We arrived at NF-7061 (the road leading up the trailhead) in the early morning hours intent on getting all the way up Aasgard. Our first obstacle was the gate was locked at the start of the forest road. We already expected this so it was not a big deal. But please note this adds 6 miles round trip to your journey.
The road itself was in great shape and snow free until you reach the parking lot for Stuart lake trailhead, where there is some patchy snow but not enough to justify it being closed. In under a mile into the trail however is when the fun start with the snow. At first its not much however as you approach the junction with Stuart/Colchuck trails is when you are walking on 2-3 feet of snow. If you have been out here before its fairly easy to navigate. However, it could be difficult for first timers.
Since we were there in the early morning hours the snow was really not that bad, it was still solid and we had minimal post holing. As we approached the lake the post holing got worse, we walked around the lake to take a look at Aasgard. When we reached on the viewpoints we noticed several fresh avalanches on the slopes. This is when we decided to turn back and head towards Stuart lake.
When approached Stuart is when the snow got really soft, I post holed often up to my upper calf. This caused us to get to a large meadow in an old (and now safe) avalanche runout and turn around. Overall the trip was great, it was snow and mud filled but an excellent day out in the woods.
Key take aways:
- Start early to avoid soft snow
- Know how to navigate the trail, it can get tricky since the snow is melting quickly and footsteps can vanish in under an hour
- have waterproof boots
- have gaiters
- Avoid Aasgard unless you have expertise with avalanche conditions
- The gate is locked at the start of the road adding 6 miles to the overall journey
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