Cold icy Ridgeline with foothills snow

As of last night, 50-50 Alpine and North Fork were my destination with colder weather and possible rain / snow. When I got up this morning the NOAA (quite important to keep funding) snow depth had the snow covering all of Alpine and very close to North Fork. The weather had temperatures in the high 20s.

The foothills had new snow and beyond yesterday’s forecast… as I told another hiker today on the trail, “it’s not hiking in snow that’s the problem; it’s driving to and from the hike”. Easy decision to remain in the valley and hike locally – Ridgeline Trail in the cold. I left the Spring Blvd TH around 6:45 with headlamp and immediately met 2 others on the trail…

The Route

Spring Blvd to Spencer Top and then down to Blanton; from Blanton back to Spencer Top and then down to the bench in the elder trees back toward Ridgeline. Turned around and went back to the top and then back to Spring Blvd.

Trail conditions were great except the upper Spencer stone stair section – they were covered in ice. Going up was not hard, but coming down was challenging in one section without trampling through the frozen grasses. For that reason, I postponed going back to the top. That washed out section with the repair rocks was in the same condition as last Ridgeline hike.

Human traffic was normal even on the icy parts after 0800.

Sunrise, snow, fog and ice

The first time at Spencer Top right after sunrise the sky teased blue and maybe sun … it never was to be

Looking out over the foothills, the heavy valley fog vs the snow

There were several places were fog and last night’s rain froze on the trees and underbrush. None quite as snow-like as this

No deer were out today. Song birds and squirrels were all out busy doing what they do right before a storm (tonight). Early morning with headlamp still on an owl at Cascade Raptor Center was making a racket … and in the far distance a response. They went back-forth for 2-3 times and by the time I had Merlin out, … silence.

Data Geek Cellar

• Shoes: Altra Lone Peak mesh lows
• Pack: Yar.gear
• Upper Layers: 2 (base layer, med Patagonia tech, Far Pointe fleece first 2 hours)
• Upper shell: none
• Trekking Poles: Yes – Black Diamond Carbon
• Approximate Times: 06:45 to 14:00
• Carbon ratio: 0.5 driving, 7.25 actual – 38.5 hours banked YTD
• Notes: did not push pace – camera was out often

GaiaGPS ->

All Trails -> Why? >10% delta on elevation gain between two apps … even distance is .3mi delta.