Much snow remains in the saddle with Parnassus. I left my ice axe and crampons at home and had to drop down about 200 feet to cross lower angle snow. Used microspikes, no postholing. I think an axe would be advisable to follow the ridge proper across the saddle, although the run out is super generous and fall would just end up being a really long slide with a stop on snow, provided you slip off the south side.
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