I stood on a small mound of ice and compressed snow, feeling stable. I had tested it for support, and also grip by my shoes with a kick or plunge step onto it. Appeared solid. When I stepped down onto what I thought was dry asphalt, in blink of an eye both feet went out and I fell. I am certain I already stepped down onto the pavement. But if it was covered with a frost of verglas, which I now suspect, I would have needed book spikes. Those mini crampons we use. Not real crampons with spikes 1.5 inches long, and a forward pointed pair for grip in vertical ice.

The smart thing to do was to go the other way, walk parallel with the building until I could only walk through flat snow with nothing pushed up, and step onto the pavement there.

Today is butt's turn to be very sore. Knees are next. Head ache essentially gone. Dodged a bullet.

You took a bullet, but annoyingly, not critically.

Sia took a critical bullet. Several. I think she learned not to walk down into the firing range until everyone else is finished. I know, it really was a car wreck. But if we don't pull her leg once in a while, she'll only get half the therapy she needs.

A couple winters ago an experienced climber died on Long's Peak when descending the Narrows with a verglas coat.