My friend and I decided we wanted to ski the closed portion of the road to Mowich Lake. We drove to the parking area just before the locked gate. The road was fine with the exception of snow shortly before reaching the parking area. The tire ruts are deep and the snow in the middle is high so a vehicle with high clearance is desirable. The biggest driving hazard, however, was the parking area itself with deep, soft, wet snow. Take a shovel and chains just in case (we needed the shovel but not the chains). You could also park along the side of the road when you hit the snow and walk a short distance to the start of the trail. The bathrooms are open (another plus to this trip) and we were appreciative of the dry shelter to change into and out of our ski clothes since it was raining steadily.

The trail is a mild upward grade all the way to the lake with about a 1400 foot elevation gain over 5.5 miles. The first mile was a bit difficult as the snow was hard and kind of icey making it difficult to get a grip and keep from sliding backwards. The rest of the trip was pretty easy as there is a nice track made by some kind soul earlier in the weekend and the snow is soft but cold enough to get good traction and even a fairly nice kick & glide. It was raining at the start of the trail and we hoped to eventually reach a spot where the rain turned into snow, unfortunately, even at the 4900 foot level at the lake we continued to have rain. Of course, it was also overcast so the views were limited but it was still a peaceful and beautiful trip through the woods and to the lake. After a short lunch we headed back down. It was a very easy ski back down those 5.5 miles with very little effort on our part. We simply got back in the tracks and let gravity do most of the work making for a quick trip back to the car. We would have had a miserable time if we hadn't had good weather gear for the rain but we managed to stay pretty dry. It felt good to get out and ski, even if the conditions were not ideal. We hope to go back again when there is a lower freezing level and better visibility.

I went back to Mowich Lake to ski - a month ago we snowshoed and I kept thinking how much fun it would be to ski down. The weather was almost exactly the same as last month - RAIN. This time it never turned to snow - just a steady rain. We skied up to the Lake and it was beautiful. Saw no one on the way up and just two people on the way down. The snow was soft because it was warm but there were tracks all the way up so that made it nice. It is an easy ski, just wished it was a little harder snow so we could come down faster, but it was fun anyway. Parking lot was a little difficult to get around in but we were the only ones parking so it didn't matter. Fun time.

We went snowshoeing on the Mowich Lake Rd. I've wanted to go skiing there for a long time but had new snowhoes we had to try out. It was raining when we left home and I was afraid we would not be high enough to leave the rain but we went anyway. Road conditions to the parking Lot at Paul Peak trailhead where the road is closed were good. Icy parking lot, and lots of rain to start with, but about a mile into it the rain turned into snow and the road was much easier to snowshoe - not so crusty and bumpy. It was beautiful, and snowed most of the time we were snowshoeing but did occasionally stop. WE didn't hike all the way to the lake unfortunately, but it was fun anyway. Once past the dirty snow and rain it was really enjoyable. However, we came back to the rain on the way back to the car and were quite wet by the time we were ready to leave. There were only about 4 cars there when we arrived and a few more came before we left, so it was quite peaceful. Next time I go back I am going to ski tho to the lake - it looked very inviting to come down the road!

Snow blocked the road at 3400 feet, 1.6 miles from park Boundary. We started skiing on poor snow for .5 miles, then there were a few short bare spots to walk in the next .2 miles. The next mile we mostly walked the road except for a .3 mile section that had snow. The first bare section was .3 miles long and the second was .4 miles long. Finally in the park the snow improved. At the Paul Peak parking lot there was 3 feet of snow. 3.5 miles from our SUV, 3900 feet, we headed back. In a couple of weeks, you should be able to drive to the park boundary.

The snowshoe route up Mowich Lake Road is well traveled but on this day I had it to myself. At 11:30 I hit the trail at the Paul Peak parking area under an overcast sky. An abundance of waterfalls, seeping rock faces and icicles made for a pleasant trip as did the snow which began falling. I chose to stay on the road and save the red flagged shortcuts (see carbon river report jan 13)for the descent. I fell into a good rhythm and was surprised to find myself at the Mowich Lake turnaround at 1:10. The far end of the lake was obscured by the shroud of falling snow which was increasing in intensity. Sometimes when the lowlands are covered in clouds or mist Rainier offers sunshine with elevation. Today was not one of those times. I headed back to the truck, taking advantage of two of the well marked shortcuts with their ""over the river and through the woods"" feeling. I reached the trailhead at 2:30. The fresh snow made the six inch deep snow/ice ruts seem more slippery than on the way in. Bring a 4X4 or walk the last half mile to the trailhead. Happy Trails!