Mt. Shaw, Black Snoot, Big Ball Mountain via Mt. Shaw Trail, Black Snout Trail, Black Snout Spur Trail, Banana Trail, Tate Mountain Trail
Date of Hike: Sunday, December 14, 2008
Trail Conditions: Ice, ice covered granular, dry ground, wet ground
Special Equipment Required: Traction
Comments:
Informal parking area on 171 still usable by 2WD vehicles.
All trails reported below are now blowdown free, other than old step-over blowdowns requiring chain saw.
Mt. Shaw Trail - covered in ice. Microspikes required (barebooters didn't make it too far from the looks of the tracks). Upper water crossings tricky due to higher water levels and icy rocks, but doable. Snow depths (under ice) range from nothing (down low) to perhaps 2-3" at the top of the trail. Upper portion of this trail had been hit particularly hard by blowdowns, etc.
Black Snout Trail to Mt. Shaw - mostly unbreakable ice crust over 3-12" or so of granular. Carriage roads were hit particularly hard by blowdowns, etc.
Black Snout Spur Trail to Black Snoot - mostly unbreakable ice crust over 3-8" or so of granular. Rather icy near the southern tip.
Banana Trail to Big Ball Mountain - top 200 or so vertical feet VERY icy, both ice from storm and bulging blue ice from runoff. Microspikes were *not* adequate. Snow depths under ice ranging from 3-6" or so.
Banana Trail to Tate Mountain Trail - steep section between the Big Ball peaks was *very* icy and Microspikes were again not adequate. Both the straight ascent up this pitch and the bypass will require full ice gear to get up. Snow depths under ice ranging from 2-3" or so.
Tate Mountain Trail - icy up high and at very bottom, but Microspikes were mostly adequate. Snow depths under ice 0-2" or so.
Your name: rocket21
Your E-mail address: [email protected]
Date of Hike: Sunday, December 14, 2008
Trail Conditions: Ice, ice covered granular, dry ground, wet ground
Special Equipment Required: Traction
Comments:
Informal parking area on 171 still usable by 2WD vehicles.
All trails reported below are now blowdown free, other than old step-over blowdowns requiring chain saw.
Mt. Shaw Trail - covered in ice. Microspikes required (barebooters didn't make it too far from the looks of the tracks). Upper water crossings tricky due to higher water levels and icy rocks, but doable. Snow depths (under ice) range from nothing (down low) to perhaps 2-3" at the top of the trail. Upper portion of this trail had been hit particularly hard by blowdowns, etc.
Black Snout Trail to Mt. Shaw - mostly unbreakable ice crust over 3-12" or so of granular. Carriage roads were hit particularly hard by blowdowns, etc.
Black Snout Spur Trail to Black Snoot - mostly unbreakable ice crust over 3-8" or so of granular. Rather icy near the southern tip.
Banana Trail to Big Ball Mountain - top 200 or so vertical feet VERY icy, both ice from storm and bulging blue ice from runoff. Microspikes were *not* adequate. Snow depths under ice ranging from 3-6" or so.
Banana Trail to Tate Mountain Trail - steep section between the Big Ball peaks was *very* icy and Microspikes were again not adequate. Both the straight ascent up this pitch and the bypass will require full ice gear to get up. Snow depths under ice ranging from 2-3" or so.
Tate Mountain Trail - icy up high and at very bottom, but Microspikes were mostly adequate. Snow depths under ice 0-2" or so.
Your name: rocket21
Your E-mail address: [email protected]
