I decided to try the North Ridge again this time, and this time I was successful. I camped out above the treeline at about 7000' and finished the climb on day #2.
I was definitely overprepared for this hike. I brought mountaineering boots and crampons. 18 miles in mountaineering boots is hard. I should have brought hiking boots and microspikes. Lesson learned.
After successfully summitting, I talked to another climber in the parking lot and learned about a third route: the South Ridge. This is probably the smartest way to climb the mountain. It's the least difficult route, and you can spend the night at Camp Lake. If I ever try climbing this mountain again, I'm going to try the South Ridge.
You can check out my first two failed attempts here and here.
