This outing was (perhaps ambitiously) billed as the first of our "2006 summer mountaineering training" outings, due to our upcoming 7-day mountaineering course in BC in July of 2006. In addition to getting out and into the mountains, the general idea was to start getting the folks who are going to be heading out in July on the mountaineering course together, so that we could get to know each other. Of the current member-roster for the course, only Brian, myself, Jenn and Sara were able to make it. Still, it was a start!
We chose something pretty reasonable and easy : Noonmark, combined with an ascent of Round. I'd never done Round Mountain before, and although it didn't look like much on paper, I'd heard that it was quite a nice peak.
Our weather was a fine sunny spring day. In fact, it was so nice, so warm, that it really felt like a mid-June hike. The only clue was the lack of leaves on the trees. We ascended via the Stimson trail up Noonmark, and it was not until almost the very top that we encountered any snow remnants at all. What a huge difference from just
three weeks before on Marshall!! I'd packed my crampons but they ended up being training weight only!
