Mount Catherine, Windy Pass - Mount Catherine Snowshoe — Thursday, Dec. 13, 2001

Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass

We started from the Hyak ski lifts this morning in blowing snow, darkness and howling wind. I faked lameness, then dispepsia, finally hysteria, but my partner brooked no excuses. Snowshoeing to the great basin below Mt. Catherine was hard but warming work. We crossed the running creek on a sagging snowbridge, then continued up a switchbacking logging road on the NE side of the peak. Alas! We hit our turn around time: the Dawn Patrollers had morning meetings in the city! As consolation, we built a snow shelter in a tree well, then nibbled on summer sausage in our cosy redoubt. Very hard work getting back up and down, our deep tracks were already covered. In the parking lot snowboarders waited for the lift to open. A tip: this would have been better with skis.