Day 19.7-9 Dumb Dumb

Wednesday, March 13, 2019 to Friday, March 15

The format of this trip report is a little different for reasons that will soon become apparent. The title will also be self-explanatory.

I never should have taken this trip. In spite of the good weather forecast, before leaving I was nervous for some reason, but as usual, I asked my Father, Yes or No? The answer was yes and so my daughter and I took off.

As we approached Willamette Pass, I noticed the trees were still heavily covered with snow. Not a good sign, but I told my daughter that they would quickly clear on such a sunny day. That was human wisdom speaking, not divine insight. I should have went back with her, but I failed to ask my Father’s counsel again. Dumb #1.

Notice all the snow on the trees

It was 5 miles of glop stomping torture up to Rosary Lakes and to Maiden Peak Ski Shelter. I thought things might be better in the morning, but I could still go either way. It got down to 10 that night and no snow dropped off the trees. Going north would just keep me in the glop zone for days.

In case you are unfamiliar with glop stomping, it is when powdery snow just begins to warm up enough to stick to your ski (wax does not always work, especially with my permanently skinned skis) in clumps 2 to 6 inches deep. You can’t glide, so you need to lift that 10 pound load with every step. It’s a killer, especially at the beginning of a trip before getting your ski legs and knees.

Lower Rosary Lake with Pulpit Rock in the background

Not to be confused with all the other trees!

6 feet of snow on the ground and the roof

I had to turn around, so I decided to fill in the gap to Diamond Lake. I headed back south to the ski lodge, then down the road to Shelter Cove. I took advantage of the one day opportunity to ski the railroad tracks to Crescent Lake store on hwy 58.

Looks like a Dr. Suess tree!

Skiing the road down to Shelter Cove

Heading east towards Crescent Lake

As I ate supper at one of the tables in the store a groomer started talking to me. He gave me a big map of all the snowmobile trails in the area and what he would be grooming that night. He was a wealth of information and was my ski trail angel!

The next morning I left the map in the warming hut. I didn’t even tear out the small section that would get me up the ridge to the Timpanagos Lake shelter, then down to Diamond Lake the next day. Dumb #2.

By lunch time I was headed uphill to Summit Lake and halfway to the cabin. That’s when my phone decided to stop working after falling two feet gently to the snow. I thought I could not get too lost by sticking to the snowmobile trails, but I decided not to add mistake to mistake. I followed my rule of exiting when a major equipment fail occurs. Navigation is kind of major. Oh, that I had that map!!

It was a beautiful, but very frustrating and disappointing trip. Next time I keep my habit of continually asking God’s advice and I won’t reject backup maps!

Freshly groomed snowmobile trail with Cowhorn Mountain in the background

At the south tip of Crescent Lake overlooking a creek inlet