Hiked up Icehouse Cyn to the saddle this morning and returned via the Chapman Trail through Cedar Glen Camp. Great panoramic views of snow covered Ontario Ridge. Cedar Glen Camp is snow free - plenty of running water in Cedar Cyn. drainage just below camp.
It was early enough that all the snow was hard and icy (as soon as the sun hit it I bet it turned to slush though). On the way up I put on microspikes a little before the upper Chapman Trail junction. On the way down I took them off after the first snow patch on the Chapman Tr. - but that turned out to be a bit premature. I turned the corner and had a long traverse of a steep snow packed slope which was still in the shade. I needed my microspikes and ice axe to make it across (top layer of snow was very hard - couldn't always kick steps in so I had to chop steps as well). No wonder I was the only one on this trail!
Started about 7:30 am. Saw a total of 7 or 8 people from the time I left the parking lot till the time I got back to the lower Chapman Tr. junction. Between there and the parking lot I lost count and the parking lot was full. Ranger station in the lot was open.
A couple of images looking back at the trail traversing the snow slopes...
HikeUp wrote: ↑It was early enough that all the snow was hard and icy (as soon as the sun hit it I bet it turned to slush though). On the way up I put on microspikes a little before the upper Chapman Trail junction. On the way down I took them off after the first snow patch on the Chapman Tr. - but that turned out to be a bit premature. I turned the corner and had a long traverse of a steep snow packed slope which was still in the shade. I needed my microspikes and ice axe to make it across (top layer of snow was very hard - couldn't always kick steps in so I had to chop steps as well). No wonder I was the only one on this trail!
