Soda Peaks Lake and Observation Peak

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drm
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Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: The Dalles, OR
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Soda Peaks Lake and Observation Peak

Post by drm » October 16th, 2017, 6:19 pm

I car camped at Government Mineral Springs CG last weekend, 3 of 5 sites were in use on Saturday. I day hiked Soda Peaks Lake from the bottom on Saturday and Observation Peak out-and-back via the Big Hollow trail on Sunday. Only a fraction of an inch of snow on each, though others told me that at 4500 feet on the other part of the SPL trail, there was 6". There were far more people in the Trapper Creek area than I'm used to, especially this time of year. I'm guessing they were Gorge refugees. There is now, and will be an even worse, shortage of snow-free, or at least snow minimal, hikes this winter.
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One significant great patch of vine maple at about 3000 feet where the SPL trail cuts left around the ridge
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more
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and more
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Soda Peak Lake, I sat there and watched the fish swimming by
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A tad bit of snow approaching Observation Pk
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Observation Pk with St. Helens and Rainier
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Mt Adams

arieshiker
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Joined: December 3rd, 2009, 3:19 pm
Location: Goldendale

Re: Soda Peaks Lake and Observation Peak

Post by arieshiker » October 18th, 2017, 4:32 am

Nice!!! So much beauty. Scary thought re: your "refugee" observation: Those new tracks on the non-Gorge trails will be flip-flops and strollers.

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