We arrived at the Kautz Creek trailhead at 7:30 am. The privy is open and stocked with TP and hand sanitizer. The road is completely clear of snow.
The trail is snow free until about 2.5 miles in, but the rocks and bridges over the creek were a bit slick with ice. Poles are recommended for balance, along with grippy shoes. Around 4200 feet we encountered snow and ice patches. We put on our microspikes at around 4800 feet.
We left the trail at 5300 feet and headed up the slope towards the summit. The snow was about 1-2 feet deep in places. We observed some rollerballs and evidence of past slides from the rocks below the summit, but overall the snow pack was very consolidated. We kicked steps the last 400 or so feet to the summit. At the summit we were treated to views of Rainier, Mount Wow, Adams, Hood and St. Helens. We lingered for about 40 minutes before plunge stepping back down to the trail.
Distance: ~12 miles, Elevation gain: 3737 feet, time: 7 hours 22 minutes
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