Hobbitling
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Note: Temperatures were unseasonably cool, so expect conditions to be mushier than we encountered.
The trail was firm styrofoam most of the way, but was softening by the end of the day. very few postholes, nice and flat. A few bare or icey spots down near the dam, but mostly good hardpack. When things warm back up expect rapid icification of the trail. it's just at the threshold of still being snowshoeable.
The steeper parts of the climb from the col to the summit was passable by front pointing on the way up, but quite slippery on the way down. Imagine a combination of styrofoam and teflon, and that's what it was like. soft enough so you can get a decent grip on it if you have crampons to sink into it, but with a hard, slippery surface that can be quite dangerous if you start to slide. We found our snowshoes quite useless at times.
recommended gear: it's crampon season. bring them. and a length of rope or webbing would have been very useful. snowshoes are fine most of the way, but right near the top of sawteeth I would have like crampons.
The trail was firm styrofoam most of the way, but was softening by the end of the day. very few postholes, nice and flat. A few bare or icey spots down near the dam, but mostly good hardpack. When things warm back up expect rapid icification of the trail. it's just at the threshold of still being snowshoeable.
The steeper parts of the climb from the col to the summit was passable by front pointing on the way up, but quite slippery on the way down. Imagine a combination of styrofoam and teflon, and that's what it was like. soft enough so you can get a decent grip on it if you have crampons to sink into it, but with a hard, slippery surface that can be quite dangerous if you start to slide. We found our snowshoes quite useless at times.
recommended gear: it's crampon season. bring them. and a length of rope or webbing would have been very useful. snowshoes are fine most of the way, but right near the top of sawteeth I would have like crampons.
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