My original plan was to go to nearby Lanham Lake with a friend new to snowshoeing but in the morning both she and another friend ended up having to stay home so I decided to head over to Surprise Lake hoping for less people. After waiting twenty minutes for two trains, one of which stopped, I parked just on the other side of the tracks as the road to the trailhead was blocked with snow. This added about .3 miles each way but snow on the trail meant a more direct approach overall.
Starting a little after 9am, I opted to have my snowshoes on based on the road. But I could have just used spikes all the way up to the junction with the foot bridge over Surprise Creek as there were bare spots on the road and trail up to this point. Multiple stream crossings with steeply angled snow and a few thin snow covered logs meant spikes would have been less awkward. The trail was also compact snow with a substantial trench also making snowshoes tricky.
Arriving at the log crossing over Surprise Creek just before 10am, I decided to keep on the west side for my approach to the lake this time. One, I know it is possible when snow covered and two, I have a little PTSD from slipping off that log and into the creek so I'd rather have it happen on the way out rather than the way in (see my first trip report). There were a few tracks on this side to start with but they soon ended. I did see one piece of yellow flagging at the beginning but that was it. This is where having taken a class like the Scrambling Course with the Mountaineers pays off.
My journey for the most part followed the creek up, aside from navigating around downed trees, streams and sketchy talus fields. When in doubt, there were a set of critter tracks that for the most part seemed to know the best way to go. It was a refreshing perspective being on this side after so many trips on the other side. It was also interesting seeing all the avalanche debris on this side and looking across at the trail on the other. I wouldn't normally choose this trail because of that but we had a rare green avalanche forecast so I knew this was a good day to be here.
The snow was hard most of the time, but where the terrain steepens around the creek cascades at 3400ft and 3 miles in there was just a crust with powder underneath. I was never sure when the teeth of the snowshoe would be enough or if I was going to have to dig in. Fun times.
There was a nice cliff band at 3580ft and I skirted it around on the right before coming back towards the creek. Several streams descended from the lake and I stayed between them and the creek the best I could, crossing a few times to avoid obstacles. Having heel lifts on the snowshoes was very helpful.
The terrain leveled out about a quarter mile from the lake and I arrived at 4.6 miles and 4490ft about 1:20pm just counterclockwise from the outlet. There were some old tracks in the snow but not a soul in sight. I enjoyed the sun, solitude and views on this blue bird, windless day. The only distraction was the occasion jet or two or three from Whidbey that like to do flyovers here.
I left the lake just before 2pm and opted to take the summer trail out. The tracks I followed actually crossed Surprise Creek to the west before the summer trail, there is enough snow over the large boulder resting in it to do so. I could see tracks for those who had chosen to continue on and around the lake.
This did end up being a much faster route down but I can't say it was easier. It was a compact trench most of the way except for where the switchbacks normally are but are non-existent for winter. It would appear most folks are wearing just boots and/or spikes and there were tracks everywhere as they attempted the steep slope. My descent was a mixture of zigzag, glissade and turning around backwards. I debated taking the snowshoes off but then I would see the deep potholing around boulders in the talus field that some folks did and opted to keep them on all the way until the foot log that crosses Surprise Creek. There was even a section where the avalanche debris had flowed down recently and covered the trail. Based on the tracks I saw, folks have been taking the trail even during the high avalanche forecasts we have been having lately.
At the foot bridge over the creek, I switched to spikes for the rest of the trip, arriving back at my car at 4pm. There was another car parked next to me but I had not seen anyone all day. I was surprised overall that I did not see more windstorm damage, there were just a few trees down in the first 2 miles and branch debris. But it was obvious more trees have fallen in the last months, just now covered in snow.
More pictures and GAIA in link below.
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