Good amount of snow on the road but we were able to drive to the trailhead. Saw some shooters along Mallardy road, but otherwise we were the only hikers on the trail.
The initial slope at the start of the trail was easy enough to go up, although a little trickier to come down. We didn't need traction spikes, but I imagine you will in colder weather, as there is water running over the start of the trail. Trail is completely covered in snow so it's slow going. Saw some bear tracks in the snow along the trail and plenty of other prints.
This was our first time out on this trail so we were unfamiliar with the route, and didn't make much distance. We made it to the large boulder and completely lost the trail in the snow. There was lots of snow fall from the trees and critter activity so it was hard to tell where the trail should be. Wasn't sure if we had to cross the stream at that point, or if there were some switch backs we were missing. Ultimately the terrain was too rough to try to navigate with snow cover, so we had to turn back. Hopefully the tracks we left don't lead anyone astray.
Comments
wolfwoman on Cutthroat Lakes via Walt Bailey Trail
Did you start your trip off of Mt. Loop and snowshoe the entire road to the trailhead?
Posted by:
wolfwoman on Jan 06, 2025 09:06 PM
jfcole on Cutthroat Lakes via Walt Bailey Trail
We drove up to the trailhead. Snow only started on the road partway up. Maybe about 6-8 inches of snow on the road at the top. We drove a Forester with snow tires, and there was plenty of sliding about along the way.
Posted by:
jfcole on Jan 06, 2025 09:36 PM