I could be wrong, but I don't think I would hike Wildrose right now with anything less than
these boots and a pair of Gore-Tex gaiters. 9,000' in Death Valley certainly has less snow than 9,000' around Reno/Tahoe, but we got a lot of snow last weekend. At least a couple of feet up high. We got about 8" at my house (at 5,000') with another 5" in the last 12 hours. We're expecting more in the next day or two, followed by some melting and settling.
Assuming the roads are OK, I plan to drive down (~350 miles each way) to meet Gary and others for Corkscrew Peak (5,804') on 3-5. I'll bring the Asolo boots and something lighter and make a final boot decision when I see the conditions. I would rather look like a fool for being over-prepared than freeze my toes and/or have to turn back because I only brought trail runners.
