aDam is back! He joined me and a few friends on a trip up Bearhead Mountain last weekend. Snow levels were similar to my first attempt on this peak, but this time it was a few feet of fresh powder all the way to the top rather than the springtime snow we experienced in March. Nellie's car stopped around 3500' on the road just after light rain turned to snow. Colin dropped me off with Maverick and some gear near the trailhead and ferried the rest of the group back in his jeep.
I started slowly up the trail to stay warm, sinking at least 6 inches with each step. Everyone else caught up below Twin Lake and we took turns breaking trail for the mile-long traverse. Much of the bear grass and branches were covered in newly-formed hoar frost. As we reached the SE ridge, the slope mellowed and the trail disappeared into smooth powder.
The snowfall stopped around halfway up the ridge, and we got a few brief glimpses of blue sky. Breaking trail uphill became more challenging with every step. The final 400 feet took us an hour to climb. We experienced some "whoomping" and found a few fractures in the snowpack, and had a quick safety meeting to insure that everyone felt comfortable continuing. We plotted a route through the trees, keeping a safe distance from the steeper slopes to the east.
There was very little wind at the top, but it was still pretty cold. Maverick was not happy to be stopped, so we built him a dog cave out of emergency blankets. We ate lunch on the summit, looking down at the spot where Colin and I turned back with our Mountaineers group in March.
I cannot describe how great it felt to fly down at high speed after such a brutally slow ascent. We cut most of our switchbacks, alternating between plunge-stepping and a standing glissade back to the traverse. Colin and I reached the trailhead quite a bit before the rest of the group so I continued on with Maverick towards Nellie's car, accompanied by the sound of gunshots and occasional sunshine.
9 miles round trip
1800' gain
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