Snowshoed the Old Mason Lake Trail up the Mason Creek drainage to Mason Lake, and then on to the summit of Mount Defiance. Roughly 9 miles and ~4,000 feet of gain according to my GPS. Very grateful to the party who had broken trail a couple days prior — made the going much easier for me! As others have commented, do not take the Ira Spring trail up to Mason Lake, given exposure to potential avalanches.
The Old Mason Lake trail is beautiful, up through some towering Douglas firs and coming close to the creek numerous times. Got socked in later in the hike but still quite a lovely winter vibe with light snow falling in the last few miles. The route is mostly forested save the last couple hundred feet up to the summit of Defiance.
Didn't see anyone else the entire day, which was pleasantly surprising for a Saturday with a decent weather forecast. The aura of this area in winter is spectacular — truly feels like the backcountry this time of year.
Gaia track: https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=13.9/-121.5877/47.4214&pubLink=31HJ5H7pBi93gV1OPgEjyabZ&trackId=c104e912-af2f-4e3d-9073-34f541a4d840
Comments
Penguino on Old Mason Lake Trail, Mount Defiance
Glade you were able to use our track from Thursday. Hope we didn't mess it up too much on our way out.
Posted by:
Penguino on Dec 18, 2022 09:57 AM
Blake Parkinson on Old Mason Lake Trail, Mount Defiance
Not at all!
Posted by:
Blake Parkinson on Dec 19, 2022 09:39 AM