U
Unregistered
Guest
We hiked up Rocky Peak Ridge and Giant on Saturday January 3rd using the Zander Scott Trail from Route 73. Mark started off with snowshoes but I chose crampons. The trail was well packed with some post holes evident along side the trail. Temperature was 18 degrees under a partly cloudy sky.
Around 2500 feet we started running into quite a bit of ice and so Mark then decided to put on his crampons too. As we continued to hike, the sky cleared so that when we reached the trail to Rocky Peak Ridge, it was pretty clear with incredible views of the Dixes. For the trail down to the col between the two peaks, we chose to put on snowshoes as the trail was pretty soft with little ice. We dropped down more than we would have wanted to thinking all along about how we would have to come back up every foot of elevation lost. (900 feet) After reaching the col, we then hiked up the 700 feet to Rocky Peak Ridge where the winds were fierce making it hard to stand. We had put on goggles just before the summit as a couple of hikers on the descent said it would be a good idea. We stayed just long enough to take a view pictures. The views were fantastic, but the winds unfortunately shortened our stay.
We then hiked back to Giant, snapped a couple of pictures and made our way back down to Route 73 using headlamps for the last mile or so.
Special Equipment: Snowshoes and crampons, poles, goggles and baklava and headlamps.
Around 2500 feet we started running into quite a bit of ice and so Mark then decided to put on his crampons too. As we continued to hike, the sky cleared so that when we reached the trail to Rocky Peak Ridge, it was pretty clear with incredible views of the Dixes. For the trail down to the col between the two peaks, we chose to put on snowshoes as the trail was pretty soft with little ice. We dropped down more than we would have wanted to thinking all along about how we would have to come back up every foot of elevation lost. (900 feet) After reaching the col, we then hiked up the 700 feet to Rocky Peak Ridge where the winds were fierce making it hard to stand. We had put on goggles just before the summit as a couple of hikers on the descent said it would be a good idea. We stayed just long enough to take a view pictures. The views were fantastic, but the winds unfortunately shortened our stay.
We then hiked back to Giant, snapped a couple of pictures and made our way back down to Route 73 using headlamps for the last mile or so.
Special Equipment: Snowshoes and crampons, poles, goggles and baklava and headlamps.
