White River Snow Shoe

Snowshoeing is a funny sort of occupation.
If you don't live where there is actually snow outside your door, then it can take a bit of preparation just to get to the start of your exercise.

For instance.
This year (don't say global warming) the snow has not been so good up on Mount Hood. Our quasi-annual New Year's Eve midnight snow shoe to Trillium Lake was cancelled because there wasn't any snow at Trillium Lake. No snow at Trillium Lake on January 1st? Usually there is 6 feet and the temperature is like 15 degrees.

But we did get some snow toward the end of January. And my birthday is the end of February, so my wife made a plan for us to go up to Timberline Lodge and spend an evening and so we may as well go snowshoeing.

What do you need to go Snow Shoe?

1) Equipment
Snow shoes, of course. You can rent them at many places that are near snow. In Portland, you can get them at REI or in little equipment rental places on the way to the mountain (like, in Sandy). There are many types and they all seem to work pretty well. Some are more heavy, some are easier to put on, some are more expensive. Personally, I like the inexpensive tennis racket like ones they have at Costco. They are like $70 and come with very nice poles and a carry bag and seem to work just great. My original pair gave up the ghost this year because the metal cleats on the bottom bent over, but the new ones I got have fixed that design problem and I am very happy with them. You may notice that they come in different sizes and are labeled as rated to different body weights. This can be important as different body weights require difference shoe surface area to provide sufficient buoyancy in deep powder. Otherwise, you many sink so deep in the snow that it is difficult to walk. On the other hand, if you are just walking on established trails (like at Trillium) the snow is already compacted and all you really need is a small snow shoe area with good grips on the bottom. Many of the expensive shoes go with this. They provide a small strong (usually metal) base shoe that you can then attach extensions on (that go out the back) for additional buoyancy should you require it. By the way, the buoyancy thing is real. If you are lucky, and there is some deep snow that hasn't been trampled, go out and wander through it. See how deep you sink. Perhaps you and you partner (because you wouldn't go out alone) can stomp down a little area to sit down and have a snack. Now be careful when you take off your snowshoes because chances are you will sink down right up to your thighs. This is called "post holing".

Poles. Do you need poles? I like them and you can use them as trekking poles in the summer. Make sure you have good big snow baskets or they will just sink through the snow and pull you over.

2) Clothing
On the one hand, you are going to be getting some exercise and heating up quite a bit. On the other hand, you are on the mountain in winter and stuff can happen. It is probably already pretty cold and if the wind starts to blow (or you walk out into an unprotected area) the wind chill will get to you very quickly. All of this is to say: Layers. I usually have 3 layers of pants (leggings, hiking pants, rain pants) and start with 2-3 layers on top including a wind proof (water proof) layer on the outside. But I also have a couple more top layers and dry socks in my pack. I also recommend layers of gloves. On a nice day, I will wear just wool fingerless gloves. But if it gets cold or wet, I have another layer of windproof to put on. I also carry a heavy pair of gloves (like ski gloves) in my pack. For my head I have a wool cap, the hood of my raincoat, a scarf, and usually a bandana or two. I don't usually go out if I need serious face protection, but my scarf would be good for emergencies.

A well prepared Shoer

3) Safety
Ok, I admit I go a little crazy on safety stuff. I usually say that I want to assume that I am going to fall down and break my leg and want to be able to hang out where I am until rescue can arrive. That is a little hard to do when it can be 10 degrees out at night. A real serious person would carry a collapsable shovel and know how to dig a snow cave. I don't go that far. I do carry an emergency bivy sack (a little space blanket bag) and a tarp. That might do me for a couple of hours. I also have the usual first aid kit. And then the 10 essentials of which a few are Knife, Signal Light (flash light), Fire Maker, Compass, Map (I always forget the map).

A couple of notes on relying on your phone. A cell phone can be a great thing. It is a map, a light, a signal device, a call for help. Hell, I am sure that with the right tools you could light a fire with it. But they aren't a great thing to rely on in the wilderness. Why? A couple of reasons. The batteries may not last for long enough for a rescue. The signal may be inadequate in the crevasse into which you have slipped. The phone will turn off (and not turn back on) if the phone temperature gets below around 30 degrees. Moisture could break it. When my partner and I took our Wilderness First Aid course, one of the horror stories they told us was about a person caught out in the cold and dark using her cell to call for help. And her battery went dead before a rescue team located her. To this day her ghost can be seen wandering the paths above Multnomah Falls and waylaying day hikers with requests for a "recharge". (Ok, she was actually rescued and was fine).

4) Transportation
Don't forget that you are going up to the Mountain. Many roads sometimes require chains or traction tires. You should have chains and know how to use them.  Hell, you should have a Subaru Forester with snow tires (but not studs, those are obnoxious in the city during the week).  Oh, and don't forget that the real danger on a slick road isn't you driving into a tree, it is that other guy coming down the hill without snow tires coming sideways across your lane and you not being able to dodge.  One last thing on cars, put a pair of leather gloves and a blanket or tarp in the back with your chains, and a headlamp too.

5) Other
I almost forgot about this. Sun Protection. Sun Glasses and Sun Screen. Usually when you need the sun protection it is sort of freakishly hot out. Like our second day up at 7000 feet above Timberline Lodge. It was short sleeves weather. I wished I had a baseball cap instead of a wool hat. I also needed some sun screen for my nose and under my eyes and perhaps some lip balm.

Ok. Enough of that. Let's Go! Crap, we forgot a Snow Park Pass. Luckily you can get one at Joe's Donuts in Sandy on your way up. They don't have Raspberry Bear Claws anymore, but you can make do with a blueberry yummy (and a Snow Park Pass, please).

