As mentioned from a conditions report a few days earlier, there was a packed trail the entire way up. Did not bring snowshoes. High winds gusting to "knock you off balance" mph. The wind scouring made the trail quite firm in spots on the final steep section, making microspikes and poles very helpful for traction and balance. Although it was a bluebird day... on the descent, right before tree line... the strong winds had blown ground snow and covered up the trail. This resulted in about 10 minutes of off trail postholing. Not a big deal on a route as obvious as Quandary. It got me thinking though, that on a different mountain, where route finding could be an issue...snowshoes might be worth carrying even with recent reports of a packed trail.
|
