Government Peak

 I climbed Government Peak today with the Valley Wanderers. It was a most spectacular day, as well as the coldest day yet this season. It was only 14 degrees when we started. I was totally bundled up. By the time we reached the picnic table I took off my down jacket but kept my windbreaker on. I was so glad I chose to wear my mittens rather than just gloves because my hands were still cold. My feet were cold almost all day. That is annoying since, for the most part, the rest of my body was quite comfortable. The ground was frozen on the way up and grippers were very important. We encountered snow for at least the last 1500 feet, but most of it was easy to negotiate. We did do a small amount of post holing, but in a lot of places the snow was so wind-blown that my feet didn't even break through. I've decided that my winter mountaineering boots might be a little too stiff for this season. The soles really don't flex at all. That makes it difficult when climbing up over rocks and rough areas where mud has frozen into huge footprints. I was having a lot of pain in my right ankle most of the way down. But it was tolerable. When I got home I was happy to see it wasn't swollen. My feet stayed cold the whole way. So tomorrow I'm planning to go on a winter hiking boot hunt. In spite of some discomfort, it was a beautiful hike with the most spectacular views of the snow-covered mountains in all directions. Government Peak is 4781 feet high and the elevation gain on the trail is about 3700 feet. It is very steep most of the way. Always a nice challenge.