Great skiing out there last weekend! I think we should have another good weekend coming up. Hyak sled hill is back open.
On Saturday is the Kids Races at Cabin Creek gearing towards those elementary school age. Sunday is the annual Gunnar Hagen race. See their site here. Parking will be challenging so this is the time to think about heading on over to Erling Stordahl out of Crystal Springs. We have the same groomer operator over there and the terrain is fun. In order to race, you need to sign up in advance via their website. Right now.
Next week:
On the 19th and 20th there are the sled dog races out of Crystal Springs. If you want to watch the racers take off, plan on being there by 9. It’s a bit of a ruckus, but fun. This is not a big race like the Iditarod where 60+teams of 16 dogs blast off in 2 minute intervals, but it is still fun to check out. Please be advised if you show up and have a loose dog on the trail or in the parking lot, you will be asked to leash up your dog.
Saturday Jan. 19th:
Crystal Springs: Erling Stordahl - Ski For Light
Meany Lodge Trek and Lunch
This is a snowshoe blog this week. Reference the Snowshoe page for more information about snowshoeing on the Pass. Grooming started for skiers, where snowshoers typically went “off piste” as that is what they are designed for. Now we see plenty of snowshoeing on the grooming.
So all of you snowshoers out there, and there are a lot of you, please do not walk on the set tracks and the middle skating platform and you can have the sides. Sort of like the paved trails in town. Walkers to the right bikes in the middle. There are snowshoe marked trails out of Hyak and Erling Stordahl. This past fall, we got some blue diamonds put up for the “High Horse” for those of you who would like to stay mostly off the groomed and still have a fun snowshoe where navigation is easier as much of the route is under a powerline with views. I even snowshoed that route in April a few years back and enjoyed myself, and so did my dog as seen below. There is a map of the route on the Hyak Sno-Park page.
So now for some resources – please check out www.snowrec.org and click on Activities and then the snowshoe option: or click here. I have updated it with a whole variety of guided tours, and ideas on where to go up on Snoqualmie Pass. Once you get some miles in, you are off and running for more and more adventures and hoping for some blue sky and powder and some of those magnificent Pacific Northwest views.
See you out there and I just might have to clean the dust off my snowshoes and go for a walk myself.
