8.5 miles tonight. Started at 3:30 from Bues Canyon and headed east. The trail was initially very icy but quickly turned into nice packed snow. I knew that once I got onto the higher, south facing, trail it would be clear, and it was in great shape. Got to the Mt Ogden shoulder just as it was getting dark. I passed a lot of deer on the way up , and just as I switched on my light to head down the thought went through my head . . . “Where there are that many deer, there are mountain lions” . . .crappy thought heading down a cold, lonely trial in the dark! About 4200 ft up. About 13,000 ft of climb in the past week . Not bad for the 1st part of December. | 