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Trip Report    

Tonga Ridge (winter)

  • Sun, Jan 25, 2015
  • Tonga Ridge (winter)
  • Snowshoeing

Despite the poor snow conditions and dismal weather forecast, 6 of us ventured up the ridge and were pleasantly surprised with a fine mist of precipitation off and on, some blue sky and an appearance by the sun at one point. We were able to drive up FS 6830 until about 3300' where we stopped. One could drive farther up but there are deep ruts in the snow and it's difficult to navigate outside of the ruts. Up the road we went for about 2 miles, then up the 310 spur to the trailhead. The 310 spur had more snow on it than 6830. We made it about .75 mile up the actual trail which was snowfree in many places. Found bobcat tracks, had lunch on bare ground under some trees and turned around. Warm enough that no one really needed gloves and I was in a t-shirt at one point on the way up. Came across several groups driving jeeps up the road in the snow, they didn't seem to have any problem. Snow is wet and sticky and maybe a foot deep at the most.