Weekly adventures of the intrepid cross country skiers!
In reverse time order...
OK, I've gotten really lazy about writing up weekly adventures. Here's an idea of where we went at least:
Feb. 28, 2004 -- "Up and Over to Reflection Lakes"
Feb. 21, 2004 -- "Trollhaugen"
Feb. 8, 2004 -- "Lake Wenatchee"
Jan. 30 - Feb. 2, 2004 -- "Scottish Lakes"
Jan. 24, 2004 -- "Lake Easton"
Jan. 18, 2004 -- "Cabin Creek, or Where's the Snow?"
Jan. 11, 2004 -- "Mt. Catherine Loop"
Jan. 3, 2004 -- "Wimpy?" -- It had been a few weeks of non-activity for me and I knew I was out of shape so I called a "wimpy ski" expedition. Surprisingly, quite a few showed up. Angie, Adrienne, Alison (ie Triple AAA), Ruth, Mark, Mark, Vince and Dellanie all ended up at the start of the Bandera Overlook trail after a couple of minor detours. We noticed right away that a few cars had driven up the road - the barrier of snow was not up to prevent them - so we started out dodging the occasional car. The car tracks actually made the trail seem almost in groomed condition. We got to a fork in the trail and elected to follow the flatter trail, which also turned out to be the road less taken. This was nice, for we didn't have much competition for the road. A single set of jeep tracks made our trail easier, and we got going a pretty good pace. The group got spread out, and I ended up on the slow side of the group. Thinking those ahead might not stop for lunch for awhile, I put on a burst of speed to see if I could catch them. Eventually I caught up with Angie and Vince, who were having a quick lunch next to the aforementioned jeep. A couple jeep people were walking their dogs -- I dodged them and kept going. Soon I'd run into a couple of the others and we stopped for lunch. Vince and Dellanie decided to head back at that point since they had to pick up someone at the airport. Ruth was apparently still ahead of the group so me, Angie and Alison started trying to catch up to her. Angie eventually gave up and decided to head back. Alison and I pressed on and were rewarded 10 minutes later by running into Ruth. She showed us a waterfall just further down the trail. We were about to head back, but I noticed there was an open spot on the trail ahead so we skied up to it. It was a dead-end parking lot for the Mason Lake trailhead. Ruth found that the outhouse was unlocked while I checked out the view and Alison puttered around in the deep snow. Then we turned around for the long ski back. When we got back to the fork in the road the trail had turned slippery after many vehicles had apparently packed it down -- it was a virtual skating rink all the way back to the cars. Angie and I stopped afterwards at the bakery in North Bend. Hot chocolate - Ah!
Dec. 15, 2003 -- "Magical Mystery Tour" -- On this Monday, my friend Melinda drove up from Olympia to go skiing with me at Snoqualmie Pass. We headed up rather late, and started on the Iron Horse Trail. My plan was to cut over to the Mt. Catherine Loop trail, but the snow conditions off the trail were treacherous and we soon gave up that notion. We skied along the trail for awhile, then I tried once again an off-trail stunt and almost wound up to my waist in snow. Melinda was looking for some hill action, but since there was none on this trail we headed back to the trailhead, hopped in the car and headed to Cabin Creek. There we got our hills, and how! Since we'd had a late start, sundown crept up on us quickly and the day was over before we knew it.
Dec. 13, 2003 -- "Demo Day at Steven's Pass" -- Well folks, there is such a thing as too much snow. Linda and I were the only takers for this day -- we headed up to Steven's Pass for the Demo Day, which included free ski rentals, trail passes and lessons. Near the top of the Pass the road conditions were getting scary. Compact snow was on the road, and the snow plows could not keep up. We made it to the parking lot at the Nordic Center on a wing and a prayer, parking next to cars that had several inches of fresh snow on top. I elected to keep my own skis on, so we got trail passes and Linda tried a new pair of skis. Heading up the hill in the thickly falling snow, our skis kept sticking to the ground. We went a short ways, then turned around. But even heading downhill, I could not get a glide going due to the stickiness of the snow conditions. We got back in time for Linda to take the 2pm lesson, but I went inside to eat a quick lunch. Giving up on skis, I borrowed a pair of snowshoes and gave them a try. Walking up the snowshoe trail and into the woods, I was sometimes up to my waist in fresh snow. I walked around for about 30 minutes then came back. Linda and I both decided not to risk waiting too long to head back. In the 2.5 hours we'd been there, about 6 inches had piled up on my car and it was a little tricky getting out of the parking lot. On the way back everyone was driving really slow, especially after the couple of SUVs seen flipped over in the ditch. But we made it back to civilization safe and sound, though Linda found out that a friend of hers was stranded at Snoqualmie Pass that evening due to avalanche issues.
