The first bit of the climb gains elevation fast. The views were spectacular from the start. We followed the ridge up and were pounded by fierce winds. The mountains around us also had signs of windy ridges.
Grotto was peaking over off in the distance. As we rose, Grotto was more and more visible.
Once we reached a plateau, the snow was deep. Snowshoes were a must. Our panoramic view was incredible. Gap Peak is to the right, Grotto is behind. Shauntae was also in awe of the rockies. Tye was hanging back and getting his shots as well.
Shortly thereafter, the peak! It is marked by a small cairn with a stick. We couldn't stay long since the wind was howling. The snow flying off the cairn and the peaks behind are clearly visible. We didn't have our summit beers. Fingers were slowly begining to freeze.
Shauntae in her classic pose! Happy to be at the top. That wind though. Tye was busy taking a few photos. I swear he was with us for most of the hike. He did come on the hike.
Tye appears! We made our way around the back side to reach our descent route. The wind created several tornadoes. One went right over us. During the descent, we were shielded from the wind which was very nice! Mount Fable off in the distance.
The snow was incredibly deep on our descent route. No one had gone this was in months. There were no signs of the trail. We followed our GPS route as best we could.
Oveerall, this hike was a lot of fun! Nothing very technical. Deep snow, high winds, but also great people! The hike took us out to the road where we had our summit beers. They were now road beers!
