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Flash Gordon
Member
Joined: 19 May 2004
Posts: 210 | TRs | Pics
Location: Everett |
I grabbed my daypack and snow shoes to get way out in the woods. Imagine my surprise when it was time to snowshoe-up and discover they were broke!
My expert advice it to check your gear before you go!.
I finished the hike anyways....
Went from Mountain Loop Hwy to Ashland Lakes trailhead.
The further you go, the deeper it gets 
Also, hiking in the snow is hard work!
 RichP, zimmertr, mosey
RichP, zimmertr, mosey |
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Flash Gordon
Member
Joined: 19 May 2004
Posts: 210 | TRs | Pics
Location: Everett |
Please let me know if this kind of hiking is a good candidate for cross country skiing, because I think I would like to try that...
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zimmertr
TJ Zimmerman
Joined: 24 Jun 2018
Posts: 1227 | TRs | Pics
Location: Issaquah |
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zimmertr
TJ Zimmerman
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 Mon Dec 20, 2021 2:51 pm |
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Your legs must have gotten so cold plunge stepping for hours lol. I found some deep snow this weekend too. Fortunately it was well consolidated from lots of other traffic.
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rossb
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Joined: 23 Sep 2002
Posts: 1679 | TRs | Pics
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rossb
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Mon Dec 27, 2021 7:33 pm |
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| Flash Gordon wrote: | | Please let me know if this kind of hiking is a good candidate for cross country skiing, because I think I would like to try that...
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I think so, but it could be challenging. Going up you are spending time breaking trail, just like with snowshoes. With the conditions shown, it would be easier going down, but the snow was slow enough that even if you followed your trail you might have to kick and glide a bit. Based on the slope and snow conditions, you wouldn't go too fast, which is always a concern for beginners. The only hazard are those trees. It helps to have a little saw for that. Sometimes all you have to do is pull them up out of the snow and shake them off a bit. You made a short little back and forth that would have been hard on skis without messing with the trees.
I have skied that road, but on the day I went the snow was very deep, and there were lots of blow downs blocking the way. I spent a lot of time cutting and didn't get to the trailhead. So maybe it gets steeper, but with the conditions shown, that wouldn't likely result in that many falls, even for a beginner. One of the things you learn early on is that if you are going to fast in your tracks, just ski yourself to the fresh stuff. I often do an "outrigger" approach, where one ski is in the track, and the other is outside it. By shifting one way or the other I can easily control my speed.
Anyway, the Mountain Loop is a great place to ski as long as the snow levels are low. The road itself is really pretty, great for beginners, but has snowmobiles. Deer Creek Road is a really nice one for advanced beginners, although the lake itself can be a bit challenging. Depending on conditions this can be smooth, scary, or very tiring.
Caveat: I have no idea what the avalanche danger is with that road. Deer Creek Road is generally pretty low risk, while the main Mountain Loop Road is essentially safe (from that side, anyway).
Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon |
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