Snow Bowl Hut Snowshoe

Bruni's Snow Bowl Hut is named for Brunhilde (Bruni) Wislicenus, a passionate mountaineer and wilderness skier who donated a substantial portion of the funds to rebuild the hut after a fire in 2007 burnt the original to the ground. Now, it provides skiers and snowshoers a place to warm up after a bracing 4.5 mile jaunt along forest roads in Tahoma State Forest.

Access to the south district of the huts, managed by Mount Tahoma Trails Association, is via a series of steep forest roads. Climbing almost the entire way, the trek can be tiring, but don’t let this discourage you. The views are well worth it. If you're snowshoeing, make sure to practice good trail manners and stay to the right side of the road, out of the ski tracks.

From the lower Sno-Park trailhead, start up the road, continuing straight through the first junction in under a half mile. Pass the middle parking area at 1.2 miles and the upper park at 1.9 miles. After passing over Catt Creek, you’ll come to a string of switchbacks. Keep straight at the junction, then reach a low saddle at 2.6 miles. Here, the road veers right, where you can continue up to High Hut -- closer, but a steeper hike.

Turning left, you'll enjoy a somewhat flatter grade for a short while. Look for peek-a-boo views of Mount Rainier to your left, until the trail begins climbing again. You'll have another 0.8 miles of steep uphill before this section peaks beneath a banner of prayer flags strung up across the trail.

From this colorful indicator, continue on through more forest on a flat grade that begins descending downhill to a junction with the road leading to The Yurt -- the furthest flung hut on the system. Stay to the right, and begin the final moderate uphill jaunt, just 0.25 miles to Bruni's.