Clouds obscured the mountain peaks and the weather didn't look too promising, but we hit the trail and headed for the summit. After hiking for only a couple of miles the trail was completely covered with deep snow. The warming weather had softened the snow, and even with snowshoes the travel was difficult and was quickly sapping our strength. In my hiking experience, nothing is worse than traveling in soft spring snow.

With snowshoes, firm snow, and the appropriate clothing, winter fourteener climbs can be easier than summer climbs because the routes to the top are sometimes shorter. Soft spring snow is the worst of all conditions, since every sinking step through the deep wet snow wastes energy. With the peaks covered in clouds and the weather deteriorating, there would be no view from the top and route finding would be difficult. We decided to turn around and try again another day.