Snowden

Short and sweet. That is how some people describe climbing Snowden. While it isn't really a technical climb, or very long, it was still one of the funner hikes/climbs I have done thus far. Doug and I had tried it last year but were turned back by some spotty snow conditions. This time, we encountered little snow (actually just a few patches). The weather was beautiful. We left the parking lot at 10am and reached the toe of the "rock glacier" exactly 30 minutes later. This is the last relatively slight incline just prior to the steep incline up to the saddle. We reached the saddle an hour later, grabbed a quick bite, and headed up the ridge.

We worked our way up the ridge and were on the summit an hour later. While the ridge appears less than exciting, it does provide for a little pucker factor. Of course I had an ulterior motive. I wanted to scope the Naked Lady couloir for an early spring or winter ascent. In doing so, I ended up a little too exposed and the pucker factor was ramped up a bit. The Naked Lady looked great. I didn't stare at her too long..one could go blind. We hit the top, took pictures, noticed the thunder and got our asses out of there. We were back down to the car by 3:30pm. Home in time for dinner and cold beers. Another great day in the mountains.