Hi John,johnspeth wrote: ↑February 26th, 2020, 7:23 amMountainkat, May I get a confirmation of your route?
You parked near the closed road gate near the Hummocks trailhead. You walked about 2 miles along the road and then left the road heading left to climb the ridgeline to the saddle between the rock arch on the Truman trail and Coldwater Peak. The saddle is near the intersection of the South Coldwater trail (230) and the Truman trail (207). Is all that correct?
My plan is to basically retrace your route but use a bike to get up the road fast. My concern is getting stuck on the wrong side of the ridge that peaks near the rock arch. I don't think I'd want to travel in that area with snow. I would anticipate danger in that area that is best avoided.
I think the road walk is just around a mile. We were able to take the South Coldwater Ridge trail to gain that ridge, and from there, we left the trail and continued on that ridge to the junction with the Coldwater Peak trail. When you are there on the ridge, the route along it is obvious. You will finally depart the ridge and end up generally following the direction of the Coldwater Peak trail to that final saddle. But, you first have to climb over a saddle that is at about 5200 ft elevation and then go down a bit and back up or side hill to that final saddle you talk about where the Coldwater Peak Trail meets 207, Truman Trail. That ridge with the rock arch is to the south of that final saddle, so you wouldn't end up there unless you tried to continue on the ridge south of the saddle.
I hope my wording isn't confusing. I do have a GPS track I could send you if it would help.