I started from Mount Hood Meadows' Hood River Meadows parking lot. Skied up the Heather run-out for 0.2 miles, took the unmarked Heather cutoff (0.2 miles on the south side of Clark Creek) to Elk Meadows Trail, and followed Gnarl Ridge trail (more or less). The goal was the Mount Hood viewpoint from Gnarl Ridge, below the NW end of Lamberson Butte. I had camped there in October, and Klindt Vielbig's book http://www.amazon.com/Cross-Country-Rou ... t_ep_dpt_2 described the route as "not difficult or tricky."
Gnarl Ridge Ski to Lamberson Butte
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scott_willson
- Posts: 41
- Joined: July 20th, 2008, 7:50 pm
Gnarl Ridge Ski to Lamberson Butte
Sadly, I had intended to write trip reports of several ski trips over New Years. I guess the snow conditions will be a bit dated … in any case, here is one from today. The snow was pretty good, especially higher: plenty of base with a few inches of softer new snow. The sun must be getting stronger, because sunny areas were gluey. High up, windy ridges had sastrugi.
I started from Mount Hood Meadows' Hood River Meadows parking lot. Skied up the Heather run-out for 0.2 miles, took the unmarked Heather cutoff (0.2 miles on the south side of Clark Creek) to Elk Meadows Trail, and followed Gnarl Ridge trail (more or less). The goal was the Mount Hood viewpoint from Gnarl Ridge, below the NW end of Lamberson Butte. I had camped there in October, and Klindt Vielbig's book http://www.amazon.com/Cross-Country-Rou ... t_ep_dpt_2 described the route as "not difficult or tricky."
The Elk Meadows Trail is a fun ski and there was a solid snow bridge over Newton Creek. The first quarter-mile of the trail up from the creek gets a lot of sun and is bare in spots. I dreaded the climb but it wasn't bad at all on skis. Coming down was fast and tight. Maybe it is easier at other times, but most skiers would not be comfortable with it.
There was an obvious snowshoe and ski track up to the Gnarl Ridge junction. A little more snow and I might have missed it, though. I had to find my own way up Gnarl Ridge, but even without using a GPS or map, it was easy to find my way up to the Timberline Trail junction.
After that, the fun began. I followed the "work around to the north side of the butte" instructions until I was traversing steep, wind-loaded treeless slopes. Figuring I had been too enthusiastic, and that I wanted Timberline Trail below, I went lower. That put me in even steeper drainages east of the Timberline Trail and Lamberson Butte. I didn't want any part of that! So I followed a ridge back up to Timberline. Finally out of the steep slopes and the trees, the views were great and the route was clear.
Lunch on Gnarl Ridge was darn nice.
On the way down, I dutifully tried to stay high, but still crossed steep wide-open slopes. Some were concave with powder; some were almost too icy to get an edge in. Anyway: nothing I would care to repeat. Rereading the ski book, I think the intent is to follow the ridge and stop at Lamberson's southern high point. That makes more sense to me.
I started from Mount Hood Meadows' Hood River Meadows parking lot. Skied up the Heather run-out for 0.2 miles, took the unmarked Heather cutoff (0.2 miles on the south side of Clark Creek) to Elk Meadows Trail, and followed Gnarl Ridge trail (more or less). The goal was the Mount Hood viewpoint from Gnarl Ridge, below the NW end of Lamberson Butte. I had camped there in October, and Klindt Vielbig's book http://www.amazon.com/Cross-Country-Rou ... t_ep_dpt_2 described the route as "not difficult or tricky."
The Elk Meadows Trail is a fun ski and there was a solid snow bridge over Newton Creek. The first quarter-mile of the trail up from the creek gets a lot of sun and is bare in spots. I dreaded the climb but it wasn't bad at all on skis. Coming down was fast and tight. Maybe it is easier at other times, but most skiers would not be comfortable with it.
There was an obvious snowshoe and ski track up to the Gnarl Ridge junction. A little more snow and I might have missed it, though. I had to find my own way up Gnarl Ridge, but even without using a GPS or map, it was easy to find my way up to the Timberline Trail junction.
After that, the fun began. I followed the "work around to the north side of the butte" instructions until I was traversing steep, wind-loaded treeless slopes. Figuring I had been too enthusiastic, and that I wanted Timberline Trail below, I went lower. That put me in even steeper drainages east of the Timberline Trail and Lamberson Butte. I didn't want any part of that! So I followed a ridge back up to Timberline. Finally out of the steep slopes and the trees, the views were great and the route was clear.
Lunch on Gnarl Ridge was darn nice.
On the way down, I dutifully tried to stay high, but still crossed steep wide-open slopes. Some were concave with powder; some were almost too icy to get an edge in. Anyway: nothing I would care to repeat. Rereading the ski book, I think the intent is to follow the ridge and stop at Lamberson's southern high point. That makes more sense to me.
Re: Gnarl Ridge Ski to Lamberson Butte
Conditions change:think March or late February when the sun is high and the snow is corn, softened after noon. Your whole route would most likely have been safe on not very wide skis without heavy metal edges -- the kind Klindt used.
Re: Gnarl Ridge Ski to Lamberson Butte
Great pictures! Yes, that is a serious outing in winter!
Some people are really fit at eighty; thankfully I still have many years to get into shape…
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scott_willson
- Posts: 41
- Joined: July 20th, 2008, 7:50 pm
Re: Gnarl Ridge Ski to Lamberson Butte
Good point, Raven. You can usually have some idea of conditions, but you never know until you get up there. Best to just take what you find.
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Sean Thomas
- Posts: 1647
- Joined: February 25th, 2012, 11:33 pm
Re: Gnarl Ridge Ski to Lamberson Butte
Great job, Scott. The photos are unreal! Gnarl Ridge is beautiful anytime of the year but it looks especially nice dressed in snow. I am jealous of your lunch spot! 
Re: Gnarl Ridge Ski to Lamberson Butte
Excellent trip report Scott, the views from Gnarl Ridge are outstanding and make for a perfect winter destination on a rare bluebird day, one of my favorite tours. It looks like the detour route you took led you very close to one of Mt Hoods few undocumented waterfalls…
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