Up Amphi/Saddle/Greenman
Down NE Ridge
3.75 miles/2,300 vert./1:04:02 (38:32 up/25:28 down)/148 avg. HR Garmin Data
Fairly easy run, as I think I am coming down with something (the whole family is sick), or at the very least, was just low on energy from a few consecutive nights of poor sleep.
As expected, the route is dry to the spring on upper Greenman below the talus field (where some large trees came down in the recent wind storm, one huge one fell across the trail in the lower talus field and slid out of the way, then another just above obstructed the trail and was recently removed). Trail conditions were quite icy and slick though here for a bit, but I was too lazy to stop to install the spikes, so I just negotiated the best I could by staying in the snow on either side of the trail. There was another fairly long dry section, then snow/ice from the bottom of the wooden stairs to the final switchback, but again, did this without the spikes.
Spent very little time on the summit, just long enough to put on my windbreaker and then somehow detach my headlamp from the band and watch it crash down the rocks, as I had it wrapped around my wrist. Oops, I did not know it could do that. Luckily it still worked. Was also a bit pestered by the still persistent wind, that has pretty much been blowing since Saturday morning.
I carefully negotiated my way down the upper snow/ice section with my Microspikes safely stashed in my waistband, then gave the NE ridge a try in hopes that it would be dry and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was (I will be favoring this route until conditions improve on the normal trails, as traction is not necessary at all). It was quickly getting dark and for a while I was in that no mans land of dark enough it is hard to see, but too light for a light to be of much help. Once past the 1st access jct., it was like somebody flicked off the light switch and I busted out the magic Fenix lamp for the remainder.
I am quite clumsy in the dark and took it easy as to not have any mishaps. The moving shadows really throw off my already compromised equilibrium (only long lasting affects from my near fatal head injury in 1987).
