Old Blewett Pass Highway — Monday, Mar. 18, 2024

Old Blewett delivers in all seasons. So I first took a bath in sunblock, as recommended by my dermatologist, then got the dog Boo ( AKA Prince) and headed up in the car. I used spikes today. The road is mostly packed snow from a winter of snow machines, abut in places irritatingly soft.  There are also lots of short melted out spots where you get the relief of walking in the dirt on the edge. I was hiking the south side of the old pass, so was in the sun most of the time. It was gorgeous, and I saw no one else until I got to the top, where I met a permanent resident on his snowmobile. We had a nice chat and the dogs played in the snow, despite Boo being less than half the size of, I think, Stacy. There was not enough snow to justify snowshoes, although in the softer areas, I was wishing I had them. It was kind of like walking in sand, which I remember well from many ocean beach hikes (Toleak, Oil City, La Push, Cape Alava,……) back in the 70’s. I got to the top of the pass, 4 miles in, in just under 2 hours. This is a great hike, and soon will be a great bike ride, which is my preferred mode here.