We only had enough time for a short hike, but still wanted to get out for a bit. We set a turnaround time and headed up Register Ridge. We made it to an elevation of about 8,000′ before starting our descent.
*The snow was soft and we did not need any winter traction devices for most of the hike.
*Around 7200′, the snow was deep enough to justify using snowshoes and they became especially useful at about 7600, where we were breaking trail. We found some areas where the windblown snow was 3′ deep.
*By the time we started our descent (~10 AM), the temperature had risen significantly and the snow was becoming wet and sticky. I would guess that microspikes would be useful tomorrow and beyond, especially in those areas that had high foot traffic.
*On our descent, we passed 8-10 people that were headed up. I would expect the trail to be broken all the way to Devil’s Backbone Trail and possibly up to Mt. Harwood.
Clicking HERE or on the screenshot at the top of the post will bring you to a small gallery of photos from yesterday.