K
kerry
Guest
Low hanging clouds in the morning and just a dusting of new snow. Warm temperatures all day. The crossing below Marcy dam seems a little less dangerous today now that there is some ice apparently blocking the slick splashing water on the rocks. Went up over Lake Arnold, some ice and snow to the Colden turn, then 4 inches or so of unbroken powder down to the Feldspar. Caution required here since the mud puddles under the snow are not all frozen and in the swamp the snow makes the planks difficult to discern. I poke with the pole to find the boards. Quite a bit of ice on the trail to Lake Tear. I wore microspikes much of the day. New snow over ice on the trail the Skylight. Summit obscured completely in clouds but with the sun shining through. Almost no wind at all. Lots of ice below treeline on Marcy but it's sticky in the warm air. Then as I step out from the trees onto the rock I am above the clouds and look up at the sunny blue sky over the summit cone. I walk in trail runners up the bare rock without traction, mittens or a jacket (December!). Once on the summit I stand on a rock island in the hot sun looking down on the tops of clouds. This is very cool. There is much more ice and some snow on the van-ho but below the tabletop turn it was melting fast. I wear the microspikes most of the way down. By the time I get back to Marcy Dam the clouds have lifted. A good day.
