After crossing this clearing, I heard some voices behind me, and descended a few yards so I could capture this photo. Despite temperatures just below freezing, the sun and hard work of climbing a thousand feet through deep snow warm you up quickly, making a t-shirt the only thing you need to wear. When I return to the ridge today, I'm bringing a dry shirt to put on when I get to the top.
I broke several miles of trail yesterday, and see no reason not to take advantage of that by following in my own footsteps today. I'll probably seek out some fresh snow for part of my descent, as running down a snow-covered mountainside in snowshoes is almost as much fun as skiing down it (and much easier when the snow is thick and heavy).
