Kevin,
fortunately my plans specifically didn't call for a trip to the summit.
Without crampons i know that I would never make it up the chute.
This was my 5th time on the mountain, so I have some familiarity with where the main trail actually is. And part of my stated goal for this trip was to use the old trail (and avoid the north fork crossing, though that could be fun in its own way).
In the future when going up with a full pack, I plan to use the standard new boring and much less steep trail. One thing that it does is to let your legs loosen up instead of immediately going into full exertion mode. But coming down, I probably won't ever use the new trail beyond the old trail cut off.
Anybody who knows me and my hiking style knows that I am not looking to shave time off of my hike times. I am about as leisurely as you can get.
I suspect that this trip may end up being one of my favorites simply because it was such a misadventure. And I do have a sense of accomplishment in that I was able to get to the trail eventually by a very challenging route.
Last edited by tdtz; 06/26/11 07:56 AM.
