I was more along for the ride on this trip as John invited me to come along for some exploring near the Granite Peaks in the south part of Mt Hood National Forest not far from the Clackamas River along highway 46. After having to follow a truck and trailer hauling two snowmobiles for about seven miles I met up with John about 15 minutes late at the Ripplebrook Ranger Station as John had already spent the night in the area sleeping in his van.
After transferring gear we left my car there and headed out for the last 10 or so miles to our trailhead. John had chains on and it was smart he did as we passed a group of seven guys walking on the road back towards the station. We chatted for a minute and found out they�d flipped their car off the road. Fortunately there was a sheriff just up the road to help them. As we drove on we soon saw how lucky they were. The car was completely vertical on its side supported by the rims of the tires at the bottom along the slanted slope and the roof resting sideways against the trees. We didn�t see any broken glass, but that must have been a crazy few seconds for them.
Turning off the highway John drove through the snow on an unplowed forest road. The traction was surprisingly good and we made excellent progress towards our starting point goal until a tree blowdown blocked our way. Still, to be within a half mile of where we hoped to be, we were pleased with the situation. It was about 19 degrees outside, but no wind which helped immensely. My dog Kodi was ecstatic with our locale, this being the first time I�ve had him out on snow this season. As John and I prepared he busied himself running up and down the road and plopping down purposefully in the white goodness.
Driving along the snow covered forest road
A blowdown blocks our way, let's snowshoe!
The first leg of our snowshoe was very straightforward as we followed the snow covered road under some power lines and on towards the Granite Peaks. It was hard not to appreciate the picturesque snow that was still clinging to the trees with the cold air that�s taken hold in the region this last week. About forty-five minutes into our trip the high clouds started to break up towards the east and the mid-morning sun streaked through the forest. The still air, sparkling white patches, and blue sky above the surrounding forest quickly rewarded our effort in getting outside.
Time for a break
Our first good view of the Granite Peaks while passing under the power lines 
Which way are we supposed to turn? -To the right
Rib cages in the trees and condensation on the lens 
The sunlight breaks through the trees on the wonderful winter day 
Referencing John�s GPS we finally arrived at the bend in the road where we�d have to turn off and start the bushwhack to keep moving towards our goal of the Granite Peaks. Neither of us though was very thrilled with the conditions as on both sides the vegetation was thick and looked like a lot of work. I asked if maybe we could try going up the road a bit more to find a clearer stretch, but John was correct looking at the topo map that the terrain would only get steeper on ahead, so John led and I followed in.
Our turning point off the forest road. The vegation was pretty thick on both sides 
Our progress was markedly slow as we pushed past dormant rhododendrons that must soak in the sunlight offered near the road in the summer, and over a multitude of downed limbs and trees. After maybe twenty minutes we hit upon a long-abandoned forest road that was now too overgrown with small trees for any vehicle use, but a luxurious thoroughfare for the three of us navigating up the forest, an opportunity to �zig� a little bit to make up for the zag we�d already made through the underbrush.
Zagging our way through the underbrush 
When the old road soon turned away from our goal at a creek intersection, we exited off this hidden expressway and started another bushwhack up the hill. This one was longer than the last, but when we got through it we broke out into the sun and a clearcut area where more rhododendrons had taken up residence. It was striking how immediate the early afternoon sun now heated us up. Even more warming to our spirits was the sight of the last push we�d need to endeavor before getting up to the Granite Peaks� upper ridgeline.
Looking up to the final big ascent 
Though it looked a bit intimidating, the slope through some recent evergreen plantings, ranging from three to seven feet tall, wasn�t that difficult. What was difficult was the final bit through another patch of older forest. There was a large mish-mash maze of downed trees to get around, and when I finally neared the open terrain visible above I slid down about ten feet repeatedly two times in the powdery snow before I really kicked my snowshoes in and made it up the steepest stretch of the slope.
Looking towards the sun among the young evergreens 
The ridges and peaks to the northwest 
Mt Hood beyond the sparkling snow
John and Kodi after conquering some of the mish-mash. I got up this part by going off to the left a bit 
The view attained after my first two failed attempts to get up the slope. You can kind of see how the land spills away below 
As I had an open mind on what to expect up on the ridge I was surprised and happy with the views that awaited us. There was a little bit of wind, but with the sun out and temperature around 22 degrees it wasn�t that bad. We both did a little exploring and checking out the different vantage points. There were numerous examples of how the wind affected the snow as we found snow drifts and waves shaped in the white mass.
The ridgeline drops off with a beautiful view to the west 
One of many drifts along the ridgeline 
Waves in the snow 
"Snow dune" 
What I would call the �north Granite Peak� stood out nearby and was very tempting to go check out, but it was now about 2 PM and given the driving we had to do both on the forest road and the somewhat icy highway, we agreed it was best to call it a day and head back to utilize the January day light still available. Some low clouds started to move in and blocked the sun which cooled us down and further motivated our leaving.
"North Granite Peak" 
Tracks in the snow with lower clouds moving in from the west 
We did our best on the return to get in some improvisational sliding. The snow was so soft it was hard sometimes to get traction to stop and I think we each were lucky at least once to not to get hurt. There were enough trees we certainly weren�t going to go sliding too far, but they were also awful hard bumpers to run into!
One of the snow chutes we formed in our slides back down 
Following our tracks on the abandoned and overgrown forest road 
Eventually after getting back to snowshoeing along the main road some small snow flurries started to fall. By the time John had dropped me off at the ranger station the snow flakes were pretty big and made the drive back to the main highway from Estacada a bit exciting as I kept my eyes pasted ahead and both hands gripped to the wheel.
Overall, we both had a fanastic time on the "adventure" and were treated with some beautiful views from a place I otherwise wouldn't consider making a point to visit.
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