We started at the Trapper Creek Trailhead and took the Trapper Creek Trail to the Shortcut Trail, continued on to Observation Peak, and then returned via the Big Hollow and Dry Creek Trails. A couple of the crossings on the Trapper Creek Trail were a bit tricky, not because of water levels, but because of slippery rocks and a thin layer of ice on any smooth surface, including logs. The lower Trapper Creek Trail was slippery in spots from a mix of ice and its usual wet state. We spotted the first snow at 2800 feet and then there was a consistent crust of snow on the trail starting at 3200 feet. The snow got deeper and fluffier from there, hitting around 6 inches at the deeper spots and at the top of Observation Peak. The Observation and Observation Peak Trails were also both under snow but all trails were visible and the snow was pretty grippy. Views were spectacular from the top.
The upper part of the Big Hollow Trail had some of the deeper sections of snow and then snow tapered off before being mostly back to dirt around 2800 feet. The upper part of the trail was in good shape, but lower down the burn is having an impact. We were here last year around the same time, but there is a lot more debris and some blowdown this year on the lower sections. The beginning of the Dry Creek Trail, where it is still in the burn, had several down trees across the trail. All were manageable, but a bit tedious. After the bridges, the Dry Creek trail has been cleared and logged. We did the full hike in boots. I had micro spikes with me but didn’t need them.
Views from Observation Peak
