It has been a long time since I have been to Wintrop cross country skiing.
Winthrop Ski Trip, January 2006
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Category Archives: Snowshoeing
Mt. Teneriffe, December 2010
Mt. Teneriffe (via Kamikazi Falls)
Date: December 22, 2010
Difficulty:Â 7 out of 10
Distance:Â 10.5Â miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 3,838 ft.
Time: 5 to 6 hours
Location: Near North Bend, Washington
Users Group: Hikers & Dogs Only
Permits: None Required
Trail Conditions: Dry up to Kamakazi Falls, snow at 2,800 ft.
Hiking with: Dr. Robert McElroy
Rob and I met our at usual location, off of I-90….exit 11a and got to the trail around 8:00 a.m.. Since I hiked/snowshoed up the service road last week, we decided to take the Kamikaze Falls trail to the summit. This is a much shorter route versus the long, sometimes mind-numbing 7 mile service road. The Kamikaze Falls route has been listed from 3.3 to 4 miles long, either way, it’s a steep assent.
We made good time up to the falls (elevation 2,633′), we took a break to take a few photos of the 150′ waterfall. After a couple of poses, we kept trekking up the steep slope and eventually hit snow around 2,800′. The snow started to get deeper and we decided to put on our gators and snowshoes on around the 3,700′ point. After 3 hours from the trailhead, we hit the beautiful white summit….and of course we took a few more pictures. We descended the safer route via service road….and endured the 7 long miles down. According to my heart rate moniter/calorie counter, I burned 4,100 calories and my heart rate peaked at 167.
Denny Creek Trail, November 2009
Denny Creek Trail
Date: November 13, 2009
Difficulty: 5 out of 10
Distance: 9 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 2,300 ft
Time: 4 to 5 hours
Location: I-90 exit 47
Users Group: Hikers & Leashed Dogs Only
Permits: Northwest Forest Pass Required
Hiking with: Dr. Robert McElroy
Since they called for rain most of the day in Seattle and snow level dropping down to 1000 feet in the Cascades, Rob and I wanted to start our hike in the snow and avoid getting out of the car in rain. So, we decided to head Commonwealth Basin on exit 52 at Snoqualmie Pass, but due to a traffic accident after exit 47 that shut down I-90, we decided to snowshoe the Denny Creek. The road leading into Denny Creek trailhead was snow covered with 6 inches of snow and luckily we got passed early on by a large dually truck that made tracks for us. Turning into the parking lot we got stuck and were just spinning our tires, so I got out and pushed to give Rob’s car some momentum. We found some bare ground underneath a tree and parked the car  facing out toward the road for the end of the hike.
The snow was still coming down when we started hiking and never did stop for any small breaks during the hike. Underneath the tree canopy, the trail started off with 3 to 4 inches of snow that increased as we ascended. It was obvious that we were the first ones on the trail; it was all fresh snow below us. By the time we hit Horseshoe Falls, snow depth was between 10 to 14 inches of fluffy snow. About a quarter mile after the large rock field, the snow was getting deeper, so we decided to put on our snowshoes. Even with snowshoes, the fluffy snow was up to our knees. We took turns leading to break trail; actually Rob did most of the work though. After tromping through the thick snow for 2 ½ hours, we decided to turn back, right before Hemlock Pass.  Due to the high stepping through the snow, my thighs cramped up on the way down….I was instantly paralyzed trying to relax my cramps.