Fairy Falls were going nicely as I passed them on the way to the Devils Rest (420C) trail.
Once on the 420C, I had a great “view” of the inside of the grayjay.
The trails to this point had been entirely snow-free, but that changed once I reached Rd 129.
I took Rd 129 S to its junction with Rd 1520, and continued S on Rd 1520 through ever deepening snow. The snow shoes went on here and stayed on all the way to the Franklin Rdg / Oneonta Ck trail junction on the other side of Larch.
After about a mile on 1520, I left it and went briefly XC to intersect the Larch Mtn Rd (Rd 15) near MP 10. This road is, of course, completely snow-covered.
I proceeded up the road and then cut over to the Larch Mtn trail (441), which I took to Sherrard Point,
which was not forthcoming with “views” today.
After a quick lunch, I headed through the Larch Mtn parking lot, which, although a sea of largely untracked deep snow,
still provided an opportunity to pay. (I'd followed a set of posthole tracks up the 441 - these holes continued, getting deeper, across the parking lot and down the road, presumably back to the snow gate. If so, it was a pretty serious workout!)
The route from the Larch Mtn Rd / Tr 424 junction over to Franklin Rdg was all XC on untracked snow. The GPS came in real handy here. I hit the Oneonta / Bell Ck trail junction spot on,
in snow that was at least 4-5’ deep, as evidenced by this view of upper Oneonta Ck.
Another tributary of Oneonta Ck had to be crossed,
enroute to Franklin Rdg, where the snow finally abated and the snow shoes came off. Then it was down the Franklin Rdg and Larch Mtn trails to above Multonomah Falls, where a brief trip through h*ll (My boots are good, but I feared for their immortal soles.
), provided a less cloudy view of the Gorge and a shorter return to the TH and my car.
This was a slightly longer (17.5 mi RT, 4200’ EG) way to get to Larch Mtn than out-and-back on the Larch Mtn Tr (441) but the chance to explore the untracked winter landscape in the upper Oneonta Ck drainage (and that passage through h*ll
) were well worth it.
