Cairn Hill and Old Pass Hill

I reported on this area almost 1 year ago to the day. What a difference a year can make. This year, Scottie Rd and spur road 800 leading from Blewett Pass to the west are still skiable. In another week, there may be short sections requiring walking. Our trip was a snowshoe trip so we just walked the firm crust on the road and then used snowshoes when we left the road system to bag the ""blob"" of Cairn Hill - it will live up to its unofficial name. We then followed the ridge back to the west until being forced back onto the road system. Old Pass Hill was about another 2 miles to the west and there were two forks in the deteriorating road system. We took the left fork in each case. The summit can be reached from either the east or west - both were done by people in the group although we returned by the easier western ridge. Snowshoes again were not necessary but made for easier travel on the shady north facing slopes. The views from the second blob are superior to the first - all of the eastern Teanaway region and the eastern part of the Stuart Range. Mt Rainier was in view too. Round trip mileage - 8 with 1200 to 1500 feet of gain with the ups and downs.