We were out for 9.75 hours on this 12.6 mile (round trip) trail. 

Wore microspikes for traction and a hat + sunglasses for sun protection. 

The funny thing was that at the top there were thousands of ladybugs on the rocky-wind-shelter at the summit.

Views from the summit were spectacular.

I picked this trail because it was fairly accessible, strenuous, had great views, and the route that I was going to take (the "summer route") was fairly quiet. The day was also very crisp and reasonably calm, so the risk that I was concerned about was storm slab (due to recent snowfall) and wind slab (due to recent winds).

I showed up around 11:00, thanks to a really late start. Eyed parking around the area and found a spot that was parkable while ensuring that the folks in front of and behind me could get their snowmobiles in/out of their trucks (the parking lot was full of trucks with snowmobile trailers). I started down the small connector towards the summer trail from where I parked.

The path through the woods was nice and beautiful. The snow was lower coverage but firm enough that I could push up between the trees easily, minding the buried logs, so I decided to cut through the trees a bit to gain elevation and reduce some of the distance.

The creek crossing was a bit tricky. I was trying to shortcut some of the distance, but the elevation change down to the creek was a bit too steep to make a straight beeline and ford the creek down lower, so I followed the trail a bit more until I found an easier spot to ford the creek by bunnyhopping over the gap with my snowshoes on.

The next section I was concerned about traveling under cornices, so I decided to push straight uphill through the trees and walk the ridgeline until I hit the flat section that joined up with the trail.

I walked through the flat section a bit, observing all of the old snowmobile tracks that had cut through the forest, then got to the section where I needed to push uphill again to the saddle. This area was considerably tougher to go up, so I used my lifters to push down 3"~4" of snow and braced myself over each step with my snowshoes and trekking poles to ensure that I wouldn't fall back.

Spotted a cornice with an overhang near the ridgeline to the right, so I went left to avoid walking under it, and finally pushed up to the saddle. I stuck to the south side of the ridgeline to avoid triggering the cornices.

I walked a bit further, but stopped 600' short of the summit due to the fact that I hadn't been taking care of my caloric intake over the course of the day and the path I chose was extremely strenuous, i.e., "I got the bonk". I did have food in my pack, but the cold winds combined with me being out there on my own were making continuing on and eating the food less compelling.

So, I backtracked down the saddle, but decided to walk the path out (over the forestry road that's exposed in the summer) that a swarm of snowmobilers had used over the past few weeks.

It was nice at first, but then the boot penetration got ridiculous the further down I went. I tried glissading down the path, but given how chunky the snowmobile tracks left things, my backside hurt a fair bit (lesson of the day).

Eventually (around 3k' IIRC) the snow got shallow enough that I just took off my snowshoes and decided to slip around a bit more and find snow-covered areas that I could follow down through the trees, cutting the distance I'd have to walk down the forestry road.

I got back to my car about a half hour before dusk (17:00), ate my dinner, and drove back home.

No other individuals were encountered that day after I left the spot where I parked next to the road. It was great :).

Blog version (disclaimers)

Quick-and-dirty version

Access: Cayuse Horse Camp
Round Trip: 15.2 miles
Elevation Range: 2400′-6443′
Gear: snowshoes, microspikes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes

Approach

1. Hike the Jolly Mountain Trail up to Sasse Ridge on semi-soft to packed snow.
2. Continue to break trail with the help of snowmobile tracks and reach the summit of Jolly Mountain.
3. Travel south on the ridgeline down to the southeast saddle.
4. Bypass the first two knobs from the west and go over the third one.
5. Go down to the saddle and then climb up to the Humerus Hill summit.

Highlights

• First snowshoe trip in three months
• Snowmobile tracks to help with breaking trail
• Views of Stuart Range and Teanaway peaks
• Sunshine and solitude

Lowlights

• Semi-soft snow
• Long ridge traverse

Quick report for a dayhike of Jolly Mountain on 2.22.20.

ROAD was clear and suitable for all vehicles. My friend and I drove to the end of Salmon La Sac and parked in the small designated area on the side of the road. A non-motorized snopark permit is required to park here this time of year. 

