Three of us had overnight permits for this past weekend. Here's a breakdown of what we brought and our itinerary:
GEAR: -Ice axes (one per person, we saw several groups trying to share) -Crampons (NOT microspikes) -Sunscreen & sunglasses. The snow is bright and you will get burned! -Gators (for the water crossings and snow)
IF YOUR CAMPING AT TRAIL CAMP: -Closed cell foam sleeping pad. This will save you from the cold ground. -All-weather sleeping bag. Sleeping bag ratings are for *survival* not comfortability. Get/bring something that's as close to 0-degrees as possible. -Water filter. There were several people trying to melt snow. This is inefficient and a waste of fuel. There's a stream at Trail Camp - if you're facing the chute it's to the right around the corner from the rocks. Also Consultation Lake has some breakup that you can filter water from.
ITINERARY: 6/2: -Acclimation hike at Kearasarge Pass Trail, which has a few snow banks to practice glissading and using your ice axe. -Camped at the portal.
6/3: -Breakdown camp and hit the trail at 5:30am. -I didn't find the river crossings as difficult as some people here, but it is something to be aware of. The gators really helped. -We put on our crampons just after the log river crossing (I believe the 3rd crossing). It's pretty snowy from here on up. -As someone suggested here, we used the Gaia GPS app (free trial for 7-days) and it was a lifesaver. It lost the signal when we were in the meadow, where Outpost Camp is located, but we stayed to the left, then crossed over to the far right and were able to get out and back on the trail (this is normally switchbacks, but is now covered in snow). -We arrived at Mirror Lake at around 12:30pm and took an hour for lunch and to pump water from the lake into our camelbacks and water bottles to top off. -Almost immediately after Mirror Lake you get above the tree line and there's no more shade. All snow and rocks. The glare is harsh, so be sure to keep applying sunscreen. -We made it to Consultation lake at about 4:30pm (which was still almost completely frozen) then went directly above it to the rocks where Trail Camp is. There were several tents already set up so we found a spot. -We topped off our water again at the stream and were in bed by 8pm, although it doesn't get dark until after 9.
6/4: -Woke up at 2am and began our hike toward the chute. We left our big packs and tents at Trail Camp and just took daypacks (and ice axes). It's difficult to see in the dark, so be sure to take note the night before where you're headed. It took us about an hour to hike to the chute in the dark. -The chute itself is about 1,400 feet in elevation gain. -I was feeling extremely anxious about the hike up the chute and my friend was getting altitude sickness, so we decided to wait by the rocks at the base of the chute to see if it got any better. By about 4am, she was getting worse so we called it and turned back. -We slept another few hours, then headed back down the trail at about 9am, arriving at the portal at around 1pm. -On the way back we did some glissading with our axes, which was amazing and saved a lot of time on the trail.
OUR TEAM RULES (we only had 2 and they're both equally important): -Stick together. No matter what we don't separate or get out of eyesight of each other unless someone's going to the bathroom. -We don't have to summit. This may seem counterintuitive, but if you're going as a group, it's so important for everyone to feel confident and comfortable. Yes, these hikes are about pushing yourself physically and mentally, but if someone is sick or injured, they need to feel supported by the team. The team is more important than the summit.
Of course we were all disappointed we couldn't summit. We'd spent months training and acquiring gear, but ultimately we had an amazing experience together in one of the most beautiful and humbling environments.
If we had gone up the chute, we planned on 3 hours until we got to the top and another 2 to summit. Then 5-6 hours to return to the portal.
OTHER NOTES: -Because the snow is melting so quickly, hiking earlier in the day is very important! Crampons are most effective on icy snow, not slush. -Bring ibuprofen. It'll help with headaches and sore muscles if you're doing multiple days. -Remember to put sunscreen on your lips! -Talk to people on the trail, especially those coming down as you're going up. They have the latest news on what conditions are ahead. -Bring bug spray if you're camping at the portal. We all came back with nasty bug bites. -Take lots of pictures! You're in one of the most beautiful places!
