Monte Cristo Ghost Town, Silver Lake - Monte Cristo — Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018

Ended up with a free Saturday and a mostly dry forecast, so I chose to spend it out hiking! I got a later start, so I wasn't too sure where I'd make it. Headed out the Mt. Loop on more of a "scoping mission" to better understand the snow levels as there haven't been too many recent trip reports for the area. I reached snow on the highway around the town of Silverton and ended in around 3-4" at Barlow Pass around 11:30 AM, nothing my AWD vehicle couldn't handle. There were around 6 other cars at the TH, one which even had chains on. Another was pulling in just after I parked. I wanted to take advantage of these "deep-loop" hikes before the gate near deer creek closes, which won't be long!

I laced my boots, preemptively put on my gaiters, threw my backpack on and headed down the road towards the ghost town. The trail started off with intermittent snow here and there, but quickly became constant around the 3/4 mile mark. The temps were just above freezing as it seemed it was "raining" due to the melting snow. A great reminder to have waterproof gear/clothing, especially this time of year. Trail was easy to follow at this point, there were other tracks I could see from earlier that day and others likely from days before. There is one tricky-to-see right turn just before the river crossing to keep you on the main path. Upon reaching the river crossing, the tracks began to disappear. Having done this hike before, having my map and GPS, I knew where I was heading, despite not being able to follow someones boot pack. The river crossing is do-able, but exercise caution here!! The log is snow-covered and slick. Later I'd find out my tracks helped someone else find their way to town and also learn they did actually slip off this log, luckily not over the freezing cold river!

Once across the river, I ended up re-finding a pair of tracks from earlier the same day. I'd end up following these tracks into the town site, but never did cross paths with these folks. The trail into the town site is fairly easy to follow, especially if there is a boot path to follow. Snow depth increased steadily as the hike went on and the temps had the opposite effect. Once across the river, the "raining" effect seemed to come to an end, indicating temps were now below freezing. The trail into the town site, as of Saturday, was passable without the use of snowshoes or microspikes. However, I did find my poles to be invaluable with the loose steps in the slushy snow. I also had some good waterproof boots and gaiters to keep the snow out. 

Some beautiful views are awarded along the way, providing motivation to keep going. Once in town, there was around 8-12" of snow, depending on the area. I could easily see where the two folks before me had went based on their fresh footprints. Having made good time in getting to town, approx. 1 hr 20 min, I decided to see how far up the Silver Lake trail I could get. The snow started out being around 2-5" deep due to the heavier tree cover, which proved to quickly become irrelevant. I made it up the trail about a 3/4 of a mile to 1 mile before I was post-holing above my knees. This really slows your pace and can wear you out quickly! Not having snowshoes with me, I chose to head back down to the town site for a quick break before heading back to the car.

Once back at the town site area, I could see tracks indicating the two people I knew were in town had left. You can read their trip report here: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2018-12-15.0884172629. Yet I was surprised to see there was another hiker and his dog near one of the freshly painted shelters. I wandered nearby, only to be approached for help. Initial sights indicated this hiker was tired, cold, and hungry. Both the hiker and their (small) dog were also soaking wet. I helped this hiker and encouraged them to begin the trek back as darkness wasn't far out, at this point the time was 2:30 PM. After seeing them on their way, I took a break myself for food and water before heading back to the car.

After this break, I began my trek back to the car. It was reassuring to see the footprints of the earlier mentioned hiker and their dog heading in the right direction. I'd later catch up to, and hike the last part out together with this hiker around the river crossing. We made it back to the trail head around 4:15 PM, just before last light. This is/was likely the last weekend to get out to this point on the highway before the snow closes the gate. 

Folks, please be prepared when going outdoors, especially this time of year and even more-so when going solo. I cannot stress this enough as this is not the first, or even second, time I have helped someone on this hike, this year. Also, if you bring an animal, bring the supplies to take care of it!