This weekend the snow level dropped dramatically and the Pass started seeing snow. The girls and I got a chance to play a little, but nothing worth breaking out my snowshoes. That had to wait until I could convince someone to go out and be stupid.

Enter the Lymans. Actually, just Michelle. Daryl turned me down claiming some form of illness. Cha! Michelle, on the other hand, was happy to head up the hill with me. (Daryl and Michelle were the first and second nightshoe trips last year.)

With the kids in bed and Amy about to head upstairs herself Michelle and I left the house with Tokul in the back. The drive up to the Pass was uneventful passing from clouds to rain to snow. We parked at the southbound PCT trailhead and geared up. I clipped Tokul's flashing red tracking light on and let her bound through the snow all around the trailhead. A truck came barreling up the road and stopped abruptly when it saw we were there. I guess they were looking for privacy or something.

The PCT starts up through the woods where the snow was fairly well packed and easy walking. The tree boughs hung low with snow and dropped it at the slightest suggestion of a disturbance. After getting nailed one too many times I started fencing with the trees and at least came out even.

Once we got out onto the open slope it got a lot harder. The reports indicated there was only two feet of snow, but there was clearly way more. For a short while we were able to follow the PCT... or at least an ill-defined crease in the snow. That came to an end when it appeared we were in a creek, not on the trail. (My GPS showed the route was a ways down the slope from us.)

I picked a spot on the ridge above us and started that way. One of the things I love about snowshoeing is that you don't need to follow a trail. You can pretty much go anywhere you want. The downside is that when you're off the trail you sometimes run into really, really deep snow. That's what happened to us.

If I was really careful I could evenly distribute my weight on one snowshoe and both poles. If I wasn't so careful I'd plunge down three feet as the snow collapsed below me. Then I'd get to climb out ever so carefully so as not to fall back in and start all over again. Good times.

As we got closer to a gap in the hills where the PCT heads down to Lodge Lake we found Beaver Lake. Last time I was there many, many moons ago Beaver Lake was little more than a swampy mess. However, after the rains of last week it was huge. There was a light layer of half melted snow on the surface except where the snow had landed on logs or rocks.

It was right about here that I did a Dorf and wound up waist-deep in the snow. I managed to get one leg out, but in doing so packed the snow around my other foot. The more I struggled the less it helped. Bugger. To get out I had to dig a big hole all around my trapped foot before I could scramble out. It probably took five or 10 minutes to free myself.

I looked at my watch and looked at the map. The snow had been so much deeper than I had anticipated that we were already 90 minutes into the hike and it was clear we were probably another an hour before we got to Lodge Lake. So our new destination was Beaver Lake.

Once we turned off our headlamps and poured hot chocolate the lake was really quite nice. The clouds that had been spitting snow parted and it got really dark.

The trip back was no big deal except for a couple more minor Dorfs and one that found Michelle intertwined with a tree. The wind picked up and poor Tokul was caked with snow as we waited for Michelle to leave the poor tree alone.

Back at the truck another car tore up the road toward us, skidded to a halt, and took off in the other direction. The PCT trailhead must be the local Lovers' Lane. Kinda cold, but whatever.

Tokul was so tired/cold/done she jumped straight into the passenger seat of the car and had to be dragged out and relocated to the trunk where she promptly fell asleep.

Total distance was about two miles and 600 feet of gain. Certainly not the longest, most strenuous, or most scenic snowshoe adventure, but a good start to the season.