You can not stay on standard route. We used micro spikes early morning on the lower grade snow fields. Snow was firm all day. Did not use micro-spikes on the descent. Even at 3 pm, snow was still firm but just soft enough to heel plunge step our way down. No post holing at all. We did use ice axe to climb an 7 or 8 foot block at the first of the Twin Gullies. Twin gullies as others are still full of snow and will be there for a while. We were able to down climb 75+ feet or traverse over the snow but you are making 5.4 - 5.6 moves. A fall would not be survivable. We left camp 9 at Crater Lake about 5:50a, Summit by 1:00 pm and returned to camp about 5:30p. Route finding was a challenge. Beyond the gullies there is no snow to the summit. Large cornice at the top but peak was bare. Mountain Rescue was on their way up this morning for a body recovery. We did not see another group on the mountain so they must have fallen before the twin gullies where part of our team waited about about 2.5 hours for my son and I to make a summit attempt.
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