Month by month -- a year at Burnt Lake

General discussions on hiking in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest
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pdxgene
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Month by month -- a year at Burnt Lake

Post by pdxgene » November 9th, 2012, 3:30 pm

The second in a to be continued series... There's a couple extra bonus winter shots. Funny these places seem to look nicer in the off season. Dates taken are as follows: 1/21/10 -- 1/9/12 -- 2/15/10 -- 2/28/10 -- 3/22/10 -- 4/18/10 -- 5/14/12 -- 6/22/11 -- 7/12/10 -- 8/17/11 -- 9/22/10 -- 10/6/10 -- 10/23/12 -- 11/2/10 -- 12/17/11 -- 12/17/11
It's not necessarily as easy to get there in winter as it might look from the snow level at the lake itself..

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xrp
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Re: Month by month -- a year at Burnt Lake

Post by xrp » November 9th, 2012, 5:39 pm

Too cool!

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Sean Thomas
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Re: Month by month -- a year at Burnt Lake

Post by Sean Thomas » November 9th, 2012, 10:12 pm

legendary

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Paul
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Re: Month by month -- a year at Burnt Lake

Post by Paul » November 10th, 2012, 7:34 am

That's pretty awesome.

What route do you go up in the snow?
"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went."
- Will Rogers

pdxgene
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Re: Month by month -- a year at Burnt Lake

Post by pdxgene » November 10th, 2012, 8:28 am

Paul wrote:That's pretty awesome.
What route do you go up in the snow?
Thanx!
I just follow the trail on up from the north trailhead. All of these pictures I believe I was parked at the trailhead but I have done it a number of times from behind the winter gate. That's a long long trek and works much better when we get back to 6pm or later sunsets. A couple things:
It's best to know the route from experience before trying it in winter.
You can't always trust the footprints, especially near the top. I've seen plenty going off in the wrong directions.
If you actually need snowshoes for any section except maybe the last half mile, there's probably too much snow either at some of the narrow spots near the top or at the lake itself to make it worth the effort. I've made it even within a quarter mile a couple times and had to turn around and wait for another day.
That little hole in the lake surface snow cover that provides the reflection is another key. Without that, it just looks like any other snow covered lake. And you have to know it's going to be there because it can be really small..
Oh yeah, duh... a sunny day is kinda mandatory too..

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It took laying down on the snow holding my camera next to the water on that day..

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hiker russ
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Re: Month by month -- a year at Burnt Lake

Post by hiker russ » November 11th, 2012, 10:49 am

Gene

Outstanding photo series! Clarification - they are combined from 2010, 2011, and 2012....

You mentioned:
And you have to know it's going to be there because it can be really small..
Now do you know its going to be there?

How difficult is the road access in the winter? 4WD necessary?

Bill

pdxgene
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Re: Month by month -- a year at Burnt Lake

Post by pdxgene » November 11th, 2012, 11:37 am

hiker russ wrote:Gene
Outstanding photo series! Clarification - they are combined from 2010, 2011, and 2012....
You mentioned:
And you have to know it's going to be there because it can be really small..
Now do you know its going to be there?
How difficult is the road access in the winter? 4WD necessary?
Bill
Usually ( but not always) if the winter gate at the Sandy River is open, you can get to the trailhead. The last stretch from Lost Creek CG is a pothole filled mess but I've always made it in my Civic. 4WD would be faster. I have to go pretty slow. But it's only 1 1/2 miles or so.
The little hole in the cover of the lake is at the middle viewpoint where the inlet creek trickles into the lake. Sometimes you cannot see it until you walk over to it. If it's one of the years that the snow piles up in big amounts or there's a long stretch of below freezing weather, those would be the times it'll stay frozen over. That's one reason I was saying if you actually needed snowshoes to get up there for more than just that last 1/4 mile or so it won't be worth the effort because in those cases it's more likely to be covered up. It's more a guess/hunch from doing it so many times than actually knowing I suppose.
You'd almost need back to back El Nino years to do it in twelve consecutive months. Some years you can't even get up there until late June much less during the winter. But if you get the chance and the conditions are right it's really nice on those days you can make it. Very rarely will you see anyone else. And it'll be almost complete silence.

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potato
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Re: Month by month -- a year at Burnt Lake

Post by potato » November 11th, 2012, 1:22 pm

Nice photos, I like this series.

What's the bottom of the lake like? Shin-deep mush or something better?
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