WOW WOW WOW! I did not know what to expect but was amazed by the entire thing. There is a lot of snow I did it all with no gear but if you aren’t sure footed definitely take some micro spikes. The trail is pretty much covered from about halfway up the Boulder section to the top. With the vertical beach being completely covered. It was an amazing clear day but windy in the exposed parts. I can’t get over how amazing it is. Will remember this hike forever. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Started at 6 am in rain, turned to snow before leaving the trees. Started the boulder field, but turned back after about a 1/4 of mile. Snowing and blowing. Probably could have kept going for a bit but we were worried about coming down. And just going down the little bit we did was not fun. Slippery and hard to place our feet safely. Met a volunteer on way back and he said these are not good conditions, so we were glad we turned back. We will try again if weather permits. I have done this climb in June/July/August. Was hoping for a beautiful fall day, but Mother Nature had a different idea! We saw only 3 other groups attempt it Sunday - hope they made it out safely! And yes, the road is still a bumpy ride!

There was a snow dusting for the last 200-300 feet, I recommend poles. Plenty of people without poles were doing just fine too.

Weather has finally gotten chilly again, intermittent cold blasts on the way up felt amazing.

The last section of road is a little rough but our Honda civic did fine on it. There was rough weather today so we made it through the boulder field but after reports of people coming back down, stopped and turned around then. They said it was a white out up top and very icy. We were still in summer hiking mode with no winter gear so we didn’t attempt. Even a guy with all the gear was also calling it quits 😂 Lots of fog rolling through our whole hike with some intermittent rain. Overall, still nice to get out on the trails but if you’re going up it might be time to bring all the winter gear with you. 

Summary: beautiful and challenging as usual. Total time 9 hours including several breaks and extended time at the summit.

Weather: with not a cloud in the sky and little wind, it was surprisingly warm for late September; considerably warmer than my previous ascents at the same time of year. My normal base layer includes long sleeves for sun protection, and I was sweltering. I carried 4 liters of water and it was just barely enough (I would have drunk more if I'd had it).

Equipment: Poles were very useful, but be prepared to stow them during boulder scrambling when they'll get in the way. I strongly recommend gloves for the boulder field as well, because the rocks can be super-abrasive.

Here's a hazard that had never crossed my mind: halfway through the boulder field, the outer sole delaminated from one of my hiking partner's boots, drastically reducing traction and protection against sharp rocks. She had to turn around early and make her way down very slowly and gingerly favoring one foot (generously insisting I continue to the summit without her).

Route: HotterOtter's report from August 25 showed a handy photo of different possible paths through the section shown in my photo 2—the question being whether it's better to stay close to the marked route which follows the top of the ridge, or a sandier path lower on the slope. I'm now convinced the lower route is easier, and I think it's also responsible in terms of avoiding damage to the delicate plants in the area (though I'm no expert).

Summit: Just getting to the top of Monitor Ridge is great, but I also found the side trip to the summit worth the energy. It involves some fairly steep and rough, but not really risky, up-and-down along the rim. I like it for getting a better sense of the scale and ruggedness of the crater.