Is Thor's class 2 route easier or more difficult in the snow (assuming conditions are fairly warm [24 to 34 degrees at the lowest], not too icy, and equipped with crampons and ice axe ... and remembering Bob R's ankle advice on glissading down with crampons) - Thanks, Tony

By the class 2 route, I assume you mean the slope up from Lower Boy Scout Lake (the "Secret Route"). Some friends and I did it three weeks ago, pictures here. Of course there has been more snow since then.

That climb was a little more tedious than it is in summer. That's because the 1000' slope above Lower Boy Scout Lake is quite loose in summer, but with a little bit of snow, it is even more so. When there is a lot of snow--as is likely now--and it's reasonably consolidated, it's an easy snowshoe or ice ax and crampons climb. But watch the avalanche conditions--it doesn't release often, but it does now and then. See Zone 4 on the map in this paper. (If you want to be really entertained, you can read the responses that were generated the first time I linked to that paper!)

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There are other class 2 routes. In December, we went up the Mirror Lake route and descended the southeast couloir route--both class 2 with a teeny bit of 3: pictures. I would say that the Mirror Lake route is about like the Secret Route--loose in summer, made a little more so with some snow. But it's south facing, so has a better chance to consolidate.

The southeast couloir, with a little or a lot of snow, can be treacherous. It's steep, gets some sun so can turn icy, and has little in the way of runout in the event of an uncontrolled slip. It can be a serious climb.

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Glad you remember about glissading with crampons. One of my more embarrassing moments. I don't want to have to post those pictures of my leg again.

Thanks Bob – great advice – I read your essay and all the comments. And beautiful pics that help with my perspective and trip planning – I plan to do it in March, whenever I can fit it in. Working for the State of California is definitely a blessing – I got a 10% pay cut, but the good news is I also get an additional two mandatory furlough days off a every month.

Gusto’s comment to your article I thought was particularly good. He wrote:

“Ultimately, the reader is responsible for taking the information as truth or falsity.” And “When you walk into the wilderness, you assume ALL THE RISKS THAT YOU PUT YOURSELF INTO.”

And I read about your glissading debacle just before my son and I attempted the JMT after that HUGE winter (2004/2005) in July of 2005, which entailed my first major use of crampons. I probably would have glissaded with them had I not read of your experience. We hit Donahue Pass (doing the trek from north to south) around July 8, under about 6 feet of snow. Muir Pass was even worse, yet better, awesomely beautiful. Thanks