Sunny clear day with views of 4 volcanoes, including Mt Hood in OR. Gorgeous sunset and sunrise.  For overnight reservations, check out: https://skimtta.org/brunis-snow-bowl-hut/

6' of snow, freshly groomed. Please snowshoe on far sides to preserve center for safe skiing. Thanks. 

Took a friend and my 2.5 year old to Bruni's Snow Bowl Hut for an overnight stay. Since there was no new snow accumulation forecasted in the past 7 days + this year's low snowpack, we left our snowshoes and brought spikes and poles instead.

The road was bare and snow free until the upper lot. I'd say it saved us around 1 mi one way which was a blessing since we started late at around 3 PM and my toddler still wanted to be carried.

The snow was crunchy and mostly hard packed so spikes were just perfect for this condition. We lucked out with warm and sunny weather that the hike was pleasant and enjoyable.

The hut was fully equipped and we shared it with some older, retired folks who were okay with my loud and 'whiny' toddler :). We brought our own sleeping bags, inflatable pillows, water, blanket, jetboil, freeze dried meals, etc. but the hut seemed to have everything that we we possibly needed, such as pillows, blankets, slippers, cutleries, and even mega bloks and board games for my toddler.

The pit toilet was also the best pit toilet I have ever used. It's fully stocked with TP, hand sanitizer and even a portable lamp and a mirror.

The gazebo was also a great place to visit. There's a fire pit and some nice artifacts. I think at night time, it'd be perfect to hang out around the fire pit to roast marshmallows and have some hot drinks.

We really enjoyed our stay and the hut was just perfect for us. The only drawback was a 'shared' sleeping area. My toddler did not sleep well and woke up twice crying in the middle of the night. He was loud enough to wake up everyone. Fortunately, the people that we shared the hut with were very understanding 🙂. We could probably use the couches in the living area as an alternative sleeping arrangement.

Overall, I'd say the hut is family friendly and the hike itself is doable with kids.

Mileage: 6.86 mi RT, Moving time: 4:25 with a toddler pace.

Snow Bowl Aerial Views

Christmas festivities with a group at Brunis. Fresh snow made it a winter wonderland.