My first winter trip to one of my favorite summer/fall hikes. Parked at the nearest sno-park area to Salmon la Sac at 6:30 a.m. Walked the groomed road in just boots, making a pit stop at the outhouse (unlocked but NOT clean and no paper).
When I got to the Cooper River trailhead, I put on yak tracks for a little more traction. Snowshoes are not necessary and I didn't need poles most of the time. At about mile 3 (?), the well-established boot path just kind of disappeared. I backtracked a bit and tried to figure out if I somehow missed a turn in the path, but didn't see any more tracks at all. Then I realized I was looking at the aftermath of an avalanche that had erased the trail. I decided to turn back as I didn't see a safe way to get past it, even though I really wanted to get to Cooper Lake. This explains why the March 2nd trip report said the other end of the trail where it crosses the road hadn't been hiked recently...no one can get that far.
Saw someone who had camped off the trail a little before the avalanche last night. He said he hadn't made it past that point either. (The winter camping with his pup looked like fun but he said it was a cold night and I'm sure it was. It was a chilly 9 degrees when I started the hike!)
Stopped for a snack at a sunny spot overlooking the river and enjoyed this beautiful place in yet another season.
Got back to the road a little after 10 without seeing anyone else on the trail, but saw a bunch of snowmobilers who were just getting started at the sno-park.
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