I had been waiting for the right combination of good snow depth and a moderately clear day so that I could make a snow shoe attempt on the mighty Peak 3537, which is the first peak south of the Marble Mountain Sno Park. This is one of the 17 summits I have left to get my boot prints onto, to complete the 231 Skamania County summits. I had tried to get to the sno park in mid January, but then the 83 road was blocked by a slide shortly after the 81 road (the road to the summer time “Climber's Bivouac” and Red Pass). It cost the state another $10+K to reopen that 4 mile piece of road.
I had been watching the weather forecast all week, and Saturday was it! I had not factored in that every snow mobile owner in SW Washington had come to the same conclusion.
The drive up was uneventful until about a mile past the Ape Cave junction, where the road steepens a little. The road had become snow packed, but was still easily driveable, so I was quite surprised to see cars stopped and putting chains on. I passed a couple of vehicles, rounded a turn, and saw the “why”. Two pickup trucks, pulling the big covered snow machine trailers, had the road blocked where they lost traction. So, I thought it prudent to put my chains on. In the middle of that, I heard a couple of 2 cycle motors revving up. One family had decided to start their trip right there, but couldn't even get traction with the big snow machine tracks! My little brain said: “Oh, maybe it is a little icier that it looks....”. By the time I got my chains secured, the trucks had their chains on, and were able to proceed.
There was a traffic mess at the 81 road snow park, and I really appreciated the extra traction I was feeling. Then, on east, up the barely 2 vehicle wide 83 road. When I finally got to the Marble Mountain Sno Park, my jaw literally dropped; I had no idea that so many trucks with trailers, with cars intermixed could be squeezed into those parking lots! This was the lower lot:
I finally found a space to squeeze into in the upper lot. A few minutes of organizing, and I was off, headed for the gated 8312 road, heading south from the lower lot. It is always fun to be out in the fresh snow, trying to ID the tracks. Anyone have a guess what made these tracks? I sure don't:
The bridge across June Creek, about 1/3 mile down, was taken out by Miss St Helens, and never replaced. My hope was that with the deep snow pack, a bridge would have developed just upstream of the road bed, where there is a small log jam. It was not to be....
Looking straight across where the road bridge used to be:
This where I was hoping the snow bridge would be.
Lacking that inner death wish on this particular day, I reluctantly turned around.
This was the pretty view looking downstream:
Wanting to salvage the day, I decided to walk the Marble Loop trail back:
This was a really easy little trail, and while a pretty enough walk through the trees, there were almost no views. It would take me over towards the June Lake TH, which was my second option for the day. I also considered trying the 245G trail, to get me back on the road. But, once I got to that decision point, some how my steam was gone. I turned left on the 83 road and headed back to the parking lot. There was almost a constant stream of snow machine ripping by. Most were courteous, and slowed down, but a few just screamed by, playing with the humps in the road. Oh well, I was through …..
This was the parking scene for 1/8 mile down the 83 road as I was leaving.
Then there was the broken glass & chrome grill shards on one of the turns a ways down....
So in conclusion, there are some great opportunities to play in the snow up there, just avoid the sunny weekends!!!
