Mirror Lake in Snow

Mt Hood over Mirror Lake

We did a wonderful hike over the summer that passed around Mirror Lake on our way to the overlook at Tom, Dick, and Harry mountain. Here we are fresh into the New Year and we find ourselves once again at the parking lot trail head for this pretty little hike. Things are different today, the snow is 4 foot deep on the trail and the parkinglot is covered in a few inches of ice with a little recent  dusting of snow on top. We arrive at the lot around 11:00 on a Tuesday. The sun is trying to shine, which is a wonder in and of itself. The lot is maybe half full with assorted people out behind their cars either putting on or taking off snow shoes. Yes, this is a snowshoe hike, though we saw many people doing it in just boots (or just sneakers). If you try it in your hiking boots, stick as close as you can to the middle of the trail or you will posthole down a foot or so and look pretty silly. 

It is 2 miles up to Mirror Lake, which is our final destination for the day. We find that hiking in deep snow or slippery ice wearing snowshoes is about twice the effort of walking in the summer. Some of it is the snowshoes and some of it is that you are often carrying more gear (extra layers and snow cleats and emergency stuff). We are also trying out a new kind (to us) of snowshoe. Over the summer we got a pair of the MSR EVO trail shoes. These are plastic base shoes with metal runners for traction. They are smaller, lighter, and have better bite for ice and hard snow than traditional ‘costco’ snowshoes. On the other hand, the big aluminium skin on frame shoes have more ‘float’ and would be better in deep powder. We don’t often trailblaze so not much call for deep powder shoes for us.  Today we have a pair of each and will be doing a comparison. I am starting out with the Evos and I immediately like the fact that they are smaller and lighter. 

The first part of the trail is pretty level. We are essentially doing a traverse around the mountain over to where the historic Mirror Lake trail can be found. From there, you go up the mountain to the lake. This first part is about a mile long and has 12 little foot bridges to cross. Today the bridges each has 3 foot of snow (or more) on top of them. I am thinking they must be pretty strong to hold all of that snow plus the people going over. The woods here are very lovely and as the bridges suggest, there are many little streams flowing throw that will break through the snow and create little frozen icicle falls. The MSR shoes do great going up hills. I don’t slip at all. 

We get up to the lake and head around it counter clockwise so we can get a view of the mountain. The lake is frozen and covered in show (not sure how deep the snow is, but there appears to be an attempt at a snowman out in the middle). The view from the far side does not disappoint. 

Looking up at Tom, Dick, and Harry Mountain

As we come around the mountain side of the lake, where the walls are steep and the trail is hanging on at a sharp angle, we find our first demonstration that the snowshoes have different properties. I realize that Paige is falling behind and I turn to wait for her and she tells me that she is sliding off of the trail. Her Aluminium frame shoes are not offering her the lateral slide support that the MSR  metal blade edges are giving me. I was not even noticing the problem and she was have difficulty not falling and not sliding down off the side of the trail. Wow. 

We walked out on the edge of the frozen lake and put out a tarp for lunch. The sun has made a showing and we eat our lunch in a nice warm sunny spot in the snow. Paige had gotten me a foldable foam pad for just this sort of occasion and sitting on them in the snow keeps our butts warm. What a fine rest we had. 

For the trip back down we switched shoes. I deffinitely liked the MSR ones more for this sort of snow and terrain. 

There were quite a few people out on the trail. Many in snowshoes, a couple with cross country skies (though I only saw people carrying them, not using them) and a few brave (or ill informed, or something) souls venturing out in just boots (or Sneakers!!). 

This is a great snowshoe though I would probably recommend it for your second endevour. For your first I might try something a little more flat and open. Perhaps Trillium Lake, that trail is a road and the only hill is the first one you come to.