Being close to Longmire early afternoon, I decided to enjoy the mild weather to snowshoe the Wonderland Trail for a while, then ended up exploring Westside Road.
The gate is currently closed just off Highway 706, and only one car was parked nearby. There were a number of cut blowdowns that had previously blocked the snowy road (thx guys), a mini cat track and a lonely ski track. Tahoma Creek was very pleasant company with the occasional water musically spilling from the westerly hillsides.
I had intended to turn around at the permanent gate/summer parking area about 2 miles up; you know, always around the next bend, but was stopped by minor avalanche debris across the road. A few skiers had crossed, but given I could see large ice chunks / air pockets in the debris and my turnaround time had been reached (both good reasons to backtrack) I headed back down after a lovely afternoon in the fresh crisp air.
By the way; Emerald Ridge loop is a particularly great hike. For stunning views of Tahoma Glacier, hike clockwise from Round Pass, about 5 miles up Westside.
Map GT 269 Mt Rainier West
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