My original trip was scheduled for Saturday December 11th but was postponed due to a significant rain/ice storm. Since Suzanne & Gary Cole had planned a hike on Puzzle Mountain for the following Monday, they graciously agreed to let me post it as my club trip. It was an icy adventure. When we arrived at the trailhead parking area, it was covered with a thick layer of hard ice. Initially, trail conditions were better than the parking lot with some snow and patchy ice. Snow and ice diminished to dry ground after about a mile. At around 2,000 feet, while climbing a series of serpentine ledges, the ice became a major obstacle which continued for the remainder of the ascent. Every turn presented a new challenge. Sometimes we left the trail thrashing through brush on the side. A common technique was clinging to trees and pulling ourselves up. We nicknamed ourselves “tree huggers.” Careful placement of our micro spikes to ensure a firm grip was essential. Full crampons would have been preferable. Despite the obstacles, we made it to the summit, although it took us far longer than normal. Our careful descent was tediously slow but we made it without any falls. The memorable 6.4 mile ordeal took over six hours, two more than anticipated. Did I mention the views were great? Participants: Suzanne Cole, Gary Cole, Ken Gordon, Brent Elwell, and TC
Dec 13, 2021: Puzzle Mountain
