Eisenhower via Edmunds Path

I decided to take the Edmunds Path to Eisenhower yesterday, Saturday, May 2. I was able to drive down Mt Clinton Road to the Edmunds parking lot. I was the only one there, although it was early at 7:30 a.m. Started out bare booting but after 20 minutes had to switch to Hillsounds. After one full hour had to put on snow shoes, I was expecting snow. The really rough part was after the elevation gain to the beginning of the slide/traverse to the Crawford Path. What a nightmare that was. Deep...deep snow. My head was scraping the top of the pine branches, which during the summer would be well over my head. Took one full hour to traverse that section of maybe a half mile. So glad I had snow shoes

Once at the junction of the Crawford path I made the decision not to return via Edmunds even though it meant adding five extra miles to the hike. I took the Eisenhower Loop trail over to the junction of Crawford and proceeded to Pierce, down the path to Mt Clinton Road then a two mile road walk back to my car. (While on the Loop Trail I came across some fresh bear tracks, surprised to see them this high above tree line. This was the second week in a row I came across bear tracks). I kept my snow shoes on down to Gibbs Falls. Long day but it was warm and beautiful. Once back to the car I saw six other cars in the parking lot, assume they got a later start.

Edmunds is a favorite of mine, but I will not be going up again there until June when the snow clears.

Welcome to the Edmunds Path in spring club

Thanks for posting, hike492! Your report is super-helpful to the Southern Presie trail maintainers who are hoping to get a work trip in this week