Halloween Hike: Mt Pierce

We're creating a tradition!  For the second year in a row, the dogs hiked in costume for Halloween (technically yesterday since I work a "regular" job) and, unintentionally, took a similar route to last year's trek with David and Meka (to whom we wish a very special 11th birthday!!).

Just some super cute dogs to draw attention away from my run-on sentence!

Being that I've covered the Crawford Path up Pierce in at least four other posts, this time is mostly just for fun and to document current conditions.  

Yesterday we got to hike with Hannah and her out-of-state relatives, as well as a little on our own.  The forecasts (NOAA, weather.com, mountain-forecast, and MWOBS) were all pretty accurate.  The air was a little damp but no precip befell us, the temperature at 10:30 at the southern end of the notch was 50* and probably floated around 45* for most of the hike.  Above treeline was exhilarating.  Low visibility (but not limited enough to be disorienting) and powerful wind gusts.  Still, not biting cold.  Basically, perfect gear testing weather and to simply be happy to be out!

Conditions summary: almost all things wet.  Mud, standing water on the trail, running water on the trail, slush, some wet snow, and slush puddles that'll eat your Asolo's.  No ice til the ledges just before the summit but not much.  I never used my micros but others did.

Very fall-like on the Crawford Connector

Here comes the snow but we can all agree the highlight here
is the dogs!

Celebrating snow also meant accepting slush

Returning along the angled rocks was challenging

Trail

Yum!!

Rime!!!

Happy HOWL-oween!!

Showing off their spooky swag from Audrey's Dapper Closet!

Ty showing off her new Ruffwear and Red Dingo
gear! (Shout out to the latter for their lifelong
warranty!)

Ty appears to have a new way of celebrating summits

"Dingo in the midst"