Intermediate Snowshoe - Olallie/Radio Mountain

We snowshoed to the radio facility on Olallie mountain, gaining 1,500’ over 6 ½ miles in 6 hours.  With new snow on a consolidated snowpack we started out in micro spikes, then changed to snowshoes at Hyak Lake. Travel was easy.  Conditions were foggy, with no views at the outlook point by the radio facility.  After leaving the ski slope we encountered only one other traveler, up on the groomed track by Grand Junction.

Route: From the Silver Fir Lodge we took the ramp on the left onto the snow, went a short distance up the ski slope, the turned left onto a road. After passing Hyak Creek, we ascended to Hyak Lake by a trail paralleling Hyak creek, marked by blue diamonds.  We ascended the slope beyond the lake to the main groomed ski road (9070-110) near the hut at Grand Junction.  We turned left onto the road and went .2 miles to the road marked ‘Power Surge’.  We followed it a few hundred yards to an ungroomed, unmarked road on the right east and above Rockdale Lak, then followed it to its end.  We ascended the east slope of Ollalie Mountain overland for ~150’ for gain to find a road.  This can be followed all the way to the radio facility at the north end of Ollalie Mountain (good views).  We did cut some switchbacks for a more off trail experience.  From the radio facility the spine of the mountain could be run to Ollalie’s summit.