>>1367621I did a relatively unused side trail. We had a week of bizarrely warm weather at the end of February and I thought if there was ever an easy window for a winter ascent it was then
>broke trail myself through months of untouched snowpack>post holed the whole way up because thought snowshoe weight would have slowed me down>one particular high angle snow slope gets awful slushy>lower snow too stuff to kick steps>crampons won't stick in the slush>crabwalked up it sideways slipping all over the place>girlfriend slips and fucks up her thumb above treeline>break out map and realize I've hit my turn around time>resign and go back down>talk to guys back at the trailhead>nobody seemed to have made it that dayThe weather was holding so I went back the following week.
>earlier start>snowshoes>trail already broken from the prior week>have navigational issues above treeline and end up doing some climbing trying to find a way up >summit>weather crew comes out of the building and into a snowcat>lady in charge points to a big storm bank that had been coming in on the opposite side of the mountain out of view>tells me it's time to go back down right now>move as fast as I can jogging over the exposed rocks>have to glissade down some sections they're so steep and the snow is so wet>get back to the lodge safely>old guy at the lodge sees my gear and asks me what I'd done that day>told him and he congratulated meWe should go do it together. I'm in southern VT.
