I hiked the Ski Hut trail today. I was fighting a bad combination -- a late start and an early turn-around because I wanted to get to Eric's first track meet of the season -- so I ended up going only as high as the ridge above the Ski Hut.
There was sporadic snow on the way to the Hut and plenty above it. It was generally hard and crusty (I went in the morning). I needed crampons and ice axe above the Hut. The trail below it was negotiable in boots, although one should be careful in many places. Lately, however, I have gotten tired of sliding around on relatively easy trails under conditions that do not merit crampons. This week I invested in a pair of Microspikes, which I tried out today below the Hut. I love them. For ordinary travel they made me a lot more sure-footed. They are very light and go on/come off in seconds. They definitely do not move around on one's feet. They are definitely not crampons, but I sure wish I had them during my 21 New York winters.
Pix