Snowshoeing

Luckily, my friend Bob was off from work and was interested in a trip up the mountain.  Time to strap the snowshoes on the backpack and see how much snow was up on top.

We have a nice little winter route that starts up Cascade Creek just at an old dam that must have been used as a water supply at one time or another.  You have to go straight up through some of last year's salmonberry bushes.  But then it opens up in big trees.  Pretty soon, take a right hand turn and follow the ridge up - and up - and up.  

Just before the trees opened up, we strapped on the snowshoes.  By that time, the snow was plenty deep - in fact it was time to do some slogging.  Bob had some excuse about "not sure where to go."  That just meant he wanted me to break trail.  He's a pretty smart guy.

 

We break out of the trees.  Mt. Edgecumbe is in the background.

Then we just walk the ridge.  

This looks out toward Biorka Island.  

From the top, we hung a right and walked down Gavan trail.  The top of the trail is mostly wooden steps because it's so deep.  It's always a challenge to make it down in deep snow - too deep to walk and sometimes you can't see the steps.  But on snowshoes, you have to alternately ski or slide or fall.  We did our share of all three.

Toward the bottom of the trail, the sun came out.  In the winter time, the sun is so low in the sky that there it seems to glow.  With the big hemlock and spruce trees spreading their green branches and the sun filtering through, it's like being in an outdoor cathedral.  As Bob's friend Don says, "I attend the Church of the Outdoors."

I'll leave you this photo title, courtesy of Led Zeppelin:

"Stairway to Heaven"