I can't even begin to count the number of times I have hiked to & past Snow Peak Cabin, but this was only my second time spending the night there. I am very bad at advance planning to make a reservation for the cabin, which I think can be reserved up to 6 months in advance of a trip. But I am good at hitting refresh on the reservation website every so often to check for a cancellation, and I couldn't believe my good luck when I found a cancellation that corresponded with the full moon!
I did this as a solo trip with my pup. On the hike in I met the people who had the reservation just ahead of me, plus a large group of snowshoers who were exiting a dayhike (including two of our local WTA ACLs!).
Once I arrived at the cabin, I felt like I had the entire Kettle Crest to myself! There were some high clouds on the hike in that cleared beautifully for moonrise, then moved back in later into the night. It was a bit cloudy but gorgeous on the hike out on Tuesday, and I only met two folks on trail on my way out (USFS staff heading in to do monthly maintenance checks on the cabin).
The place was in excellent shape: fully stocked for firewood, TP in the outhouse, plenty of cooking supplies (although I opted to pack in my own). It was nice & clean inside without any indication of the rodent problem I've heard rumors about from others. For awhile one of the cots was broken but I discovered it has been replaced, and there were even some camp chairs stashed inside for extra seating. There is a propane cooking stove, but I didn't check it since I brought my Jetboil. It is so nice to have access to a cabin for a January trip!
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