Zig Zag Trail, Hall Creek — Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013

Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area

Ingredients: 200gal water, 150 boxes potato flakes, one pair snowshoes. Place pflakes and water in bathtub and snowshoes on feet. Enter tub and tromp for several hours. You have just recreated the snow conditions above Hall Creek. :) Patchy snow starts around 1800ft MSL (0.25mi) with significant drifting picking up on the north face above the railroad grade. Held out to 2300ft MSL (0.8mi) before adding snowshoes to avoid plummeting 2ft with each step. Conditions were heavily misty at the FS road, and I left a snowshoe track a good distance on each of the east and west roads. The aforementioned concrete permitting up to 18" drops, even with the snowshoes, so expect a good workout. Descent was a lot of snowshoeskiing, but Microspikes helped at the lower levels. Very good views to the west: Hall Pt, Change Peak, glimpses of Mt Washington, and all the other unnamed peakies. Shortly past the "Hall Road 1mi" sign, the trail does a 170d and climbs up the ridge line instead of following the lower FS road. Also, take a map. Had I actually checked mine, I would have continued along the "eastern" road to attempt the summit. Visited Hall Creek Falls on the return; a few more feet traipsing that trail could help establish it a bit further.