Notch Pass — Sunday, Mar. 3, 2024

No problems getting to the lower trailhead for Notch pass today – there were already two cars filling the small pull out. But just beyond an eighth of a mile there’s a second pull out that can accommodate a few more vehicles.
Intermittent snow started about 50 feet above the trailhead, and we worried that only one of us had brought spikes. Indeed, the snow got deeper maxing out at about 6 inches at Notch Pass on the first and second road crossings. But it was never slick today, mostly drippy and melting , and we didn’t need ice walkers, nor spikes on our feet.
This was only my second time on this trail, and I wanted to make it to Bark Shanty, which I didn’t get to see last time. Alas, the longer, snow covered bridges near the river were a bit nerve-racking, and we turned back shy of the shanty. Our start time was 1247, we were back to the car by 4:45 PM, with a slow and steady pace. We only saw two other hikers all afternoon. Excellent trail, perfect choice for an easy access Olympic charmer.