Signal Peak

From the Oak Grove camp ground we started the trail at 7:45 am, with low clouds and a 50% chance of storm. By 7500’ visibility was 30’, at 8000’ the trail disappeared under a foot of snow with 30-50’ visibility. With careful route finding we kept on trail and made the ridge at 10:45am. We slapped on the snowshoes in zero visibility and dropped over the side. The snow was about 4 feet deep going through Deer Flats, deeper at Further Water, and the skies were blue. Made the peak at 1 pm, with aid of the GPS, we found the “peak”, a relative high spot took a pictures and half hour latter left. Storm clouds were churning 1000’ above and off the front of the mountain, absolutely amazing ferocity. The return trip was fast, an hour back to the ridge then a 2 hour decent into clouds with little visibility and snowfall. Back at the car by 4:30pm. We attempted the peak last April but ran out of time route finding. There was 4’ of snow and ice at 8800’ with the trail nowhere to be seen. Crampons and axe would have been more useful then the snowshoes. The early winter conditions made for comfortable hike and not too many people can say they go to St. George for the snowshoeing.