There's old climbers and there's bold climbers but no old bold climbers.
- Somebody
Unless, of course, you have a train and dedicated volunteers to save you.
Basic Lowa mountaineering boots. https://www.lowaboots.com/mens/mountaineering/alpine-expert-gtx
I used them for this Extreme Dog Walking Boots but seem to have rehabbed my foot well enough to down shift to very stiff (but not rigid) backpackers Ticam Evo GTX | LOWA Boots USA or lite(?)...
I foolishly didn't budget enough time to put them on, take them off, and stuff them into the slightly too small bag every hundred yards or so.
I'll try to be better next time.
My Zephyr TF and and Z-6 mid TF work well with Hillsound Microspikes and Kahtoola K10's.
Yesterday, however, there was snow on only 1/3 of the length of the trail. I'm not a fan of marching over rocks and roots in microspikes.
A warning,
The Lowa Cross sole and the Lowa Tactical Z soles are both poor on snow and ice.
Very durable on a variety of surfaces though. Pavement, concrete, gravel.
I've become a big Lowa fanboy. I've found the durability to be excellent if used appropriately. E.g. don't expect their hiking soles to last on pavement.
I don't have these but they look intriguing.
LOWA Fusion® Lo | LOWA Boots USA
Once upon a time you could park near the gate. The old main trail from the Wilmot side was pretty steep and very wet. Depending on how the thaw/freeze cycle was it could be very icy. Cheers