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| Hiking | 8.55 Miles |
2,324 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.55 Miles | 7 Hrs 16 Mns | | 1.43 mph |
| 2,324 ft AEG | 1 Hour 17 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | With the snow tapering off last night leaving the first appreciable accumulation in two months, I knew I had to take today off and get out there to enjoy it! I haven't been on snowshoes since early December, and that's just a miserable way to spend a dry winter.
I wasn't sure what to expect on the way up as the snow levels dropped very low at the end of the storm and wouldn't have a chance to melt out before the drive up. The first surprise was the bridge across the Verde at Ft. McDowell. A half mile that could have kept the skaters from Disney on Ice occupied for hours. Good thing that bridge is straight because there'd be no turning possible anyway  .
Snow blanketed the shoulders by the time we passed the four peaks road and I began to wonder if just getting up the hill would be more effort than it was worth. As it turned out, driving was generally fine in some good two track with the exception of the Mt. Ord pass where it was mostly snow covered. By Slate Creek, it was clear again, and surprisingly stayed that way all the way into Payson. It was cold enough from here on that the snow-covered highway was just a crisp delight, almost Colorado-ish.
Once at the hatchery, we geared up in the crisp 17-degree bluebird morning. There was only about 6" of snow in the parking lot so we headed out without flotation, easily stepping through the light powder of the cold storm. We encountered some deep "old snow" in the sheltered spots and opted for snowshoes later than we should have, near the top of the long oak traverse. Up on top it just got deeper and of course breaking trail is tiring work.
On the rim there was always old snow below the 15-18" from this storm, but despite having been exposed to the elements for more than a month, it still fell to the weight of our snowshoes, making every step extra exhausting.
I was sad to see there was not a drop of water running in any of the drainages and the lake level was barely higher than the low point I saw last summer. It was mostly open water, with just some snow-covered ice at the very shallowest part of the south end of the lake.
After lunch and a beer we retraced our steps and headed back down. As always, the return is easier in the broken trail, and the descent. An unusual treat today though was the exceptional temperature which despite early sunshine stayed well below freezing and resulted in excellent snow conditions all the way back to the car. No slush or mashed potatoes today, which is a rare treat on the south-facing aspect of the Babe.
Great to get out and enjoy some freshies again!  |
| _____________________
| I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
