Gold Creek Pond Snowshoe — Friday, Jan. 1, 2016

Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass

We headed out early for a New Year's Day snowshoe adventure. This was our second trip to Gold Creek for snowshoeing, so we remembered that early is better for this area. Boy, were we right. We arrived at the trailhead around 8 AM. Our group - 4 adults, 3 kids, and 1 dog - had the trail and the pond pretty much to ourselves until the end. What a beautiful day it was! Sunny and cold (about 12 F when we started), the area was full of wonderful winter colors. The trail is packed down and easy for kids or those new to snowshoeing. It is flat for the most part. There was one blowdown over the first part of the trail, before cutting over to the Gold Creek Pond parking area, but it was easy to navigate under. And keep an eye on kids going across the bridges around Gold Creek Pond: the snowpack is above the railing and there are spots where a little one could slide through to the cold creek below. We spent about 2 hours meandering and playing in the snow. By the time we left, there were tons of people snowshoeing and skiing on the trail. And the road to the trailhead was crazy. Tons of cars - some more equipped than others for icy conditions. It is basically a game of chicken to get through, unless you are unfortunate enough to get behind someone who spins out (like we did), and then the line of cars stops while people have to push the car to get it moving again. By the time we got to I-90, I remembered why we go here every 2-3 years. Eventually we will see one of the amazing photos from our trip and forget about the horrible traffic to head out again. :)