The riskiest part of the trip was probably in the parking lot, which was completely coated in thick ice. So we wore spikes right from the cars, and we were glad to have them because Wildhorse trail was mostly frozen slush.

Once we started climbing, the ice disappeared and conditions improved dramatically, with uninterrupted sun and just the right amount of snow on the trail to make travel easy. The ridge had only patchy drifts, and the rocky scrambly crux was straightforward despite there being no previous tracks.

We had lunch behind a convenient windbreak of trees near the summit, and it was so warm there that it would have been nice to linger. But winter days are short, and so we started heading back accompanied by a strong cold wind that kept us moving. The descent was fast and we returned to the parking lot at 3:30, just as the sun slid behind the mountains. Overall, it was a day of spectacular views and near-perfect conditions with no other people on the trail.

Participants: Jane, Ingrid coordinator, and Catherine on her third Ramblers’ trip (welcome!).

Emerging into the sun, Nihahi and Powderface in the background

Snowy approach to the summit ridge

Nearing the summit with a view back over the entire ridgewalk

At the summit; lunch spot was behind the trees at far right