Wahington's Larch Mt. - The ides of March
Posted: March 20th, 2020, 7:58 pm
We hiked Silver Star from Grouse Vista on the 9th and enjoyed a beautiful day, light wind, blue skies and mild temperatures. What difference a week makes!!
Silver Star on the 9th: No wind, shirt sleeve weather and lots of sunshine:
Sunday was forecast to be a record-breaking day for low temperatures but with the wonderfully clear weather, we didn't care so away we went.
The snow level was about 1500' as we drove up the 1200 road and snow and ice was well packed at the Grouse Vista TH when we arrived. The temperature was 24 degrees with a very brisk wind blowing from the NE. We wasted no time getting going, since, though we were equipped for this, the initial hit from the temperature and the wind takes a few minutes to get used to.
Near the TH on the 1200 road at about 2200' elev:
We could see only a couple of tracks ahead of us and before we had gone a quarter mile we encountered a young man coming back down the trail. We thanked him for putting down tracks and he advised us that the drifts were deep farther up the trail.
Serious drifting as we approached the summit ridge:
First tracks on the final bit to the summit:
With a a temperature of about 20 degrees as we headed up the final pitch and a wind of about 40 MPH the wind chill comes out to about zero or so. We got our money's worth on this one!
It's only about 4 1/4 miles RT on this hike but in these conditions it sure counts for more.
dn
Silver Star on the 9th: No wind, shirt sleeve weather and lots of sunshine:
Sunday was forecast to be a record-breaking day for low temperatures but with the wonderfully clear weather, we didn't care so away we went.
The snow level was about 1500' as we drove up the 1200 road and snow and ice was well packed at the Grouse Vista TH when we arrived. The temperature was 24 degrees with a very brisk wind blowing from the NE. We wasted no time getting going, since, though we were equipped for this, the initial hit from the temperature and the wind takes a few minutes to get used to.
Near the TH on the 1200 road at about 2200' elev:
We could see only a couple of tracks ahead of us and before we had gone a quarter mile we encountered a young man coming back down the trail. We thanked him for putting down tracks and he advised us that the drifts were deep farther up the trail.
Serious drifting as we approached the summit ridge:
First tracks on the final bit to the summit:
With a a temperature of about 20 degrees as we headed up the final pitch and a wind of about 40 MPH the wind chill comes out to about zero or so. We got our money's worth on this one!
It's only about 4 1/4 miles RT on this hike but in these conditions it sure counts for more.
dn