I'm too old for this! (Actually, I'm just a wuss...)

 I'm a weenie sometimes. An intrepid hiking buddy (A.) had invited me to go on the "traverse" along with he and his son-in-law. We do this 15 mile hike every summer...summer being the operative word for me.  It is a beautiful trek "traversing" the alpine ridgeline from Deer Mountain to the Silvis Lake area.  However, I'd noticed the snow remaining on the ridge line extending east of Deer Mountain, and was worried about one particular part of the Traverse.  We call it "the gap." In summer, that section never used to really intimidate me, but as I get older, I just want to get it over with. It is a steep portion with a rope that hikers can use to rappel down a short rock face, and then to hold onto for extra security as the trail drops down around a large tree.  On one side of that tree,  a shift of weight and a slip could mean continuing down, down, down....a long way down. And on the other side, there was no route-it was steep rock. I knew that at this time of year, the entire "gap" area was likely to be covered with snow, rope included. My hiking buddies weren't too worried: bring your ice axe and we'll just "walk down." (Yah, right, I thought.)

My favorite "swimming pool." It will be awhile...

But, I also didn't want to miss out on this hike, so I went. Sure enough the gap was covered in snow. Luckily, it was soft snow and a third member of our group walked down digging his heels in. It was suggested that the others of us should go down backwards, stepping into his footprints and using our ice axes to hold onto. I made it with one person above me and one below to talk me down, but it seemed to take forever. I had a hard time seeing if I was stepping into the other person's footprints and some were a long reach for me (having a shorter stride.) Of course, A. pointed out that if I would stand up straighter and not practically hug the snow face, I would be able to see the foot holds.  No way!

A bit farther down, we turned and heeled it in the rest of the way.

Normally, trail and rope go in a narrow band of trees on the cliff at left. To our right, the slope is "sloped" and a slip could take a person on a long ride....something I decidedly didn't want. The upper slope where our tracks were evident was a breeze in comparison, I "skied" down on my boot heels.