Mount Defiance

[04/16/2016] Snow started a bit below the Mason Lake/Banderra fork, but there was a reasonable boot path to Mason Lake. After the lake, we quickly lost what remained of any existing tracks only to find some a bit later. The snow was deep, but supported our weight without snowshoes for the most part. We followed some older tracks most of the way to the summit and then made fresh ones the rest of the way. The summit had great visibility and could easily see Adams beyond Rainier. We were pleasantly surprised to have the summit to ourselves and didn't see anyone above Mason Lake the whole day. Snowshoes would have been welcomed on descent as the snow softened even more in the afternoon sun.

The snow is still fairly above Mason Lake and snowshoes are probably a wise choice if you want to avoid deep slushy snow and postholes.