The trudge up to the ridge was the most strenuous part of the day. We could see grassy ledges above a very aesthetic cliff band, just short of the saddle. That was clearly the way around the next bump on the ridge, so we angled our way toward them. Although there were no cairns, I got a rather unpleasant verification that this was the route when I found a wad of tissue on the grass. When we looked back at the gully we'd used to descend to the valley, it was hard to believe it was passable at all, let alone that it was so straightforward.
Perspective is everything.
I would not recommend this route to anyone who is not comfortable with exposure, who can't figure out a route if it's not marked with cairns, or who has either mental or physical difficulties in scrambling up or downclimbing. The whole thing was just a tremendous experience, and we were hooting at each other with glee as we crossed point 13,641. The rock slabs eventually gave way to a pretty ridgeline meadow, still with plenty of rocks here and there but nothing requiring hands. We stopped for a food and water break on one little point, but there wasn't much altitude to gain or lose until the ridge headed more steeply to the summit. Although the last climb was basically just a talus slope, the rocks were still amazingly consolidated and the boulder-hopping was simple.