Source Lake, Source Lake - Winter Route — Monday, Dec. 23, 2002

Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass

Christmas eve was the perfect time for the first snowshoe outing of the year. The snow was about two feet deep at the Alpental parking lot, and I almost decided to leave the snowshoes in the car and just use Stabilicers and gaiters. I brought the shoes along since I remembered that up the valley the snow is always deeper and softer. I stayed to the right and travelled along the stream up to the wonderful cascading waterfalls. I then worked my way up to the top of the falls for some additional great views. From there I contoured over to the base of the cliffs and the route up to Source Lake. It was along this stretch of virgin snow woods walking that I realised that I needed the snowshoes. Putting them on while post-holing was a challenge, but they allowed me to go where I wanted without following any paths. They turned out to be essential for exploring, but other people made it to the lake with just boots and no poles by following the many paths in the snow. My dog Daisy had a blast, porpoising and gallumphing through the snow, sometimes disappearing completely for several seconds. The fact that it was actually snowing the whole time made it feel very Christmassy. As I am writing this, two large trees have just fallen onto my next-door-neighbor's house, causing only minor damage and the power to flicker. I better submit this report before it goes out!