Maryse and I head to the Sierra to snowshoe around Donner Pass.

We stop in Sacramento and walk around a park. There's some kind of protest involving rent control. Free food is being handed out and everyone is wearing yellow T-shirts.

We stop in Auburn and do a short hike there, along the middle fork of the American river.

As usual, we park at the Sno-Park next to Boreal, cross the highway, and go up the path toward Castle Peak. Conditions are perfect.

We get to the ridge at the top of the valley. Maryse waits there.

I had a nose bleed

On the ridge

I continue up the first hill. Then there's a narrow ridge - a bit sketchy - that drops down about 100'. That's followed by a 2nd steep slope, several hundred yards long. This gets progressively steeper. About 100' below the summit plateau I start to slip; my Atlas snowshoes have decent toe crampons but they're not quite enough. I decide to turn around. The descent is extremely difficult. The snowshoes have no heel crampons. I try glissading, using my poles like an ice ax, but it's a little out of control and my hands are freezing. I zig-zag down instead. It's tense and exhausting.

When I meet up with Maryse I'm totally beat. I lie down, close my eyes, and recover for 10 min. After that I'm OK. I'm happy I had some adventure.

The return is OK except Maryse's knee is hurting and she has to walk with a straight right leg, which is not ideal.

On the way back we stop in Davis, walk around the downtown, and get something at Baskin Robbins.