Visited Snow Mountain Ranch Trailhead Tuesday 2/1/2022 to check out Cowiche Mountain Loop. Arrived at 3:55am no one else in the big parking area. No parking Fee required. Trashcan at TH (trailhead). Information Kiosk at TH. No bathrooms at TH, but there is a porta potty available creekside (South Fork Cowiche Creek) about 799ft from parking area on the Entry Trail.
Parking Area is gravel.
No Handicap parking, not wheelchair accessible.
Seems like a high theft area as there were a lot of signs saying not to leave valuables in vehicles and that parking area is being recorded.
Roads were bare, paved and dry, temperature at TH 26 degrees at 3:55am. High temp for the day 41 degrees. Snow plowed around fencing of parking area.
Hiked .02 miles on Entry Trail to Riparian East Trail for .08 miles, to Cowiche Mountain East Trail for 1.2 miles (snowshoes required) then off trail for .09 miles (snowshoes required) to Bench Trail, on Bench Trail for .06 miles (hard pack snow in tracks) to Wildflower Trail, on Wildflower Trail for .09 miles (hard pack snow in tracks) to Balanced Rock Trail, on
Balanced Rock Trail for 252ft to Cowiche Mountain West Trail, on Cowiche Mountain West Trail for .02 miles to Entry Trail, on Entry Trail for .02 miles back to parked safe & sound vehicle.
Great for young children.
Snow & Ice on trail. Microspikes required for lower elevation hiking. Snowshoes required for Elevation hiking (postholed over ankle deep .08 miles from the trail junction of Cowiche Mountain East Trail/ Bench Trail. Lost the minimal tracks that were on trail, maybe .04 miles in , Made it .06 miles before snow became too deep and there were just my tracks and big game tracks, staying on trail became a chore and I was on time restraints. I cut (off trail) across at .06 miles to the Bench Trail .03miles).
Majority of trail no shade.
Heard coyotes howling, owls hooting and dogs barking before Sunrise 🌄. After Sunrise I could hear some city noises.
Sunrise was absolutely gorgeous!!
Definitely will be back to complete the big loop and summit Cowiche Mountain!!
Finished at 8.49am (still the only vehicle at TH parking area), saw no one on my hike.
4.52 miles w/550ft EG in 3hrs 36mins moving time, 37mins stopped time and 4hrs 17mins total time. Solo, Tuesday 2/1/22. East Cowiche Mountain Trail, WA.
Found minimal trash, but what I did find, I packed out. Always remember PACK IT IN, PACK IT OUT, LEAVE NATURE NATURAL & LEAVE THE TRAILS BETTER THAN YOU FOUND THEM!!!
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