| DECEMBER 19, 2010 A Mountaineers snowshoe. We had
a short wait at the Heart of the Hills entrance for the road maintenance
crew to sand the road and finally arrived at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor
Center around 10:30. The weather was much better than the
forecast, and although the temperatures were in the 20's, it didn't feel
cold as long as we were in the sun. The rangers had broken
trail along the road to the picnic area where the trail to Hurricane
Hill begins. Instead of following the summer trail, which
traverses and switchbacks up steep slopes, we climbed straight up a
steep hill and hiked along the top of the ridge. The ridge becomes
very narrow and bordered by cornices in places, and the views are
nothing short of amazing. Another climb up a another steep hill
brought us to our destination, where there were views of the Strait and
Mount Baker in one direction and a sea of snow-capped peaks in the
other. The snow was very thin in sections of our route, making it
challenging to climb and descend some of the steep hills.
6 miles |
