Most of the way I sank waist deep, almost out of sight in some places.

After spending the whole day to within half an hour or so of sundown, I was still several hundred feet below the summit.

Then my hopes were reduced to getting up in time to see the sunset.

But I was not to get summit views of any sort that day, for deep trampling near the canyon head, where the snow was strained, started an avalanche, and I was swished down to the foot of the canyon as if by enchantment.

The wallowing ascent had taken nearly all day, the descent only about a minute.