July 6, 2008, Summerland/Fryingpan/Whitman Cr

There wasn't much data to go on, but Muir's RH% after midnight on the 6th convinced me that it MIGHT be clear above a cloud deck. On drive up nothing encouraging weather wise: wet pavement from recent showers, no cloud holes even once inside MRNP. Striped parkingspots in lot all full already (but of course there aren't nearly enough of those... and despite this saw very few people, excepting large party climbers  at Meany Crest camp.) On trail, drizzling near creek crossing and socked in solid starting at the hairpin (as reported, currently this is a good spot to change from trailshoes to boots). Headed uphill hoping to find bootpack that ascended frontside Meany Crest. It got spa-like in the fog and sure enough popped out top of it ~6300. Front side bootup that goes into the little bowl is discontinuous, with boulders to climb and some undermined spots. The steeper bootup nearer the frontside skiline seems continuous still; the only two other skiers I saw up high went up that way (and I should have).

Once over Meany Crest it was clear it was going to be a great day on the Fryingpan, very smooth snow all around. Easy skinning. Took me almost 6 hrs to reach Whitman Crest mostly due to struggling with that Meany Crest bootup, water filtering stops etc. Mad props to AndyMartin for pulling it off in 4.5 ... top of Sunrise/ Burroughs ridge was also out of clouds. Over by Muir looked clear down to Cowlitz rocks then same cloud deck there. Sorta hazy above the cloud deck too so not the greatest day for pictures. (Click captions for fullsizes.)