well, the day was beautiful and there was tons of snow...except it's really compacted so it was crunch, crunch...not the quiet snowshoeing experience i was hoping for. a couple of folks were actually having an easier time with boots and trax. i would wait until there's some new snowfall.  

We go to gold creek often for a winter walk with the dog- the road was in pretty rough condition this time- high snow difficult to drive on with a low clearance car. Multiple cars getting stuck/shoveling out. Lots of snow on the trail and beautiful views as usual

We headed up to hike Gold Creek Pond and arrived at the access road around noon on Saturday 2/5/22.  The road was snow and slush covered.  However, more importantly, there were many people there who were having much difficulty with the road conditions and (occasionally) in vehicles not appropriate for the weather.
We helped one poor person who's front bumper had partially torn off the car as a result of snow piling up behind it while they tried to get out of a parking space.  They didn't have a shovel or chains and were valiantly trying to dig out with a snowshoe.
If you plan to drive up to Gold Creek Pond this weekend, please be aware of the road conditions and come prepared with snow tools and lots of patience.
...and don't forget your snow park pass.  We spoke to the ranger as he wrote out multiple tickets for the many unpaid vehicles.

Hi fellow hikers!!

If you are looking for a mild snowy weekend hike – this is the one! I am not sure if I got lucky and struck gold and Gold Creek Pond yesterday, but the conditions were perfect. Although the forecast called or rain, the passes were clear, so I decided to go for a Friday adventure to check it out. Given that there hadn't been a trip report in a few days, I was unsure of what the road would be like from the freeway to the trailhead, and furthermore the trail itself. I loaded up my SUV and purchased my snow park pass (don’t forget to purchase this before you go as you will want to display it in your dash) and set out for a Friday adventure!

As you exit the freeway, the road turns to compact snow and ice and I was able to make it all the way without using my chains, no problem! There were about 15 cars parked nicely along the left side- making the trailhead in the snow easy to locate. I began my hike around 11am and decided to wear my micro-spikes for added traction. I met a lot of people who were snowshoeing as well, another great option to get out and have fun, while staying safe!! I had so much fun exploring the 1 mile loop, that I decided to go around again – capturing even more Pacific Northwest beauty! I was back to my SUV around 2pm and spent the rest of my day with a big smile on my face. I hope this report is helpful in guiding you on your next adventure to Gold Creek Pond and that you find joy in a hike like this soon!

*Please stay on trail and do not walk across the lake! The footprints shown in the photo is from a hiker who crossed the lake not knowing that it is NOT completely frozen. This can be very dangerous, and misleading for other hikers. 

Today I took myself to the mountains for the holiday, and it was as packed as could be expected. I arrived to the parking area just before 9AM to probably 50 cars! Amazing, even though I didn't encounter that many people on the trail so I'm not quite sure where they all were!

The snow conditions were crust/hard for nearly the entirety of the trail. I put on my snowshoes near the nearly-buried outhouse and wore them for the entirety, though it's questionable if they were really necessary. The trail was clearly groomed by a snow blower or similar machine, offering a very clear route around the pond, most of which is the same as when unburied in snow. There were a few holes from previous postholds that sketched me out, and made me glad I had my snowshoes on (just in case), but most of the people I saw on the trail were not wearing snowshoes at all.

Overall, the weather was gorgeous and the trail was easy enough. But I was a little dismayed by the number of people and the lack of "wild" that previous years yielded. Following this stop, I made the most of my sno park day pass and drove a little further out to Lake Easton. You can check out my trip review of that too, if you're curious about more snowshoeing opportunities.0.