Mount Spokane - Trail 110/140 Loop — Friday, Apr. 14, 2017

Eastern Washington > Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene

Spring is coming slowly up on Mount Spokane. Highway 206 up to the Lower Loop Road Trailhead is snow free. Patchy snow in the woods begins below Bear Creek Lodge (about 3000'), and from the ranger station up most of the ground is snow covered, though the depth is greatly reduced from its winter high. The Lower Loop Road Trailhead is snow free, and the Snow Park Pass sign is down. All you need is a regular Discover Pass. Hiked from the lower hairpin trailhead up to Saddle Junction via Tr. 100 & Tr 110, returning the same way. On the lower half of the route there are a few patches of bare trail, but the way is mostly covered with snow. By far the best footing is along the compacted, raised treadway left from the winter's snowshoe traffic. Snowshoes were unnecessary and would have been a nuisance, but Yak Trax were needed to maintain secure footing on the narrowing and rounding ridge of solid material. Step to either side of the old snowshoe track and you posthole to the calf or knee. Up close to Saddle Junction the compacted tread was lost in more recent snow and footing got trickier, but not bad. Snowshoes might be useful from there on if going higher on the mountain. Snow depth at Saddle Junction is still 2/3 of the way up the side of outhouse. No trees down over the trail. Streams are running strong and buds are beginning to swell. Caught a swish of movement in the forest along Burping Brook too tiny to be a chipmunk, so I'm guessing vole or something like that. Had a great afternoon enjoying the periodic graupel showers and having the trail all to myself.