Too Much Snow

[old legs]

My friend and I headed up Eaton Ridge trail yesterday morning with the goal of camping at Rainy Lake. We're training for a bigger hike and each had 40+ pounds on our backs. Eaton Ridge is one heck of a climb! We ended up hitting 2-3 feet of snow right where Trail 418 joined 408. The trail was completely obscured so we proceed ahead using the GPS but it was slow and we kept hitting pockets where we would drop down 12-18" inches in the snow which is asking for a sprained ankle, or worse, so we turned around and spent the night at Deadwood Camp. Close but no cigar!

[retired jerry]

#408 is Gorton Creek trail

after much searching, I see #418 is right before Rainey Lake, wow! you got way up there

I know what you mean about sinking into the snow a foot or more, not fun

40+ pound pack???? you should be "tired legs"

[R11]

Last Tuesday I ran into a couple younger guys looking at a map at the intersection of the second cutoff trail and Gorton Creek Trail. They were trying to figure out exactly where they were... They said they had intended to go to Rainy for the night too, but also decided to turn around due to the snow.


ron

[er0ck]

40 lbs! wow. what kind of hike requires this type of weights?

[R11]

40 lbs! wow. what kind of hike requires this type of weights?

I generally go on a solo eight day pack trip somewhere every summer and my packs always weigh about 70lbs starting out. Certainly that's not the norm for the large majority of people these days though. But when I'm up in the Gorge just for exercise hikes I usually take 50 lbs. I do cheat a bit though as 25lbs of that is six two liter bottles of water that I dump out before heading back down to make things easier on the knees and feet


ron