Mount Pilchuck - Winter — Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018

Found: I found a pair of Youth/Child Snowshoes along the trail. If they are yours, describe them to me and we can figure out a way to get them back to you. Leave a comment on this trip report with a way to contact you.

Both gates open. Lots of snow on the road on the way up. It was raining up there, so a lot of the ruts melted down to roadway by the time we got out. But the parking lot was so slushy that we arrived to see 3 young men trying to turn their mini-van around unsuccessfully. I used a tow-strap to yank them out. And we pushed back and forth until they could turn around. I would highly suggest 4wd or AWD. Conditions change frequently. It could melt out soon with a warm enough storm. Or it could be buried in 3 feet of fresh snow.

I brought my 14yrd old son on the trail today. Early on there is a creek crossing. The fallen tree was difficult to get to, and still had some snow on it. That was the most dangerous part of the hike. Within 30 minutes from the trailhead we put on Microspikes. And another 30 minutes, we started the occasional post-holing. So we moved to snowshoes. The trail today was well established. It was steep enough in a few places for my son to slip with his cheaper snowshoes. I didn't have the same problem until the way down.

We took lots of breaks and it took 2hr45 minutes to get to the top. The lookout was shuttered, but there is access to get inside. The sign says to reach under the shutter and turn the knob. Then you just crawl through under the shutter. If a big snow falls, you'll have to dig to find the opening. The wind was tremendous. We didn't stay long, as we wanted to get moving again to warm up. 

Took just 98 minutes to descend. The snow was slushier, especially closer to the trailhead. The creek was definitely running higher, too. We were soaked and cold. But it was worth it.