Bright sun shone in a cloudless blue sky, and the day was unusually warm for January. We wound our way through the mossy trees to viewpoints along the ridge. Mt. Hood's snowy shoulders dominated the eastern horizon, and Mt. Jefferson's craggy peak was visible across green valleys to the south. Piney-sweet, crisp mountain air met our lungs. It was a good day to be out on the mountain.
We found enough snow on Mt. Hood National Forest last week for Next Adventure Outdoor School's first Winter Trip of 2014. There was enough snow to get familiar with snowshoes and cross-country ski equipment, conduct an introductory lesson, and enjoy a brief tour ... but there really wasn't enough snow at 4100 feet elevation in the Cascade Mountains for a very long tour.
We took advantage of the sunny day and unseasonably warm temperatures and took a hike!
There were bits of snow here and there, but the trail was easy to follow. We topped out at around 4600 feet on the eastern shoulder of Tumala Mountain.
The views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson were spectacular, and the broad forested expanses of the Salmon-Huckleberry and Roaring River Wildernesses went on and on.
We crossed some deer tracks in the snow, some dark-eyed juncos visited us at the ridge top, and only a few other hikers were encountered along the trail.
It was a great day to be out playing in the woods. Not such a great day for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, but still a great day for a hike to mountain views.
When the snow falls, Next Adventure Outdoor School will be ready to take you there for an adventure.
We have cross-country and snowshoe trips scheduled through March, and hikes and backpack trips after that all summer long.
Find out more and sign up online at:
nextadventure.net/outdoor-school
