Even though this photos were stitched together to provide us with a panoramic representation of our day hike, this conglomerate doesn't quite describe the steep grade. We had to dig our shoes into the snow to create steps to climb that last 200 feet or so.
We hiked to Gold Butte, which took 3.5 hours uphill in the mud and deep snow. We only spent 1.5 hours climbing down the mountain-- there were fewer breaks, as you can imagine. We spotted kitty tracks and baby kitty tracks on our way down. I'm glad we didn't run into them.
At the top on the mountain is a volunteer firewatch cabin, which we hope to rent for camping in this summer. The 360 degree view from the top is unforgettable. Will do again.
