Kelcema Lake, Deer Creek Pass & Lake Kelcema Snowshoe — Friday, Apr. 1, 2005

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

I decided to head up Deer Creek Road off the Mtn. Loop Hwy for perhaps my last snowshoe trip of this strange season. I got an early start and was at the road head by 6:30a.m. Encountered only a smattering of snow before the 1.5 mile point. From there, snow became deeper and was now falling in large beautiful flakes but I stayed in my boots only and in the shallower snow that lay in the grooves in the road that were caused by a vehicle some days before. No blow downs and just one place where pooled shallow water covered the trail. Now, the trees were beautifully laden with snow. By the time I'd gotten to the sharp bend, at about 3.5 miles, snow depth had increased until I was post-holing in about 1 1/2' of snow. So I switched to snowshoes. From there, grooves from the vehicle disappeared. Mtn views appeared as the skies cleared. I snowshoed up to where the road meets the Kelcema Lake and Deer Creek Pass trails (approx. 4.5 from the Mtn. Loop Hwy.). I found the sign and tried to find the Deer Creek Pass trail but couldn't due to snow levels. I had some fun trying, though, in the deep snow between the trees. I found the sign and tried to find the Kelcema Lake trail but couldn't due to snow levels. But I forged my own trail along deep snow banks along the Creek almost to the lake. On my return downhill, the temp had been rising and most of the snow was melting off the trees at about 3 miles from the junction with the Mtn. Loop Hwy. If you're snowshoeing alone at lower elevations, I'd recommend this trip. The road is wide enough that even I couldn't get lost on it yet you can still get some of that closed-in feeling of the forest. It's continually uphill but not tremendously steep so the workout is a good one but won't kill you. Plenty of varied animal tracks in the snow. Some gorgeous wild flowers. If the clouds lift, there are beautiful vistas. I saw not another soul.