6 miles of hiking • 4750' elevation gain •
Started 1:30am at Timberline. Continuous heavy winds. Got up to Hogsback, unsure how safe the summit would be with the wind. Cold. Partners opted to bail. Descended to Illumination Saddle, then walked straight down the Zigzag Glacier for a while and strolled back over to the Magic Mile to finish it out. Other climbers who'd gone up when we headed down appeared to be summiting via the Pearly Gates. Sigh.
