[PaleoCook]

I was trying to decide on where to go today almost all week. I settled on Jackman Ridge even though it was going to be a road hike with a better than I'd like possibility of trouble on a somewhat dodgy (although not terrible by any means) FR. So. I got in my Forester and pointed towards Concrete. I turned off of 20 to Sauk Mountain Road expecting snow, but like the drive up, it was just very, very wet.

Just starting on Sauk Mountain Rd (NF-1030)

The road was in okay condition. Someone has obviously moved trees out of the road and cleared a path for a truck to get through. I was able to drive up to about 2200ft before I encountered any snow. I told myself that I was going to stop as soon as I saw snow, even if I thought I could press on. So I parked as far off to the side as I could manage and got my stuff together.

~2200ft @ 8:50am

Back at the car, snowing now

I just carried my snowshoes and poles for the first mile or so. I guessed I would need them sooner than later, and I guessed right =).

~2200ft @ 8:50am

Before long, the rain had turned to snow, and the snow just kept getting deeper. There was a distant set of ski tracks on the way up for a ways. It was a gray day and there were almost no views, although I was of no mind. The snow in the trees and on the road was beautiful.

Time for the MSRs

I followed what seemed like endless (and was really only 8) switchbacks up before I found Jackman Ridge. At this point, or even well before this point, or well, actually the whole time, I had been breaking trail. For some reason though it really felt like I started breaking trail here. The ridge gave a real sense of backcountry, and provided a nice extension to a hike that would have otherwise gone into more serious avalanche terrain than I was looking to venture into today (NWAC had the north cascades at high).

A sea of white

Down a chute

Looking up a chute

++Hat

Don't litter!

I think I'll stay to the left

I could have pressed on and continued along the ridge for quite a ways but I was decidedly a bit cold, wet, and didn't feel like switching around layers to get back to comfort. That and I'm going up to Artist Point tomorrow and don't want to be entirely kaput . All in all it was a beautiful snowshoe albeit a bit of an endless uphill road sludge.

Just my tracks. Not another soul.

Called it here

Jackman Ridge

Along Jackman Ridge

By the time I got back to my car the snow level was dropping and I decided it was time to get off the FR . I definitely heard some shooting as I was coming down, but I didn't see another soul the whole day. Very peaceful. Very serene. I loved it.

A tad wet

Looking up into the trees

And now I'll stay to the right

Looking down that same chute

Looking up a looming chute

Just in case...

Map (using a direct link to google drive, so this may break): View larger size in new window Garmin GPS: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1627690710 Flickr: https://flic.kr/s/aHskSGhZ8b

[Bloated Chipmunk]