Crossed my fingers and hoped there was enough snow at White Salmon Road for a peaceful snowshoe - so glad I went! Plenty of snow, both on the ground and in the trees. Conditions can change, of course, but this morning it was beautiful.
I left Bellingham at 6:15am, joined the ranks of skiers heading up to Baker. All of the single-lane traffic sections are gone, the road was clear all the way up. Stopped at the Visitor's Center at the far end of Glacier for their great bathrooms - highly recommend as always. Well-lit, clean, stocked, running water. What more could you ask for?
The White Salmon Road parking area is small and very icy, so be careful. I was the first car to arrive (around 7:40am), so I carefully pulled in, turned around, and parked nose-out right by the stop sign at the highway's edge. When I got back, there were four cars parked behind me, and a fifth happy to take my spot when I left. Not much room for more than that, at least right now.
There was snow on the ground the entire time, and plenty of snow in the trees (my favorite). A few thin spots, and a few bare spots, but never 100% across the road. Less snow as the road lost elevation, especially near the turn for the SE Extension. A few bare spots on the way up to the Knob as well, and the rocks at the very top are exposed, which surprised me.
Beautiful view from the Knob, Shuksan right there in front of you. Some low clouds came in soon after I arrived, and it even started to snow a little bit. I sat for awhile, enjoyed some hot cocoa and a good book (Christopher Ives' "Meditations on the Trail" - fantastic so far!), and eventually headed back.
The return trip was the best part - I took the snowshoe shortcut (the turnoff is just below the Knob, you can't miss it). It's a beautiful meander through the trees - enough snow for snowshoes (barely), but there are a few steep parts. Just follow the blue diamonds and you will be fine.
When you come out on the main road, I recommend crossing and continuing on the Ridge Road, this just got better and better. It is steep at first, but eventually you come out on a long, flat area, trees all around, and a lot more snow on the ground. Just beautiful.
Watch for the turn at Pete's Shortcut - if you miss it, you eventually wind up below the parking lot at the lower ski area. Pete's Shortcut is short and steep, you pop out on the main road, and it's just a short trek back to the car.
Perfect weather for a snowshoe adventure - around 28 degrees the whole time. Snowshoes and poles were great - you could boot all of this if you wanted to (traction might help), but I think snowshoes (or skis) make it way more fun. I saw nobody until I was nearing my car.
Total of 3.5 miles, 640ft elevation change, two hours on the trail.
Thanks to the Nooksack Nordic Ski Club, for all of their hard work maintaining trails, updating conditions, great signage at main intersections, and offering sage advice on their website. A great map of the White Salmon Road area can be found here:
https://www.nooksacknordicskiclub.org/trails/descriptions/white-salmon/
Grateful to be up in the mountains today.
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