Winter advisory called for very windy conditions, and man they weren't kidding. I took the standard route from the lower trailhead. The road to the communications station is not passable for cars or any 4-wheel vehicles. I didn't need snowshoes until the communications station, where the snowpack got considerably deeper. Higher up I switched to crampons and ice axe because there has been some snow accumulation on some of the slopes that has covered the trail and created a mega snow-slide. It's pretty solid in most places, and could probably be climbed if one were so inclined. The trail tuenoff is very hard to find with all the snow. Right after the turnoff from the road, the snow gets deeper and hard to negotiate, but if you pick your route well you can get up over 12,200 with no problems. The wind was no joke. The blowing snow and 70+ mph winds make it very difficult to negotiate. I weigh 185 pounds plus 45 pounds of pack, and I got blown clear over twice by gusts that had to be in excess of 100 mph. Otherwise it was a clear day, but the wind was too much and I had to turn around.
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