Park Butte, Schriebers Meadow Snowshoe — Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026

Got to the designated parking at noon on a Thursday, and there were 3 other cars. 

I had a tough time marking the choices for this one. 

Road suitable to all vehicles...yes, but it's also closed about 2 miles from the summer TH. However, this is much better than the 5 or more miles down the road where they usually locate the Sno-Park! They could have moved the parking even closer. There is only patchy snow for about a mile and half past the parking, where the full snow starts.

Trail conditions--difficult/impossible to navigate, but only if you are trying to follow the summer trail. I was able to proceed in the general direction I needed to go by following a set of ski tracks (thank you!). As popular as this trail is, I was surprised not to see more snowshoe tracks.

Obstacles encountered--difficult stream crossings. I marked this because there were some iffy snow bridges in the wide Rocky Creek riverbed, where the river braids into a bunch of creeks. The riverbed is also where I had to switch from microspikes to snowshoes--partly for the improved weight distribution to cross the snow bridges. I got across OK but not sure how much longer they will last. Also, the spot where the trail leaves the creekbed and enters the woods is not easy to discern. I just happened to notice some flagging, but there weren't really any clear tracks leading into the woods there.

Once you make a final dicey creek crossing and start an ascending traverse to the right, the trail gets easier to follow--although at times there are multiple choices that ultimately lead to the same place. When I got to the saddle, the ski tracks I was following had me end up a few hundred yards to the east of the summer trail, but that was OK, it was all a big beautiful meadow with epic views of the mountain! Since sunset was coming I just enjoyed my sandwich there and started back down instead of trying to get all the way to the top of the butte in the dark. 

On the way back, it was easy to follow my snowshoe tracks (and when I turned back to look at the mountain I got a beautiful view of it in the sunset.) But then, when I got past the point where I had put my snowshoes on, it was difficult to find my boot prints in my fading light. Luckily, I recognized the spot where I had entered the creek bed. Lesson learned to pay attention to your return navigation!

It was full dark by the time I got back to my car, and the stars were out, plus a yellowish planet but I'm not sure which one. Venus?