-continuous path. One hiker tried and ended up leaving his skies in the upper bowl - he cramponed up the prominent gully from the upper basin to the summit ridge and said that wind slabs felt ready to go. I have photos of the surrounding peaks, taken in brief periods of good visibility, if anybody wants them. |
