Started at around 11 am, after getting one of the cars unstuck from the snow in the parking area by the road (where it is recommended to park). We put on our microspikes at the very beginning of the trail as it starts off a bit icy and kept them on all the way up/down. They were super helpful, I highly recommend them! Some opted for snowshoes, and they could be helpful towards the top or on the way down but not crucial.
We got above the clouds around 2.5 miles in and were rewarded with a blue bird sky and 360 views of the mountain range peaking above the clouds at the top. Definitely feels like a slog at times but well worth it! Oh, and the trees have beautiful icy thorns that make them look like white larches. Stunning!
We crossed about 30 people on the tail, I'd estimate about 50/50 on the mask wearing.
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