Dec. 7, 2003 -- "Trollhaugen" -- Carl, Corinne, Adrienne and I headed up to Trollhaugen. We were one of only 2 or 3 cars parked in the ski area, so we knew it would be a quiet day. The area had been groomed since my Thanksgiving visit, but there was a single set of snowmobile tracks (grrr!) that came up the middle of the trail. Apparently this snowmobile came in the back way, headed up one side of the intermediate loop and got out through the main entrance. Besides that, though, snow conditions were decent. Grooming made a big difference, and I really appreciated the tracks. We took the main loop around clockwise, heading across the Troll Bridge and taking a left at the junction. Despite carefully looking, we saw no animals on this short loop and only a few small footprints in the snow. The trail had been paved all the way around as a loop that fed back down a short steep hill. Sometimes I wonder about the snow groomer at Trollhaugen - he seems to like shaking things up a bit. At the junction again, we took a left again to head around the "Meadow Loop," which had not yet been groomed this season. The snow wasn't difficult, but the noise from the high voltage lines above got on our nerves so we headed back. Near the road to the lodge we stopped for a quick lunch. The camprobbers soon found us, and Carl started feeding them. They were more polite than some, however, and did not try to rob us of food. After doing the whole circuit we decided to try the intermediate loop, so we headed clockwise on that loop. There were a few minor stream crossings to conquer, and we began to wonder about the wisdom of heading back that way. Since there was no sign up indicating one-way on the advanced side of the loop, we decided to keep going. By this time, the snow was really sticking to the bottom of our skis, which made it easier to climb up the big hills we ran into. At one point there was a level trail that headed off the road and looked like it was heading parallel. I tried it out while the others slogged on up the hill. Unfortunately the trail petered out relatively quick and I found myself climbing a steeper slope than I had anticipated. With the sticky snow, however, it wasn't too hard and I soon rejoined the others. Eventually we made it to the steep downhill run off the main loop and I managed to ski all the way down, using the "poles between the legs snow plow" approach. The others walked at least part way down, and Carl did a great run down for a beginner. By this point we were all ready to go home, so we headed right on the loop and got back to the trailhead. Reluctant to remove my skis, I suggested a jaunt through the trees to get to the parking lot. Knowing there was a smaller parking area in between the trees, I tried to go around but at the end all but Corinne (the smart one who walked around) were forced to head down a 10-foot cliff. But we made it, and just in time to see a ranger warn someone about getting permits for cutting Christmas trees.
Dec. 6, 2003 -- "The Real Cabin Creek" -- Susan H. and I were the only takers for this day, so we headed up to the Snow Park. The lot was over half full this time, and there were no cars parked along the road leading in, as there were last week. The place had also been freshly groomed, so conditions were quite nice. There had been a few inches of new snow on top of some hard pack, so venturing off the trail (as I am wont to do) didn't cause "that sinking sensation." It was somewhat warm, so we did notice a thin layer of slush on top. This made the big scary hills not so scary, as the friction slowed us down a bit. We had done about half of the big loop and decided to stop for lunch. There were hints of blue sky here and there, and we saw quite a few skiers pass. Most seemed to be wearing skate skis. Since Cabin Creek was designed for racers, that's not so surprising. A couple of camprobbers showed up, but these were apparently more shy than the birds I saw last weekend. Finally we resumed our trip, heading up the Ozbaldy loop. The snow was slow enough that I was able to do the big hill down without stopping to pray, which is what I usually do. We made it back to the car after about 3 hours of skiing, and made sure to stop at FarFar's for exotic ice cream on the way home. Ginger and peppermint - yum!
