We elected to leave the route a short time later and plow upwards through another couple hundred feet of hell on earth. There was a very thin ice step near the top of the route which went for about 50 feet, but it was unprotectable and we felt it would have been a waste of time. We saw that the young guns who had gone before us had turned around at this point. I suggested that we go on up and top out. Because I am not a smart man.

We coiled the ropes and Brian mostly wordlessly followed me up steep snow and pine carnage. We topped out on the Webster trail another 20 minutes later and Brian headed on up to the summit clearing while I dealt with an emergency that had built to epic proportion throughout the day. (It has been many, many trip reports since I've even come close to broaching the subject. I was due.)

We had more or less agreed to follow the Webster trail down, rather than downclimb and rap the route. We took a few minutes to eat and regroup, then started to follow the trail... which disappeared in mere seconds. I bashed around for a little while in the trees and shrubbery, trying to find some semblance of a way down. Brian quickly suggested... well, it was more of a command, but it was the right thing to do, that we descend the route. I agreed completelyand we headed over and down. There was no sense in fighting our way down a trail that wasn't there if we knew from whence we came. And we did. Is my point.

It took us... a while. We followed a descent route to the right (as you head down) of the route proper. There was a narrow gully downclimb (rap it if you're squeamish like me and you have the time and light - it's not a big deal but if you fall you're kinda gonna get mangled - I probably should have rapped it) and one rap off an anchor built above the ice fan, on the way down. The rest was boot-o-rific de-amblflication. In the dark.

We got back to Nereledge later than usual, and Brian called his wife Jennifer to tell her we'd gotten in the night before and hadn't perished during the day.

Brian reports her responses:
Brian: Hi hon. We just got back.
Jennifer: So how was dinner?
Brian:We just got down. We haven't eaten yet. Haven't even showered.
Jennifer: Oh. Well, you really were slow.