This was a beautiful early March Saturday morning snowshoe! We had just had a week of heavy precipitation across the northwest, so we decided to embrace it and get our hill climbing in on snow.
People/Parking/Privies:
About a dozen cars when we arrived around 10am, with the lot maybe 2/3 full when we left around 2pm. The vast majority of cars were there for cross country skiing at the Nordic Center, as we only saw a handful of other parties on the Lanham Lake trail and spent most of the time--including our time at the lake--in solitude. Two port-a-potties in the parking lot were a little beat up and scant on supplies inside. The restroom inside the rental center was the nicer choice.
Trail/snow:
It's not the longest trail out there but we got our workout in! The trail starts with some uphill, levels down for a while, then becomes steep again in the final half mile. Snow is sufficient for assistive gear from the start of the trail, growing from a foot or two at the trailhead to at least a meter or so closer to the lake. A packed down trail is pretty easily followable, especially beyond the power lines. The snowy woods were very pretty and gave several open opportunities for off-trail snow frolicking. Some spots are simultaneously steep and narrow, making it best to keep to the trail.
Lanham Lake:
The lake itself was frozen over and covered in snow still. We watched one skier cross it without issue and saw some tracks from others who had as well.
Flora/fauna/fungi:
The woods were cozily quiet under their snow blanket. As we got higher up the trail, I appreciated the coarseness, even a kind of warmth, of the thick tree trunks standing just trailside. Not a crocus or a rosebud in sight--we are in winter wonderland still! My dad did catch one tree covered in a stack of conks, each wearing a tall snow hat.
As we sat by the lake for lunch we witnessed a single mosquito drift lazily by--a harbinger of dooms to come. Otherwise we heard a couple songbirds at the lake and a raven by the parking lot, but did not see much of any other forest residents.
Views:
As most of the hike is forested, views were near-to-moderate range: a snowy stand of trees. The creek that meanders here closer, here farther from the trail. The shape of the snow drift in a meadow. The first exception is at the clearing for the power lines, which afford views out to Nason Ridge beyond the highway and in the foreground...I believe this would be Welldigger's Ass??? Wow. Anyways, the other exception and the biggest view was of Jim Hill Mountain towering over Lanham Lake. We got to enjoy its dramatic, snowy, rocky face for just a little while with our lunch before heavy snowfall rolled in and followed us all the way back down the mountain.
Would love to come back in summer and see this whole hike in its greenery.
Comments
Terrierpup on Lanham Lake Snowshoe, Lanham Lake
Is it packed down enough to just use microspikes? Easy to follow footprints if you haven’t been there before?
Posted by:
Terrierpup on Mar 10, 2024 05:50 PM
Luffles on Lanham Lake Snowshoe, Lanham Lake
I didn't test it but it seemed pretty packed down and may be doable with just microspikes. It was being compacted and recompacted by backcountry skiers, so they followed the same narrow track pretty closely. From the trailhead to the power lines, the trail can be a little faint because all the snow is a little hard and refrozen. You can tell people have taken different routes and it's not always easy to tell which one is the "official" one. Once you get above the power lines, the untouched snow is fluffier, so the trail is much easier to follow.
Posted by:
Luffles on Mar 10, 2024 09:21 PM