Oregon Hikers

Excellent report, Aardvark! I'm looking forward to snowshoeing, too -- though I need to pick up some gaiters (mine were stolen in my Lolo Pass break-in last month). Agreed, uphill is challenging, especially if you're breaking trail... good cardio! :lol: I transitioned to modern snowshoes sometime in...

... the cascades and the trails have low usage. You can walk the ridge from cone peak to echo Mtn (3 summits) - and stay above 5000' for several miles. Cone peak http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e145/zeezo61/conepeakthanksgiving2012080.jpg ...

Nice pictures - looks like great terrain up there! I never even heard about Cone Peak before reading your report.

One of these days I'm gonna break down and give snowshoeing a try. Posts like this are great encouragement, Aardvark!

Most awesome! Inspiration for me to get over this cold and get back out into the great outdoors!

It took a few tries to get the shoes fitted right and I had a couple epic face plants on ther way up - the shoes really reward careful technique and punish sloppiness - not a bad thing I suppose. Going uphill is certainly work, but I could never have got as far in without them. It's neat to be able...

Nice report, and great pics! looks like you had great weather too. I can't wait to get out the shoes...

... up the road to Tombstone Pass on Hwy 20 east of Sweet Home - The Cone Peak trail winds through the forest for a couple miles before breaking onto an open ridge at ...

... six or seven. I’m assuming these all came up from seeds in a single cone and are probably grafted onto to each other now through their root systems. ... Heaven.jpg Rock face, Berry Mountain, Indian Heaven.jpg View to Gifford Peak from Berry Mt., Indian Heaven .jpg Mt. St. Helens from Berry Mt., ...

... portion of trail_(1).JPG Wizard Island keeps getting closer and the cone at the top more visible. 8 Getting closer to The Watchman Peak_(1).JPG ... the trail breaks out into an open field where the view of The Watchman peak becomes more visible. :) 9 The Watchman Peak in the distance_(1).JPG ...