The Views from the Top reported dramatic changes due to the snow and wind. Whereas the week before had been balmy, winter had arrived. We came prepared for deep snow, which we got.

With Charlie becoming a grandfather on Friday (Elsie Rose Carson born to Kate and Evan Carson), we were five: Doug Anderson, Doug Sacra, Celia Knight, Jason Shelkowitz, and me. We decided on the Skookumchuck Trail up to Mt. Lafayette and back along the same route.

The snow started out at 2" deep, so bare boots worked fine. It looked like two people went up before us; otherwise completely fresh trail. The Skookumchuck Brook was flowing well; temperature just above freezing. The snow depth increased as we veered away from the stream and the trail got steeper. The two people before us changed to snowshoes; we did the same. Jay held off a little, but even at the rear he needed snowshoes soon. The going was slow; Celia says I was complaining. Near noon, we passed the other two hikers, who looked hearty on their descent and had made it to Mt. Lafayette summit, having started out almost 2 hours ahead of us. We stopped for lunch about 1:15, almost 4.5 hours into the hike. I lounged on my tarp and sleeping pad; the others stood. We pushed on to the Garfield Ridge junction and then up to the knoll, still ~0.5 miles form the Lafayette summit. By then it was 2:15, past when we should have headed back to get back before dark. The trail down was much easier to navigate, but I soon took up the rear. The one nice thing about snow is that it provides a cushion. Celia suggested that I take some ibuprofen for my aching knees; that worked after about 20 minutes.

We didn't make it back to car until the sun had set and the mostly full moon was illuminating the snow. Altogether we went ~9 miles in 8.25 hours. The forest was gorgeous; the temperature quite pleasant, but the skies never cleared while we were above treeline.

Gear notes. We didn't need traction until we put on snowshoes. Except at the top where there was frost and ice-covered granite, the snow was covering everything. All snowshoes worked well; I was breaking in my new MSR Denalis, which worked great. Lots of extra coats and clothing stayed in our packs; no need to change shirts as we stripped down early to single shirts. Slight wind on top; fleeces, hats, and gloves sufficient to stay warm. Gaiters were inportant all the time.

Remember to click on the photos to see full scale---and telling facial expressions.

Early in the hike with a few inches of snow on the trail The hike up Skookumchuck Trail led to Garfield Ridge (4.1 miles) and then to Lafayette summit (4.7 miles). The snow started out ~2" deep, so bare boots worked fine. We switched to snowshoes, just like the pair of hikers ahead of us, when the snow reached 6". It's a fine trail, but the snow made it slow going, ~1 mph.	Doug looking skyward; a true outdoorsman. The snow was over a foot deep, falling only the previous day. Two people preceeded us to the ridge.	The sky above Doug on our way up Skookumchuck Trail We hoped that the blue sky would remain when we reached the Garfield Ridge, but the clouds came back.
Snowshoes on, the snow deepens at ~3000'	Abominable Doug S. coming down the trail Never reaching the Lafayette summit, we stopped 0.8 miles short and started down with only 2.5 hours of daylight left.	Doug A. manuevering adeptly It had taken 5 hours to get above treeline, short of the Lafayette summit. Down was easier than up.
Jay snowshoeing with confidence In a steeper part of the trail, snowshoes help keep you from sliding.	Celia a moment after coming into camera view With the sky cloudy since the Garfield Ridge where we didn't get a view, we quickly headed down---with some tricky places to navigate.