Knapsack Pass, Spray Park, Hessong Rock and Mount Pleasant & Mowich Lake Snowshoe — Friday, Nov. 3, 2023

REMINDER:  Mowich Lk Rd is closed for the season.  It is either a 5 mile walk up the road or one has to utilize the Grindstone trail to make it 4 miles to Mowich Lake and all of the TH’s.

With weather changing yet again tonight, I am not sure how much this report will help anyone.

Driving Mowich Lake Road:  The first 9 miles are still in decent condition up until the park boundary.  The worst is the short ½ mile to the parking areas. This section has deteriorated significantly in the last 10 days since I have been up there.  Multiple potholes that can’t be avoided.  Not quite car sucking yet.  Getting close.

Warning that forest logging is going on along Mowich Lake Rd.  To my surprise, a fully loaded logging truck was coming down at 4am.  Have never seen this in 20 years.  Something to be aware of for those that like to fly up and/or down the road.

I chose to avoid Grindstone today and rode my bike all the way up to Mowich Lake.  The Grindstone trail tends to be muddy on a dry day.  Thought it might be pretty bad after the heavy rains we had.

Patrol Cabin to Knapsack Pass:  A tree has fallen across the trail right after the “unmaintained trail” sign.  It looks fairly recent as the sawdust looks fresh.  I found it easiest to go under the tree.  It does have a blue spray paint marking.  

The trail from the cabin to the pass was a running stream of water for 90% of the trail.  Good thing I avoided Grindstone only to get wet feet an hour later.  🙄  No way to avoid wet feet.

Knapsack Pass to Spray Park Trail:  Every year I say I will only do this trail in the spring when snow is present on this section.  Every year I forget that mantra and do a late fall hike.....cursing myself the entire way.

Going from the pass to Spray Park is an exercise in boulder climbing and navigation.  There is a ¾ mile section of a large boulder field, and without snow, a trail does not exist.  

I have hiked this trail frequently. Hence I know where to head.  It still makes for a physically challenging section going up and over large boulders while trying to keep a straight line. 

I did see some cairns set up.  Do NOT follow them.  They were way off trail.  Not sure if someone was playing a joke on others.  Or if they were that lost and made cairns to help them find their way back.

Without the snowfields/glaciers, there were some really cool tarns that I have never seen before.

About a ½ mile off the boulder field and onto the regular connector trail, there was the herd of goats that I frequently find here in the off season. Today, they were sleeping right on the trail on the way to the Spray Park trail.   As to not disturb them and to give my legs a rest, I cut my hike short by heading up to Mt Pleasant instead of doing the full Spray Park trail.  I then took the trail down from the saddle to the Spray Park trail. 

Spray Park trail:  The trail is surprisingly dry!  Tarns, streams and creeks are flowing well.  The trail itself is in great condition.

Crowds:  I did not see a human being all day! There was one car in the lot when I got back to my car.  Not sure which trail they were on.

Wildlife:  Goats everywhere!  Not only on trail.  There was a group hanging out west of Knapsack Pass.  More just below Hessong Rock.