The good news is that the snow is now gone from the 41 road and the 1100 road. The not so good news is that the 4109 road is as bad as ever and still snow covered past about 1/4 mile up. We managed to get 6/10 of a mile up and past the worst of the holes and ruts but the snow was deep and rutted past that.
Looking uphill from where we parked:
A quarter mile farther and it looked like this:
The snow was slushy but our snowshoes hardly sank in at all so we made good time.
At one mile up the road there's a switchback and no wheeled vehicles had been past there this season but an odd set of wide tracks, apparently weeks old continued all the way to the TH.
The tracks were similar to snowmobile tracks but were way too consistently spaced for that. Something had gone up the road and come back down without sinking in and making ruts. More on this later.
Above the TH, we set first tracks.
There was no wind at all yesterday so this was an unusual winter's day for this location. Unfortunately, the clouds didn't give us a break and rather than forge upwards in the fog and mist, we called it a day at 3,800' and retreated.
Shortly after we turned around we encountered a couple of guys hiking up, one with a snowboard and one with skis. We exchanged pleasantries and continued on our way. They mentioned that this was their second try and were there three weeks before but were foiled by too much wind and driving snow. I was thinking, boy, this guy with the snowboard is tough, hiking all that way with what looked to be a heavy load. I was soon to find out how he did it:
I made a good haul of trash on the way back too. The miscreants had tossed a short case box and a 6-pack box so I was able to carry all this back with even some in my pack. It all looked to be recent and atop the snow:
Hike # 38,
5.6 miles, 1594' EG, 3:21 total time.
Silver Star North Ridge via 4109 road
- Don Nelsen
- Posts: 4382
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
- Location: Vancouver, WA
Silver Star North Ridge via 4109 road
Last edited by Don Nelsen on March 26th, 2019, 9:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Everything works in the planning stage" - Kelly
"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller
"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller
- retired jerry
- Posts: 14424
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Re: Silver Star North Ridge via 4109 road
interesting vehicle
I haven't been up there in several years, must be time for another visit, thanks for the report/reminder
thanks for hauling out trash, what's wrong with people???
I haven't been up there in several years, must be time for another visit, thanks for the report/reminder
thanks for hauling out trash, what's wrong with people???
Re: Silver Star North Ridge via 4109 road
+1retired jerry wrote: ↑March 25th, 2019, 11:04 amthanks for hauling out trash, what's wrong with people???
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Re: Silver Star North Ridge via 4109 road
Interesting! Thanks for the report. I'm surprised that the driver of that snow vehicle didn't try to take that thing up the trail.
As for the trash, I can't say I'm surprised. Disheartened, yes. Surprised, no. Thanks for packing it out.
As for the trash, I can't say I'm surprised. Disheartened, yes. Surprised, no. Thanks for packing it out.
Re: Silver Star North Ridge via 4109 road
Excellent TR! Not clear on why you turned back though. Because it wasn't sunny?
Regarding the beer detritus: I'd cut them a wee bit of slack if it was decent beer.
I recently came across Coors bottles strewn about a TH along with a plastic bag of garbage. Both were fresh. I assume some jerks said "hey, I know, let's drive up to a trailhead, drink bad beer, dump the bottles, and leave a bag of garbage behind".
From childhood, we're taught to revere the notion of one-person-one-vote, the glorious value of democracy, we're all equal, blah blah blah...but it pisses me off that these degenerate asswipes get to cast a ballot that carries as much weight as mine. Call me elitist, but I think I'm better than them.
Wow, I'm getting way off-topic here! But Don taunted me
Regarding the beer detritus: I'd cut them a wee bit of slack if it was decent beer.
I recently came across Coors bottles strewn about a TH along with a plastic bag of garbage. Both were fresh. I assume some jerks said "hey, I know, let's drive up to a trailhead, drink bad beer, dump the bottles, and leave a bag of garbage behind".
From childhood, we're taught to revere the notion of one-person-one-vote, the glorious value of democracy, we're all equal, blah blah blah...but it pisses me off that these degenerate asswipes get to cast a ballot that carries as much weight as mine. Call me elitist, but I think I'm better than them.
Wow, I'm getting way off-topic here! But Don taunted me
- Don Nelsen
- Posts: 4382
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
- Location: Vancouver, WA
Re: Silver Star North Ridge via 4109 road
No, because it looked like I wasn't going to be able to see in the fog and mist. Oh, yeah, Kelly was waiting down below, far behind and wasn't happy with the long road walk. One must tend to domestic issues. She caught up but was done by then and it was time to retreat.
There wasn't anything worth drinking unless one was already drunk and maybe not even then.
Yep, that's how it happens.
You think that's taunting! Just wait until I get you out on a trail!!Chip Down wrote: ↑March 26th, 2019, 5:34 pmFrom childhood, we're taught to revere the notion of one-person-one-vote, the glorious value of democracy, we're all equal, blah blah blah...but it pisses me off that these degenerate asswipes get to cast a ballot that carries as much weight as mine. Call me elitist, but I think I'm better than them.
Wow, I'm getting way off-topic here! But Don taunted me
"Everything works in the planning stage" - Kelly
"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller
"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller
Re: Silver Star North Ridge via 4109 road
I should warn you, it takes a lot to lure Chip Down onto a trail (unless it's a means of access to the real route)Don Nelsen wrote: ↑March 26th, 2019, 5:58 pmYou think that's taunting! Just wait until I get you out on a trail!!
Oh, I just had a thought: Unlikely, but maybe the beer-swilling degenerates were the folks who parked that contraption at the TH.