Cross-country Ski - Lost Lake

Trip

Cross-country Ski - Lost Lake

This ten-mile round trip takes you from Crystal Springs Sno-park on one mile of groomed dog sled trail, one mile of groomed ski trail, and three miles of groomed snowmobile trail (Forest Service Road 5480) to an overlook above Lost Lake. Maximum grade about 400 feet per mile, with 800 feet total elevation gain.

  • Moderate/Strenuous, U-XC 2 Advanced Beginner Ungroomed, G-XC 2 Advanced Beginner Groomed
  • Moderate
  • Mileage: 10.0 mi
  • Elevation Gain: 800 ft
  • High Point Elevation: 3,250 ft
  • Pace: 2 mph up, faster down

We'll meet at the North Bend Safeway shopping plaza parking lot at 7:30 a.m. by the tall sign that says "Safeway - O'Reilly Auto Parts".  Participants can caravan or carpool from there to the Crystal Springs Sno-Park.   Pass with Special Groomed sticker required.   Tire chains must be carried in Snoqualmie Pass during snow season.

For info on good carpooling practices and how to contact other participants, please see this Mountaineers article on "Carpooling and Mountaineers Activities/Courses": https://www.mountaineers.org/blog/how-to-opt-in-for-carpooling

Our starting elevation is 2,450’, and highest planned elevation is 3,250’.  Overall elevation gain is about 800 feet.  We will gain (and lose) 500 feet in the steepest mile and a quarter. The trails were designed as logging roads on which logging trucks or horse or mule teams could haul loads.  Most of what we will be skiing on are snowmobile trails in winter.  They are groomed twice weekly, but may not be as smooth as groomed ski-only trails. The distance and elevation gain put this trip toward the high end of  U- and G-XC 2: Advanced Beginner, and the terrain is within the skills for those ratings.

If you have reasonable proficiency in the skills taught in The Mountaineers' Basic Cross-Country Ski Course,  you should do fine.   You will need an efficient Nordic classic stride.  You will need to do a sustained, strong snow-plow or linked turns to keep speed under control for a mile of moderate downhill grade.  There are a few curves in the road, so ability to make easy basic turns is needed.   You will need a reasonably good level of physical conditioning for this ten-mile trip. 

We will try to maintain a pace that everyone can keep, with stops at each intersection, as needed for group cohesion, and at least every half hour for hydration and snacks and other needs.   No skate skis on this trip, please.  They will not be suitable for the group pace, and probably would not fare well on the six miles of snowmobile trail. Skis wider than 70 mm won't fit in the set track on about a mile of trail in each direction, but you can ski outside the tracks.

This is an adult trip.  If a parent or guardian who is registering for this trip wishes to also register a youth age 16 or older, they may do so in accordance with The Mountaineers’ policies and requirements for youths participating in adult programs.  The primary leader is a Qualified Youth Leader.  Contact leader for more information on how to register youths.

Please feel free to email the leaders, Mike Forsyth at adktripper@earthlink.net or call at 315-884-3673, or Jaye Sedlack at jayemtr@gmail.com,  with any questions, especially about gear, clothing, and whether this is the right trip for you at your present level of skill and ability.

Route/Place

Lost Lake


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