Started from Longmire at 8:40 AM. The trail is in great shape and completely snow-free up to about 5,300 ft. Above that, snow became intermittent but consistent enough that I put on microspikes and left them on until I dropped back below the snow line on the return.
The forecast had called for light rain around 9 AM, but I lucked out—no precipitation at all for the entire hike.
I carried snowshoes, ice axe, helmet, shovel, avalanche beacon, and probe, but these were purely training weight—snowshoes stayed on the pack.
Reached Mildred Point at noon, grabbed some photos of the mountain, and tucked into the trees for lunch. Started down at 12:30 PM and was immediately distracted by an incredible lineup of Pyramid, Iron, Copper, Sautilick, and Tumtum—worth stopping for the right photo.
A couple of brief pauses on the descent for layer and gear adjustments. Returned to Longmire at 3:00 PM.
Stats:
Elevation gain: 3,186 ft
Distance (up): 5.3 miles
Time up: 3 hrs 20 min (including snack and gear stops)
Weather: Dry all day
Great conditions and a rewarding winter-shoulder-season outing.
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