Bayley Stejer
Enjoy a collection of trip reports that floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee, and may ruffle the feathers of our piqued and potent powder hounds. Read on, dear friends, for a bright-yellow rump, an ode to Charles Dickens, hoar frost, the mighty useful herringbone, and (painfully) varied early season conditions.
Basic Snowshoe - Lodge Lake - 12/2
"Never had so many backup plans before, but we found a safe place to snowshoe in a storm." -Barbara Folmer
Starting the trip reports out strong with the sweet taste of a winter storm. Tag along for a snowshoe to Lodge Lake where the snow is chunky, the crew is hardy, and alt routes are an absolute necessity.
Naturalist Trip - Union Bay Natural Area - 12/4
"Good birding no matter what weather." -Roseanne Lorenzana. Photo by Ian Tenney.
Read on for a naturalist trip to Union Bay, including top notch and satisfying descriptions of wintering birds. Among these descriptions are "unique lobed toes," "a bright-yellow rump," "elegant grey-colored floating muffs," "squeaky toy voices," and much more.
Winter Scramble - Arthur Peak - 12/9
"... with ankle twisting voids between the boulders for the unwary." -Dave Morgan. Photo by Jesse Bengtsson.
A trip report that inspired a quoting of Charles Dickens, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Tune into the ominous forecast, ankle-twisting voids, and slushy mess that made for a three star scramble at Arthur Peak.
Day Hike - Stegosaurus Butte - 12/10
"...even the weather cooperated just enough." -Neal Stein
Read on for a warm day on Stegosaurus Butte where uphill quickly turns to upstream.
Packrafting - Skagit River - 12/16
"The chili potluck was the highlight!" -Logan DeGrand
I think the gaggle of mergansers also enjoyed this warm and sunny day on the Skagit River.
Basic Snowshoe - Hike Lakes Loop - 12/16
"A beautiful day in the snow on Mt. Rainier with an amazing group." -Barbara Folmer
What more does one need than a pair of snowshoes and an up-close and personal view of Rainier? Stick around for a warm and gorgeous snowshoe of High Lakes Loop.
Day Hike - Poo Poo Point - 12/16
"Excellent condition and camaraderie." -Maggie Zhou
With great camaraderie comes happy experiences and even happier Mountaineers. Tune in to this crew's day hike at Poo Poo Point and find out what all the smiling's about.
Winter Scramble - Blowdown and Dixie Peak - 12/23
"We renewed our 'winter scramble chops' with the snow covered brush and talus terrain..." -Dave Morgan
A single sentence that can turn an ungrudging fellow green with envy: "A foot of light powder." By my calculations, this crew struck gold. Tune into a bluebird winter scramble on the ridges between Blowdown and Dixie.
Backcountry ski/snowboard - Crystal Mountain - 12/23
" Skiing was varied with some areas having slightly deeper wind drifted snow and other areas wind scoured." -Randy Oakley. Photo by Jason Brady.
Read this trip report for the herringbone technique, low coverage, and a semi-supportive crust, aka what icy, early season laps are made of in the Crystal backcountry.
Day Hike - Middle Fork Snoqualmie River - 12/24
"It was very enjoyable to be in the lush, green moss..." -Michelle Peterson
Read on for hoar frost, the luxury of time, tree insultation, and a seated snack break that made for an enjoyable hike along the Middle Fork.
Want to see more top trip reports? Check out our Top Trip Reports Library to get ideas for next week, next month, or next year!
