I saw a short weather window, where I thought I could get in a skishoe (snow show/alpine ski touring) trip around the Chinook Pass Loop. Total trip took me 56 hours.
Started at the closed gate for Mount Rainier National Park on Hwk 123 mile post 2.6 at 6:50am, I hiked up the highway to the junction with Eastside Trail. Jumped on the trail and hiked up to about Deer Creek. Snow was about 1-2" deep and slushy on the trail, no need for traction or flotation. I made the 12 miles to Deer creek in just over 4 hours.
Just past Deer Creek Camp the snow got deep enough for me to put on my Altai Hok skis. From there I turned up toward Cayuse Pass, and things got more serious. The snow was very deep, and the trail was very difficult to follow. I've previously done this hike in the summer, and so I recognized most of the area. Navigation required GPS and basically "following the route" by feel. I finally made it to the crossing of Hwy 123 around Cayuse pass at 3:40pm... the 3 miles took me over 4.5 hours. Another 4 hours to make it to Tipsoo Lakes where I camped in for a couple hours.
I shoved off for day two around 3 am... the snow was deep and it was very slow going. It took me 6 hours to travel the 3 miles to Dewey Lakes. The PCT was a little easier to follow, but GPS and good route finding skills were still a must. After a very long day, I finally made it to the Laughingwater Creek Trail turn-off around 2am. I skied down a couple miles till I reached a lower elevation and found a good spot to bivvy for a couple hours.
Started day three at first light, the snow was still thick and deep until about a mile past Three Lakes Camp and about 4,000ft of elevation. By then the trail was only covered in slush and so I took of my skis and hiked the remainder of the trail. I made it back to my car by 3pm.
As I was packing up my car a Park Ranger came by and said he was glad to see me, since a storm was coming in and he was worried about me. I told him I had avoided the wind and snow they got at Paradise the night before, and was in good shape the entire trip.
The drive home was definitely the most harrowing part of the adventure.
Comments