Nov. 29, 2003 -- "Smithbrook & Festival" -- Due to late cancellation of a 3rd person, it turned out to be just Michiko and I this day. We got a late start and headed up to Stevens Pass. Upon pulling into the parking area, we saw the inevitable snowmobiles. By the time we'd put our boots on, however, they were gone. Turns out they had tried to ride up the trail but the snow was too deep and they kept getting stuck, so they turned around right where Smithbrook Road intersects the highway. The only tracks we saw after that were showshoers and other skiers. On this day, it was lucky for us that the snowshoers had been through already because the snow was a little too deep for comfortable skiing. So we followed the tracks up. After about a mile, we saw three guys with showshoes who had chopped down a small tree, wrapped a tarp around it and were preparing to drag it down the road. Concerned about poaching of Christmas trees from a national forest, I tried to reach the ranger station via cell phone but service was so erratic that I eventually gave up. At some of the steeper sections of trail I started carving some separate ski tracks to make the descent easier. By the time we reached the major bend in the road near the avalanche slope, the tracks ahead had split in two - one branch leading up the hill and one leading straight past the bend. We got off the road to attempt going to Surprise Lake, but within the first 1/4 mile we faced a stream crossing. I'm sure we could've made it going there, but the way back would've been tricky so we gave up and had lunch instead. No sooner had we got our food out than a mob of camprobbers (or gray jays) came down looking for food. Michiko left the last bite of her banana sitting in the snow next to her and they quickly scarfed that down. One landed on my ski pole a couple feet away and another landed on my pack that was sitting in the snow. I was holding my Clif bar in my left hand when one of the bold little buggers landed on my right hand and took a bite out of the bar! I got out some nuts and handed them to Michiko, hoping to get some of this daring-do on film with her digital camera but the birdbrains were apparently camera-shy because they made no more trips down to us. While lunching we heard occasional far-off snowmobile noises and found ourselves wondering if the snow beasts had made it up Smithbrook or if the sound was just echoing from elsewhere. We got our answer on the way back - about a mile from our lunch spot there were 2 snowmobiles, and they appeared to be stuck. I skied past them, trying hard not to laugh and hoping they wouldn't ask me to help pull them out. They didn't, and we skied on. Before long they had pulled out and sped past us. The stench of their passing lingered for most of the rest of the way down. But at least they had left us a solid, mostly level trail that was an easier descent than the snowshoe tracks would've been. We got back to the car in 45 minutes, just as the sun was going down. On a whim, we decided to head over to Leavenworth. Thirty minutes later we found a parking spot and started walking the small pseudo-Bavarian town where a Christmas festival was apparently in full swing. There were groups singing, people in old-fashioned costumes, lots of little craft booths set up outdoors and plenty of food. I grabbed some cider and an apple kuchen (kind of like apple strudel), then after browsing a bit Michiko decided to try some knockwurst. We sat outdoors in the cold night next to an outdoor heater and relaxed before the drive back. Going uphill back over the Pass we noticed 2 accidents; one of which was an SUV upside down in a ditch. We took the hint and slowed down...
