Trip Report
Intermediate Snowshoe - Skyline Lake
Low, hard-packed snow made for easy walking with easy company
SuJ'n Chon
- Sat, Nov 25, 2017
- Intermediate Snowshoe - Skyline Lake
- Skyline Lake, Skyline Ridge & Tye Peak
- Snowshoeing
- Successful
- Road suitable for all vehicles
-
Mostly dry (little moist) roads to Stevens Pass with zero travel concerns. The warm rains from the past week have really done a number on the snow level. We hardly saw any snow on the ground until reaching the ski area, where a low level of crusty snow still remained.
Being that the ski area was closed, the south side parking lots were closed and the north parking lot (at the Skyline Lake trailhead) was nearly empty when we arrived at 7:30 AM.
While the hard-packed snow required no flotation, we almost immediately put on snowshoes for the steep, crusty gain. We did pass a few small patches of solid ground early in the ascent. Traction devices would have also worked for this trip although further up, may have resulted in some postholing through the crust.
After the short trip to the lake, we headed north and up slope to gain the ridge. Through the trees, the ascent was steep and icy but we did okay without ice axes. We did a loop down the ridge, and another loop around the lake before heading back to the cars and a post-hike stop at La Hacienda in Gold Bar. No ski traffic meant an easy drive on Hwy 2 back to our meeting point at Brickyard P&R.
All in all, 3.75 miles and 1,250 feet t.e.g A good fun group of eight!