Up on the West Ridge

Today we are off to White River snow park. It is a fun and easy to get to location with a big parking lot and an incredible view of Mt. Hood. It is also just far enough around the back of the mountain that the cloud bank on the mountain often blows around it and gives you blue skies and warm sun. Today was such a day. We could see the ominous clouds off to the West and South. They were coming toward us quickly but just couldn't seem to get there. They would keep evaporating before they passed over the White River (glacier?) valley.

There were only about 10 cars in the 200 car lot. Just a few parents who had taken Monday off and brought their kids up on the hill to go sledding. There is a pretty safe place for small kids just a hundred yards up the main path from the parking lot. We geared up (layers, remember) and then walked up past the sledders before we turned left and followed the marking for a little trail that goes up the ridge on the side of the river valley. I have never been up here in the summer, so I am not sure what this place looks like without snow, but in the winter, the White River valley is this quarter mile wide stretch of white with a stream snaking down the center through the snow. There are not any tree tops or much of anything except snow visible out there. A few boulders hidden under the white. I am guessing that it is all volcanic and glacial silt bed down there under the snow.

We are a little out of shape and it was a bit of a slug up the initial hill onto the side slope. The trail had one set of tracks on it since the snow yesterday, but it is all still mighty fluffy. This means that the person in front is still trail breaking. The person in front when you are walking in new snow is doing a lot more work than the person(s) following in their footsteps. So switch it up every so often. More fun to be out front, but more work too.

We are walking past what looks like a lot of 6 inch pine trees sticking up from the snow. Those are, of course, just the top six inches of whatever tree is growing there. Probably a 5-6 foot tall tree where we are walking right now. There are lots of larger trees sticking up out of the snow. They tend to have depressions around their base where the snow could not pile up. Be careful of these. You don't want to get too close to trees and their depressions as they could hide holes and such that you could fall into.

 

We have a glorious view of the White River valley from up here on the rim. I think we are really up on a bit of glacier moraine. I think this because the valley has very little steepness to it. Sort of like a big flat wide area (though slanting down the mountain sharply) with that little river (a creek, really) out in the center. The other side of the valley has a few sharp cliff areas. One looks like it has been carved out or had some rock fall off very recently (this season). And when you look up you see white all of the way to Mount Hood.

We plodded our way on up for about half an hour and then curved around the top of this natural snow bowl. We haven't been out for all that long but snow shoeing really uses different muscles than one might expect. For us, we are feeling tired in the big muscles on the sides of out thighs. Well, you have to work up to these things. We take some more pictures and start our way down the bowl.

Going down is always faster than going up and we are soon back at the car and on our way up to Timberline Lodge. We like to visit the lodge a couple of times a year. This year it is for my birthday. We are going to have a nice dinner in the Cascade Dining Room in the lodge and just enjoy the art and architecture and general solidness of the place.

View from our Bed Room

The Shining

I don't know of any other building that is remotely to the scale of Timberline Lodge. It is built with HUGE native tree and stone and everything in it (the chairs, the tables, the desks, the frigging Door Hinges) were handmade with specific art themes. I swear you could wander around the place for a couple of days just finding the hidden little treasures of handcrafted wonder. Check out some of the things I found in a 10 minute look see.

Hand Carved Rams Head Table

Something interesting way up on the central chimney

Lots of Wrought Iron Work. With Mountain Motif. 

Wrought Iron and Cow Hide

Fake old fashion Radio, playing music

Down in the basement common area. She is sitting in front of a fire and changing her boots.

Wrought Iron Heat Radiators.

Some things to do if you go to Timberline Lodge.
Do get a room. They are small, quaint, unique and fun. You may want to take advantage of the ear plugs provided.
Do take a hot tub. In the snow. Try the pool too.
Do hang out in the main lounge. Try to get a couch by the huge fire. Perhaps grab a beer from the Ram's Head Bar just upstairs. The view is better from the Ram's Head, but the couches and fire are better in the lower lounge. You can carry your beer downstairs.
Do have dinner at the Cascade Dining Room. They have great food! I had the duck. My partner had the fish. Both were fabulous. Not cheap, but not incredibly expensive either.
Do get up before 8 and head back out the lounge for free coffee and more relaxing. Bring a book. Write in your Journal. Perhaps chat up some other visitors. At this point I am always tempted to make up a persona for myself. Visiting Journalist. Inventor of the Internet. The third Storm Trooper from the left in "Revenge of the Sith". It would be a great place to sit and play your guitar. But only if no one else did that. So.... unless you are James Taylor, perhaps not.

Do, if the weather is nice, find directions to the Snowshoe Trail and go walk it. You don't really need snow shoes for this. Hell, today all you needed was a pair of sneakers and a bathing suit. Boy was it Sunny and Warm and Gorgeous! We slugged our way to the top in our snow shoe gear only to see a couple wearing Hawaiian shirts walking up the hill in walking shoes. We also saw a one guy carrying a jug of water and his snow board up the track. He was telling us that he was headed up to the top of the ridge up there (perhaps a mile or so) where he was going to ride back down. Not sure if this was to avoid buying a lift ticket or to get someplace that was more unique to ride. He also told us that it was so hot that he was going to take off his pants, but then he saw us up ahead of him and he didn't want to "get in trouble again". So.

No Idea where this group is going

What I believe is a glacier Moraine to the East 

Short Sleeve Weather

 

Check out time is 11:00, but you can leave your car in the parking lot until 4:00pm (the Guaranteed Check in Time. Ask me about that sometime). This means you can hang out, walk the snow shoe trail, lounge some more in the lodge. Have a snow ball fight. Make some extra money cleaning rooms. Lots of things to do. We went home.