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| Snowshoeing | 7.75 Miles |
3,350 AEG |
| | Snowshoeing | 7.75 Miles | 7 Hrs 30 Mns | | 1.15 mph |
| 3,350 ft AEG | | 10 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | Early season conditions so I stuck with the trail going up, except where I went up the ski slope to avoid the first two switchbacks. Very windy, but not that cold, or not that cold relatively speaking. Still only mid-20s on top, I estimate based on the higher 20s reading at the Agassiz reporting station. Going down with sunset fast approaching, I skipped most of the trail and the trees and took a more or less direct path down slope to the ski runs. I did not want to waste time like a fool taking the trail, and the early season conditions meant that obstacles galore were the rule of the forest. With daylight, I would have felt differently.
I was hoping it would be more like the snowy hike last November, but it is December and much colder. There were more people out than expected, given this. I think in total 8 people including myself were out and made the summit. Plus 1 big furry dog. Visibility was pretty good, but an obvious inversion kept very long range clarity down, with the Henry Mts not visible to me, and the Pine Valleys visible, but not shining as they sometimes do when covered in snow. Still, the last time I saw those I was in Zion NP back in August!
I had wanted to summit a higher mountain in Colorado in September when I would have met family in Durango. That got canceled due to a tropical system (the entire trip). Bad weather in October had me in Kingman, where it was still rather bad, and I never went back to Flag or Colorado in later October. Then, I wasn't feeling well and didn't want to travel when I had a week off in early November, so I didn't hike San Jacinto above the tram. I still wanted to do something, "up high", and that led me to Elden, which then got me thinking of this, since Elden is pretty similar. Glad I did this. I have a backcountry permit, so I might come back this January or February to snowshoe in the forest, perhaps to the bomber wreck, or go to the summit, depending on conditions. However, I could just as easily not.
FYI: I was told the back country permit is not required until 12/12, but you can get them at the supervisors office on Thompson. |
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