TRAIL: We picked up the trail from the Cayuse Horse Camp at around 7.30 a.m.. Everything was covered in snow and we threw on the snowshoes fairly quickly. It looked like no one had been up Jolly for a while so there were no tracks to follow. We found our way through the woods with the help of a combination of gps apps - definitely expect to do some route-finding if you head up this time of year.

Breaking trail was a workout! Snow alternated between crusty and powder at lower elevations, eventually turning into just powder as we gained elevation. We were surprised by a few snowmobilers a few miles in (we didn't think they were allowed on this trail) but they did put down a track that we followed for a little bit before we veered off and resumed kicking steps up the last steep push to the ridge (this was probably the steepest slope that we traversed).

Things mellowed out a little on the ridge and we followed the frost-tinged ridge over to Jolly, enjoying the views of the surrounding peaks and watching out for wind-loading and cornices. 

Seven miles of breaking trail took us an extremely long time...almost seven hours from car to summit. We reached the summit and snapped a few quick photos - it was cold, a little windy, and phones were dying - before doing a turnaround and dropping down the ridge a little ways for our lunch break in a more protected area.

We hustled down the trail a lot more quickly then we had made it up, plunge-stepping in the powder. Once past the creek we took the snowshoes off and bare-booted it the rest of the way down without any real post-holing issues (yay!). We made it back to the car in less than half the time it had taken us to get up the mountain, making it out just after sunset but before needing headlamps (also yay!).

What a beautiful day in the mountains!

I decided to cram a hike in before late afternoon plans on Tuesday so I headed up to the trailhead for Jolly arriving around 9pm Monday night.  I slept in my car up FR 4315 near the sno-park lot and started up the trail around 3:45am with headlamp.  Not being exactly sure where to begin because there were no trail signs for Jolly Mountain, I began on an unmarked trail behind the privy on Salmon La Sac Road that carried me over to the horse camp behind the picnic area.

The climb out of the horse camp was not as bad as I had thought it would be based on the previous guide description, not terribly steep and the trees were open enough to see the stars across the sky.  Several road bed intersections clearly offered views I would get to see later on my way down. The only thing I would complain about is that the trail is full of loose rock, the kind we like to call ankle-busters in the trail maintenance biz.

It was still dark when I crossed the Salmon La Sac creek but the forest was starting to brighten as I passed the trail junction for Paris Creek. Not that there was much to see, this section was pretty much all trees.  I was surprised at the small meadow before the ridge and it seems as though the switchbacks approaching the ridge are newer.  A faint trail heading straight down the fall line is slowly being taken up by the vegetation thankfully.

The sun was just coming over Jolly Mountain as I hit the ridge and I put my puffy on as the wind was still cool at 7am.  I had heard the sound of a motor bike as I arrived but it was silent as I began towards Jolly on the crest.

The views were amazing and although no one likes a burn area, I could see how it allowed for more panoramic sights.  I could even see Mount Adams!  I hadn't been on Jolly before but I've snowshoed Hex several times, it was interesting to look over from this perspective.

The trail junction signs were fire tinged and in my haste, I accidentally turned down the West Fork Teanaway for a few minutes because it looked to be heading towards Jolly.  Oops.

Back up on the ridge, I really loved the viewpoint shortly after that looks out on the left to the route to Skookum Peak and into the Enchantments. So volcanic and sharp. I spotted the bikes I had heard earlier at the junction for Jolly Creek and continued on.

I arrived at the summit before 8:30 and enjoyed the views that go on and on.  My early arrival meant I had it to myself, in fact the only evidence of other people I had for the whole day were the parked bikes down below.  I found the summit marker on the other side of the stone shelter and attempted a few summit selfies. A work in progress...

The last miles out that I had walked up in the dark were exposed and hot on the way down and I was glad I had my umbrella for shade and enough water as I hiked out.  I'm not sure I would hike this route to Jolly again because of the all the loose scree on the trail but it did make for a lovely solitary walk.

For more pictures and GAIA, see link below.