Nov. 27, 2003 -- "Tracking Turkeys and Trolls" -- A new skier, Yuko, decided to make Thanksgiving Day her first cross country experience. The two of us headed up to Trollhaugen. My heart almost stopped when I saw the Closed sign over the snow park sign, but driving down the road we found a few snowmobile tow-ers parked in the lot. There was nobody parked in the cross country corner, which is not unusual for Trollhaugen. While putting our boots on, another car drove in looking for Trollhaugen and I told them how to get there. They parked next to us and started getting ready. We grabbed our skis and walked down the road. The two in the car caught up to us at the trailhead and I told them the basic layout of the snow park. They then took off quickly down the trail, kindly leaving tracks for us. We started out following their tracks, but they chose to take the advanced loop so we ended up making our own tracks from then on. We crossed the "Troll Bridge" (no trolls in sight) and headed to the 4-way junction. There were some tracks off to the left and we followed them up towards bobcat loop, but instead of turning right they turned left. Intrigued, I followed them up a short hill. We gave up shortly thereafter, assuming the tracks eventually led over to the creek. The way down was a bit treacherous - I had a nice tumble into the snow that got my glove liners damp. Yuko did nicely, only falling once on the hill though she said she did notice the lack of control compared to alpine skiing. We headed up the bobcat loop, stopping to examine some animal tracks along the way. I spotted what looked like fox, bobcat and possibly even tracks of a small mountain lion. There were also rabbit, squirrel and maybe even shrew represented in the snow. We took the loop out by the creek and at that point I noticed little balls of snow had formed on my shoe laces. Shaking them off, we continued on to the 4-trail junction. There are some new signs up this year, which is great because in the past the signs have been spotty at best. We continued on past the lodge road and arrived, safe and sound, at the trailhead just in time to hear (groan) a snow grooming machine behind us. We'd apparently just missed having a nice groomed surface to ski on! Oh well, maybe next time!
Nov. 23, 2003 -- "In a Rut at Cabin Creek" -- Corinne managed to talk her new hubbie Carl (they met at my birthday party) into trying cross country skiing for the first time, so the three of us headed up to check out the early action at Cabin Creek Snow Park. After crossing the bridge we noticed that several cars had parked alongside the beginning of the trail - something I've never seen at this place. To make matters worse, a few vehicles left tracks down the entire length of the main road through the snow park. (Apparently 'Road Closed' was not a sign they recognized.) On the plus side, the snow was fresh and deep enough so we got started. After skiing the length of the main road, we ran into a small group that included some parents and a few of their kids looking for a sledding place. We stopped to watch them slide for a moment, then returned back down the road. Upon reaching the junction, Carl was interested in trying out some trails so we took the smaller loop. It was a nice change to be out of the tire tracks, and there were some decent ski tracks left by other skiers. The first minor hills were negotiated, and then we tried the first big one. Predictably there were some spills, but we continued on. The next big hill did not knock us down and Carl was really starting to feel his oats. We arrived back at the grand junction and decided we were all ready for lunch in the car. It had been a good workout day, with nice snow conditions.
Nov. 22, 2003 -- "Opening Day on the Iron Horse" -- Sylvia, Ann, Michiko, Kelly and her 7-year-old Anasthasia, and 2 others met at the Park & Ride, eager to see snow once again. Tom and Tatiana told us they'd "meet us at the snow park" but we didn't see them when we arrived at the trailhead. Ann and Sylvia got out to a good start. Anasthasia and Kelly decided to take it slow so I moved on after Michiko trying to catch up to the others. I noticed some large animal tracks on the trail and thought perhaps they were coyotes, but later I ran into some people with a dog. (Didn't think they were allowed on this trail?) There were also smaller tracks that I later confirmed - Michiko reported seeing a fox run across the trail. We continued on, and I got out my track guide now and then to check tracks in the snow. Another skier passing by turned out to be a wildlife biologist and she passed on some interesting insights into some of the tracks I saw. A snowshoer, who was conscientiously not walking on the ski tracks, told me he'd started out early that morning walking from the other side of the lake - a trip of at least 10 miles round trip. Yow! All too soon, I ran into Ann going the other way (she drove up alone) to return early for an evening engagement. (Ann's always such a jetsetter!) Before long I caught up with the others and we had a quick lunch. Some other skiers told us they'd seen a couple that matched Tom and Tatiana's description way up ahead, but we gave up on catching them and turned around. We ran into Kelly and Anasthasia about 1 mile from the parking lot and slowed down for some snow play. There were a few snowball fights, and Anasthasia got her wish to get buried in snow. We started calling her Snow Princess after she told us she'd been named for a Russian princess. Finally we returned to the car after a nice workout. Here's hoping for more good snow like this day's!
LAST YEAR (Winter 2002 - 2003) -- We skied quite a few weekends, though the snow didn't always cooperate. Read our adventures on this page.