I decided to wear my trail crampons instead of my snowshoes. There had been fresh snow a few days earlier, but I figured the Sunday hikers would likely have compacted the trail enough for me to manage just fine.
The first section of trail climbs steadily, tracking at the edge of the forest alongside a ski run. Eventually it splits from the ski run and has some ups and downs. In the summer that section of trail passes through areas of ponds and small streams.
After about half an hour of climbing I got my first view of the summit, and of the nearby mountains.
It was possibly even windier on top of Second Peak, but the views to the north were worth my efforts.
Instead, I enjoyed a well-deserved break out of the wind on the western side of Second Peak. This vantage point offered up yet another great view of the city below.
As I made my way back down the trail I ran into more and more hikers heading up. If the forecast was to be believed, it was likely to be our last sunny day for a while.
I made really good time on the way back, even enjoying a few short glissades on the steeper slopes. Instead of heading straight back to the car I decided to take a 1 km spur trail over to First Lake (they love numbers on this mountain...)