Mt. Margaret Backcountry--Snow camping in Sept? 9/22-9/23/17

[RichardDavies]

I've been wanting to check out the Mt. Margaret Backcountry for a while so I purchased a camping permit for Bear Camp and planned a quick overnight trip with a friend this weekend. The weather forecasts for the proceeding days leading up to our trip had been pretty bleak, with heavy rain showers and even possible snow, but fortunately they'd said that there was supposed to be "little to no accumulation expected" and the weekend was supposed to be bringing a change of weather back to mostly dry, partly sunny days.

We arrived at Norway Pass Trailhead Friday about 9am and we were the only car in the parking lot. We enjoyed the lovely fall colors as we hiked up the Boundary Trail to Norway Pass and then on to the junction with the Lakes Trail. Continuing on the Boundary trail we soon started to run into snow. To our surprise, an inch or two quickly became 4-6".

As we hiked, we heard some elk bugling and eventually spotted a couple of nice bulls and several cows (about a dozen total) on the far side of a bowl below us. We watched them for a minute through the binoculars and then followed the trail around to the other side of the bowl, where we were able to climb up on a little rock outcropping and observe them grazing maybe 75-100 yards below us. We also spotted another dozen scattered around on the far side of the valley. They were literally everywhere and it was fascinating to see all of their tracks in the relatively fresh snow. (There were tracks practically everywhere... up, down, around, and over every little valley and ridge we crossed.)

Continuing on, the snow was now about 8-10" deep. By the time we reached Bear Camp we were breaking fresh tracks in about a foot of snow!

We decided to make the best of our situation and tough it out for a night. Our original plan was to set up camp and then with daypacks go check out Whittier Ridge and complete the loop around the Lakes Trail and arrive back at our camp that evening. But the elk gazing and snow had slowed us down considerably and by the time we managed to clear away the snow for our tents it was mid afternoon. We also realized that, given the current conditions, attempting Whittier Ridge was probably out of the question.

But our curiosity got the best of us and we had to go check it out and see what it was like. So we trudged through more snow until we reached the Whittier Ridge junction. Along the way we saw what looked like a coyote scampering up a distant snow field. We cautiously ventured out on the Whittier Ridge trail maybe 1/4 mile before electing to turn around. On the way back, we spotted several mountain goats on the cliffs below the ridge.

A little disappointed at not being able to do Whittier, we decided to hike some more along the Boundary Trail towards Mt. Margaret. By the time we reached Mt. Teragram our feet were starting to get cold and tired and we gave up on reaching Mt. Margaret. But not to be totally defeated, we scaled to the top of Mt. Teragram to check out the view just as a dark storm started dropping rain and sleet on us.

We decided it was time to call it a day and head back to camp and the relative comfort of our tents. Wet and cold, we crawled into our tents around 5pm and decided to call it a night early as we waited for the storm to pass. The next morning the clouds cleared away and we welcomed the warm rays of the sun as we hiked back to our car.

Although Mother Nature decided to throw us a curve ball, we still had a memorable adventure and will be back again some day to conquer Whittier Ridge.

[Peder]

we scaled to the top of Mt. Teragram to check out the view just as a dark storm started dropping rain and sleet on us.

Popular peaks have many names! Here is a picture from two years ago featuring the same summit! I am sure you missed the summit register, as it must have been buried under the snow. Yours was probably the first ascent with a foot of snow around, well done!

With all the elk and the snow, it must have been a memorable weekend out. The Whittier traverse is more fun without snow... So best in August - October, as snow often lingers till late July on the southern end of the ridge.

[retired jerry]

Pretty adventurous to continue with all that snow, good on you

Did you see any huckleberries? I was there about this time of the year and curiously there were still berries on the plants.

[RichardDavies]

Did you see any huckleberries?

Very few, although honestly we didn't look too hard. Most of what I did see were small, dry, and shriveled up.

[adamschneider]

Yours was probably the first ascent with a foot of snow around, well done!

Hey now, I post-holed my way up Mt. Teragram on October 6 four years ago, after an early storm. The summit was clear but the east side was buried:

[leiavoia]

Had a nearly identical experience on the north side of Hood last weekend. "Hey, look. snow!" turned into "whoa..." and then 14-16" higher up. I made it to the end of the McNeil Point trail. Kinda sketchy but photos were awesome.

It's an interesting and lucky weekend. Snow made for an adventurous hike and photo op, but also didn't require any special snow gear. Just a change of socks.

[Peder]

Hey now, I post-holed my way up Mt. Teragram on October 6 four years ago, after an early storm.

Well done Adam! I should have guessed it was not a "first"!

[adamschneider]

Hey now, I post-holed my way up Mt. Teragram on October 6 four years ago, after an early storm.

Well done Adam! I should have guessed it was not a "first"!

I'm sure there were many before me too. It's just too inviting a summit.

I'm heading up there on Wednesday to do the Whittier-Lakes loop. Looks like I'd better pack the gaiters.

[Peder]

I'm heading up there on Wednesday to do the Whittier-Lakes loop. Looks like I'd better pack the gaiters.

Lucky you! Have a great time!

[kepPNW]

Hey now, I post-holed my way up Mt. Teragram on October 6 four years ago, after an early storm.

Well done Adam! I should have guessed it was not a "first"!

I'm sure there were many before me too. It's just too inviting a summit.

I'm heading up there on Wednesday to do the Whittier-Lakes loop. Looks like I'd better pack the gaiters.

Whittier had mostly melted out, at least as seen from Tomroy, on 9/24!

(Yeah, I scampered up there too the other day, using OP's bootprints as inspiration. Wouldn't have had a chance if the snow wasn't up to my knees, though! It was so slushy, and the grass underneath so slippery, only the postholes offered me any insurance against sliding away. )