Planned to do the full 6.7-mile loop to the peak, parking near Mountain Lake, but the weather had other plans. It was endlessly drizzling and the climb, as the trail description says, starts immediately. We ended up yielding after ~1 mile given the extreme fog we knew we'd encounter at the top (a.k.a. no views), passing a class of what we later learned to be 8th graders beginning their ascent...
We instead drove up the road to where the Cold Springs Trail meets the pavement. Really felt like the right decision: We still got a few miles in, albeit with a little less gain, but the timing worked out in our favor. The view was nada at the top -- complete fog -- and more than a few folks (all having driven to the top lot) joked about seeing Canada. Alas. We had a snack, chatted with the park ranger in the brand-new visitor center, and returned down in the unrelenting rain. The class of 8th graders was arriving, sodden and sullen, many in just T-shirts despite the chill.
I said something to the effect of: "The clouds are starting to break," and one young fellow replied, "Yeah, we saw some stuff." Indeed. Finally, we could see the water and a few of the islands below. Lesson being: bring that extra layer. It was an eerie view but still mesmerizing. Then the day did a complete 180, the sun shining from late afternoon until it set, which we enjoyed at Deer Harbor.
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