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Treehugger5 Member
Joined: 23 Sep 2012 Posts: 407 | TRs | Pics Location: Spokane, WA |
Anyone been in there this year? Or other years at this time? Wondering about snow pack-- thinking about sneaking a quick 2-night trip tomorrow and Saturday night. Noxon is only 105 miles from my front door, but not sure how the trails are right now.
Elrond's Rocket of Rivendell~ hiker and runner extraordinaire
Elrond's Rocket of Rivendell~ hiker and runner extraordinaire
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Treehugger5 Member
Joined: 23 Sep 2012 Posts: 407 | TRs | Pics Location: Spokane, WA |
Or....even in the St Joe? Or Lolo around St Regis.....
Elrond's Rocket of Rivendell~ hiker and runner extraordinaire
Elrond's Rocket of Rivendell~ hiker and runner extraordinaire
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GeoHiker Rocky Walker
Joined: 26 Feb 2005 Posts: 6033 | TRs | Pics Location: Off the Deep End |
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GeoHiker
Rocky Walker
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Thu Apr 11, 2013 6:35 pm
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I've hiked there 3-4 times, but earliest was mid June. I'd think there would still be lots a snow in the high country once you get out of the valleys. I don't know if MT had a higher than normal snow pack or not? You could check the SnoTel sites for a better idea. I wish I lived that close, it's a wonderful area to hike.
You call some place paradise, kiss it goodbye......Eagles
You call some place paradise, kiss it goodbye......Eagles
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Treehugger5 Member
Joined: 23 Sep 2012 Posts: 407 | TRs | Pics Location: Spokane, WA |
Yeah, I called the two ranger stations, by Trout Creek and Libby. Both said the snow level can still be down even at 2,200 up to 4,000 depending on the place. However, he said most of the FS roads are still snowpacked to get to the trailheads. I'm not sure I believe him, because my dad grew up over there and we go over there quite a bit (6-7 times a year now). Last year we officially did Wanless Lake, Rock Lake (easy but gorgeous!) and St. Paul Lake (another easy one, but the lake was very low and disappointing).
I was just hoping someone had been in there in April and could share a story.
Thanks so much for your reply.
Elrond's Rocket of Rivendell~ hiker and runner extraordinaire
Elrond's Rocket of Rivendell~ hiker and runner extraordinaire
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Soccer_Dad Member
Joined: 28 Mar 2006 Posts: 180 | TRs | Pics Location: Montevideo, Uruguay (really) |
I use this:
NOHRSC Snow depth map
National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center - Interactive Snow Information
It estimates that most of the range is still buried in 4 feet of snow.
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Soccer_Dad Member
Joined: 28 Mar 2006 Posts: 180 | TRs | Pics Location: Montevideo, Uruguay (really) |
Oh, and welcome to Spokane. Some hikes you can do now...
Horse Lake Mountain in Wenatchee
Northrup Canyon near Grand Coulee
Hells Canyon
Wenaha Canyon near Troy
Kamiak Butte near Pullman (just once - amazingly long time to drive there)
Soon, Mount Chilco opens up in low snow years for an alpine experience.
A buddy of mine swears by the Mickkinnick Trail in Sandpoint, to the tune of once or twice a year.
Late June tends to be the earliest you can go alpine in this area.
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Treehugger5 Member
Joined: 23 Sep 2012 Posts: 407 | TRs | Pics Location: Spokane, WA |
Thanks for replying. My niece went a couple years ago on Memorial Day weekend into the Cabinets and got stopped just above the lake they were going to--but it was a bad spring, too.
I just have a seasonal job that prevents me from going between the beginning of May until about mid-July. Sigh. It's hard to wait that long.
Elrond's Rocket of Rivendell~ hiker and runner extraordinaire
Elrond's Rocket of Rivendell~ hiker and runner extraordinaire
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Soccer_Dad Member
Joined: 28 Mar 2006 Posts: 180 | TRs | Pics Location: Montevideo, Uruguay (really) |
Chilco Mountain, by Silverwood Amusement Park in Idaho, is a shorter drive. It's about 90 minutes to the trailhead. So if you go to Lincoln park in Spokane on a clear day, you can see if the Chilco summit is snow covered (if you know where to look). Anyway, it's probably only 6 hours total including the drive in case you can break free for that long.
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Treehugger5 Member
Joined: 23 Sep 2012 Posts: 407 | TRs | Pics Location: Spokane, WA |
Hmmm. Your first post got me thinking, SoccerDad. DH and I had been planning driving to Palouse Falls tomorrow, but actually, Kamiak Butte is closer. I live about 1.5 miles off Highway 27. I also went to WSU (and my mother grew up in Tekoa, so the area is totally familiar to me).
Now I'm not sure which one I want to do.
And thanks for the tip about Chilco. I have one day off--Sundays---usually from mid-April until I quit for the season in Oct. Sucks, but hey. It is what it is. I usually can wrangle a couple of backpacking trips after mid July, and Sept-Oct are my preferred season anyway. A day trip--if I'm not beat to a pulp by Sunday morning--might help stave off the itch in May/June.
Elrond's Rocket of Rivendell~ hiker and runner extraordinaire
Elrond's Rocket of Rivendell~ hiker and runner extraordinaire
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harrymalamute Member
Joined: 26 Apr 2008 Posts: 852 | TRs | Pics Location: Spokane |
Stevens Lake. Id. would be straight forward easy access off I90 and used all winter.
Stevens pk likely doable by gaining the north ridge near the north end of the lake. otherwise stay out of the upper bowl slopes, avy prone.
hikes and climbs with malamute
hikes and climbs with malamute
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Treehugger5 Member
Joined: 23 Sep 2012 Posts: 407 | TRs | Pics Location: Spokane, WA |
Yes, I've been there a few times.
Went to Kamiak Butte today and made lunch up top. Kind of hazy with dust from fields being tilled, but still a nice day.
Elrond's Rocket of Rivendell~ hiker and runner extraordinaire
Elrond's Rocket of Rivendell~ hiker and runner extraordinaire
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Soccer_Dad Member
Joined: 28 Mar 2006 Posts: 180 | TRs | Pics Location: Montevideo, Uruguay (really) |
Glad you liked Kamiak Butte. I like it a lot, but wish it wasn't so out of the way.
Another hike for tomorrow (?) for you would be Iller Creek. It's a reasonable tight loop hike to a nice viewpoint on the flank of Tower Mountain. You get to the trailhead a mile or so off the Dishman highway. I always hike the ridgeline up to the Big Rock area, then come back along the creek. We've seen eagles and porcupines, and the variety of trees along the creek is really unexpected. IIRC, you get larch and hemlock as well as the usual Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir. There's some bouldering possibilities up top on the rocks. And it's really close.
You might even be able to see Kamiak Butte from the top. Definitely you can see Steptoe Butte.
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