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Trail Conditions: Lower flume slide packed out to foot of slide, then increasingly difficult up steep deep snow with no obvious trail marks, bushwacking through buried hard-branched treeline, often sinking up to waist or chest with snowshoes after crampons became inadequate. Ridge was 1 foot of new snow, with possible post-holing up to 4-5 feet, even with snowshoes on steeper areas, covered trail markings as snow was up over marks after about mid-ridge to Liberty. Bushwacking up backside of Liberty ridge to regain ridge trail extremely difficult. Liberty Springs trail down was well-trod, trackable even in the darkness.
Special Equipment: Snowshoes probably best, although crampons were very effective until mid to 3/4 on flume slide when passage was nigh impossible without snowshoes - changed while wedged within trees on 70 degree slope.
Weather: Pristine sky, no wind even on top of summits more than about 5 mph. Temp 10-20 degrees all day.
Time: started too late to recommend (10:15am) but finished in 10 hours at about 8pm back at trailhead parking - 10.2 miles.
Rec: Do not recommend this route under these conditions unless one is very strong hiker and prepared for possible bivouac if weather turns, equipment fails, food and water run out, and/or exhaustion takes over - just my opinion. I probably would have been happier turning back sooner on slide, but eventually continued far enough to feel too committed, and descent on this trail is very difficult, and also I didn't anticipate difficulties of getting across ridge when trail was lost at late hour.
Special Equipment: Snowshoes probably best, although crampons were very effective until mid to 3/4 on flume slide when passage was nigh impossible without snowshoes - changed while wedged within trees on 70 degree slope.
Weather: Pristine sky, no wind even on top of summits more than about 5 mph. Temp 10-20 degrees all day.
Time: started too late to recommend (10:15am) but finished in 10 hours at about 8pm back at trailhead parking - 10.2 miles.
Rec: Do not recommend this route under these conditions unless one is very strong hiker and prepared for possible bivouac if weather turns, equipment fails, food and water run out, and/or exhaustion takes over - just my opinion. I probably would have been happier turning back sooner on slide, but eventually continued far enough to feel too committed, and descent on this trail is very difficult, and also I didn't anticipate difficulties of getting across ridge when trail was lost at late hour.
