Mt. Quandary Ascent

Here is a picture of a couple hikers ascending the east ridge of Mt. Quandary in April of 2014.  We spent two nights in a snow cave.  It was the first time that I have built a snow shelter and slept in it.  The temperature stayed a fairly consistent 30-35 degrees inside, which was about 10-15 degrees warmer than the temperature outside overnight.

The most interesting experience in the snow shelter was the stillness.  Compared to a tent, the snow shelter completely protected from the wind and noise from the snow storm that hit us the second night. I can definitely understand why some of the Denali climbers elect to build snow shelters as opposed to staying in a tent.

Mt. Quandary Snowstorm by Luke Parr on 500px

These conditions aren't the easiest to ascend a 14er, but Quandary is a fairly easy climb in the summer.  The trail is fairly well marked (assuming it isn't covered completely in snow) and makes for an obvious route to the summit.