Alpine Scramble - Mount Ellinor (winter)

Our group of six Mountaineers started from the upper trailhead just before 8 a.m. Parked a few tenths of a mile from the parking lot due to remaining snow cover that was not driveable. The trail is in great shape, and still lots of snow on the winter route, although it is deteriorating quickly. We donned crampons at the junction and used them all the way up through the chute and to the summit. We were climbing the chute by 9:30, and the snow was firm and quite icy in stretches. Crampons were a must. We did not glissade until less than half-way down the lowest glissade section due to firm snow in the glissade tracks. Walking down the very steep chute was laborious and crampons were needed, but it appeared to be the safer option because of icy stretches and trees, rocks, and holes are beginning to appear in glissade tracks.