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I'm considering attempting the Mt. Humprey's summit on November 4. Would appreciate any info on what to expect for trail conditions, especially snow and ice. Thanks!

you'll need crampons

it's already thin slush, that's ice in the morning and melting in the afternoon
a couple of storms are in the current weekly forcast so considerable snow is possible

An ice axe (and the ability to use it) would also be a good idea.

I've done humphreys with snow on the trail a few times and I never have seen the use for an ice axe. I have used my crampons tho.

Steven wrote:I've done humphreys with snow on the trail a few times and I never have seen the use for an ice axe. I have used my crampons tho.

I strongly disagree with this.

Carrying an ice axe and being trained in self-arrest techniques is absolutely essential for traveling on snow above treeline. True, it does not get used most of the time. I carried an ice axe for 400 miles through the Sierra Nevada, and the majority of the time it was just a fancy walking stick. However, I took a slip on the snow near Forrester Pass that easily could have been fatal had I not been able to self-arrest with my ice axe.

I have a friend who used to hike in the Idaho Mountains. He was traversing a snow slope and slipped. He had an ice axe but was not well versed in the self-arrest technique. He rocketed down fifty feet of snow and slammed into a tree. The crampon on his left foot dug into the tree while his body kept moving. He emerged from the incident with a compound fracture. He considers himself lucky that his fall ended at a tree and not a cliff.

An ice axe is like a first-aid kit. Most of the time it is not used, but when you need it, you really need it.

Thanks everyone for the helpful comments. I was thinking about the ice axe anyways so this confirms it. (BTW - didn't Joy go on to essentially:stay home and sit ???).

dvallett wrote:(BTW - didn't Joy go on to essentially:stay home and sit ???).

Naw, that was the second "this little piggy".

A friend went up today--6 inches of slushy snow that may well turn to ice. MP