Sat, Jan 30 2016 - Tray Mountain RE-RESCHEDULED (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Dorothea Participants: Dorothea, Jim, Mark W, Jess H, Akhtar, Angela, Kevin

This time we lucked out with perfect winter weather. Warm sun, blue sky, no wind. Plenty of snow on the shaddy side of the mountains. For some in the group it was the first time they had hiked in snow. Going downhill was fun: part-sliding, part-dancing, with speed and a sort of clunky grace from tipping this way, that way on the cushioned rocks. Meanwhile on the sunny side of the mountains the sun had burned away the snow entirely. The Andrew's Cove trail was a delight wtih all the gurgling water rushing down into the valley. A number of blow-downs indicated strong winds, despite which the early thru-hikers, of whom we met one, are out there.

It was Angela's first AOC hike. She fit right in.

For the record, the hike was 11.5 miles long and involved 3000 ft elevation gain (Andrew's Cove to Indian Grave Gap 1300 + Indian Grave Gap to Tray 1300 + shelter to Tray 400).