[williswall]

What are the chances something like this would actually come together? I got an email from Bernardo asking if I wanted to do a hike while he was in town. Just so happens the availability was there, so after checking out his LinkedIn page and determining he was a lot smarter than I am, we met this morning and drove up to exit 42 off I-90. Turns out Bernardo is a lot more familiar with the Mid Fork and I-90 area than I am, despite all these hikes within an hour drive from my house ("what, you've never done Mailbox? McClellan Butte? Little Si?...and so on for about 10 more). Now I am determined to hike them all this summer and familiarize myself. But I digress, we started out at about 9 AM and my unfamiliarity NECESSITATED he lead the way and break trail of course. We had a really nice time in the steep stuff, trying to mitigate any terrain problems with grunts, huffs, and puffs trying to get purchase. My rented snowshoes were basic frames with cleats only under the foot so edging was somewhat sporting. At least it warmed up my fingers, clad in mittens whilst Bernardo seemed unfazed with bare hands. Does this guy ever get cold? We finally got into gentler terrain and climbed into blue skies but strong winds. He says we made it to Mason Lake for a break and turnaround but I think it was just a snow covered meadow, there was no water to be found. Doth he think me a fool? However, I played along and said stuff like "I hope I don't break through in these snowshoes" but really, how deep could it be? I was glad to see he finally put on some gloves and a hat while we chatted and ate, basking in sun yet enduring biting wind. In keeping with the small world concept, turns out his son and my daughter played in the same orchestra, and his nephew and my daughter are seniors on the same swim team. The trip back was much faster of course, except the steep stuff where I ended up sliding down to a tree 'cause I couldn't get the shoes to bite, but following our trail downhill made for easy going. Quite the pleasant day in the woods, a very nice workout, and good company. I even made my 5 PM haircut appointment! Thanks for the invite!

Winter Wonderland

wind sculptures

twigs and such

teens maybe?

polypore detail

pimple butte

mogul field

just another boring forest walk

how to squat in the woods

focal point

double stack

cathedral

blue skies

"You sure?"

"Why so flat here?"

"maybe headfirst would have been better"

[RichP]

Yep, there's some pretty good stuff close to home. Welcome back, Bernardo.

[Bernardo]

Thanks Williswall for meeting up for a great outing. It was great to see a NWHiker's legend is every bit the artist and hiker we all know from his trip reports. Great pictures! Turns out we have a lot in common although our hiking ranges haven't overlapped much. Conditions were quite good. Snow above the trailhead (2,200 feet) was still mostly heavy powder, but below this level it was consolidating as we headed down to exit 42 where we started our trip. Above 3,000 feet the snow was quite deep. On the plateau of the lake it was bitter cold and at times the wind was blowing hard making for what I like to pretend are Artic-like conditions. We were lucky the clouds opened and we had nice blue skies for several hours. The Mason Lake TH is pretty much inaccessible for vehicles until a big melt. RichP, thanks for the greetings. Unfortunately, this is not a permanent return to this Washington! Below are my pictures with some comments:

Snow-laden bridge across Mason Creek. We learned the lower rails serve a good purpose when a chunk of the snow on the bridge collapsed underfoot and a snowshoed foot but not a body went off the edge.

Williswall traversing the Mason Creek bridge.

Hiker enjoying freshly made oxygen.

Williswall carrying a huge lunch, a potbelly stove, and a small sink.

P3 shining brightly. Temping to skiers, but maybe dangerous today. Williswall hiking in shadow.

Mount Defiance, the Mount Everest of Mason Lake

Williswall in his natural habitat

Heading toward the sunny side across unusually flat terrain.

The Mason Lake outlet was completely covered by deep snow. No sign or sound of water.

Williswall showing how to handle the tunnel with style.

Williswall during a rare moment of rest.

[kite]

[ree]

I like the wind sculpted surface. Brrrr. So cold lately! Looks pretty.

[mbravenboer]

williswall at Mason Lake! What's happening with this world! Looks like a great day. Nice to see the conditions up there.

[Backpacker Joe]

WOW! Since when is there a bridge anywhere on the Mason lake trail? Dang, Im like WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY out of date. Great pics.