Mount Dickerman

Dibs and I decided to brave the rain and make a run at Mount Dickerman. The trail head usually looks like the parking lot at Nordstram's the day before Christmas while the trail itself is choked with people. Not today: it was lonelier than a convict in solitary on Devil's Island. Our journey began in the rain and it never really let up. Temps were moderate, in the mid 40s at the start (but kept dropping with the elevation, finally dipping down into the low 30s at 5100+ feet). The trail was as much earth as it was creek, water increasing around 5000 ft. Snow was encountered for the first time at around 4600 feet, nothing more than a patch here and there. At 5100 feet, the snow was covering everything and was up to my ankles. It was snowing heavily, too, and, with the temps dropping, the snow increasing in intensity, and the clouds rolling in and essentially wrapping us in a death shroud, Dibs and I decided to turn back at an elevation of 5147 feet, less than half a mile from the summit. Would have considered going on if I had snowshoes and an ice axe but, alas, I was not planning on snow (forecast had been for rain only) so we turned around, just in time for the wind to pick up and sting us with a mix of snow and frozen rain. All in all, not a bad day, just not as prepared as I should have been. I think it is clear to say that summer is over, fall slipped out the back door, and winter is here.