Today was a perfect summit day! I got up on time, got out the door and on the peak by 7:45. Though I felt obligated to be attempting the harder, more technical couloirs, the modest hike up to the top was perfectly enjoyable. 2 hours and 20 minutes to the top from St. Mary's Glacier--not too shabby! I talked with some nice folks on the summit who were also from Boulder. Who knows, maybe I can sucker them into coming on some future hikes? Heh!
I considered the James Peak-Bancroft traverse (in the bottom pic, James is on the right, Bancroft on the left), but without a helmet it wasn't the best idea (plus the extended route isn't in my book). However, I DID glissade down half of St. Mary's Glacier in shorts, just to see how much snow my pants can hold. It turns out to be quite a lot, as it wasn't fully melted until I exited the highway (keeping in mind it was 88 degrees today, which meant it was about 160 degrees in my car).
Good people, good weather, and a great mountain--you can't beat that! Also, I'm slowly getting addicted to Mango Electrico Gatorade. I'm not the only one, as it's sold out at the store across the street. Tomorrow is Mount Snikatu!
