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Mt. Teneriffe (via service road)
Date: Â December 17, 2010
Difficulty:Â 7 out of 10
Distance:Â 14 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain; 3,838
Time:Â 5 to 6Â hours
Location: Near North Bend, Washington
Users Group: Hikers & Dogs Only
Permits: None Required
Trail Conditions: Wet to thick snow.
Hiking With: Myself
I wanted to do some snowshoeing early Friday morning, but most of my friends were either working or busy doing other things. Since I was by myself, I chose to hike up/snowshoe the Mt. Tenerife service road versus the shorter steeper route via Kamikaze Falls.Â
I was the first one in the parking lot…well, except for the elk that were lurking around, one of the elks had a collar or tag around the neck. The trail or road was pretty wet for the first 1 1/2 miles and then the snow slowing started to build-up. I put on my snowshoes at the 2 mile mark and started to make fresh tracks…which is one of the reasons I like to start early. I love to be the first one on a fresh snow trail. Many people will follow the first trail started, so….you actually get to determine where the trails goes. Of course, since I was only snowshoeing the service road, there is not much variation creation.Â
It was a perfect day, sunny and warm enough that I didn’t have to wear a coat or a jacket. My MSR’s were sinking down about 6 to 8 inches in the thick snow. It got deeper the further I went and about the 5 mile mark, I had enough fun for one day and turned around. The service road is great for a large group of people, but….the 7 mile trek to the Mt. Tenerife summit will eat your time up. I only saw one other person on my way down….another reason to love this trail.