Day 19.14-16 Diamond Lake to Summit Lake

Friday

Start 8:30a. Stop 4p. Lo 35. Hi 35. Miles 19. Elev 5300.

Starting at the bottom near Diamond Lake

No snow park where the map said there should be one! Thought I was doomed right there. So many things have worked out wrong on the last trips that I thought I was in for another fail/bail. I’m not superstitious. I just wanted to be sure I wasn’t missing a sign. If I could not complete this trip it would not be my fault! I found a plowed parking lot a mile down the road and I decided it was wise to go until noon then see how things were going. I could always turn back because I didn’t need to call anyone to get me.

Turned out to be my fastest day ever. 19 miles in 7.5 hours. One inch of powder over a crust made for an easy glide. There were few slow spots.

A few small flurries blew through, but not until the afternoon did a steady snow settle in. My last hour and a half was in and under a low gray sky. It was a relief to arrive at the cabin and see that it was open and in good condition.

The sky was more dramatic than the landscape

The cabin at Lake Timpanogas was really a warming hut, but 3 people could sleep there. There was no wood, but I didn’t think it mattered. The doors didn’t close because someone left them frozen open. They were sliding barn doors about two feet apart. But there was an outhouse 100 feet away! No need to set up the tent or dig cat holes!

I didn’t see anyone all day until 8pm when the groomer stopped by to restock the wood supply. It was the same guy from Crescent Lake the week before! He recognized me also and we chatted a while. Then he pointed out a name scratched on the wall- Alexander Supertramp. He couldn’t be sure, but he really hoped it was the signature of the guy in the movie and the books.

The buried cabin has a nearby buried outhouse!

It may be April, but you still need to climb down 5 feet of snow to the entrance

Was Alexander Supertramp really here?!

Sabbath

Start 9a. Stop 3:30p. Lo 20. Hi 45. Miles 10. Elev 5300.

It was a beautiful sabbath morning! It was perfect for sleeping in late until 7:30. Yet it was early enough to see the fog over the snowy lake. I had never seen this before. There must have been water evaporating somewhere.

Sawtooth Mountain behind a foggy Timpanogas Lake

Today’s agenda was easy and relaxing. It was a 10 mile out and back on freshly groomed trail. Summit Lake was just 3 miles away and I needed to go to its far corner to verify that no other side trails existed between the lake and where I turned around 2 weeks before. Once again I discovered that the main map was out of date. A trail on the south side was no longer groomed.

I left my pillow with my other sleeping gear back at the cabin, so I had nothing to sit on. The outhouse at the southwest corner of the lake was locked, but the porch area was clear. Dry sitting! (Not sure why any outhouse is locked. Snow blocks them most of the time anyways. I want to talk to the forest service about this.)

Oh well. Locked outhouses can’t ruin a beautiful sunny with blue skies above green pines over a white landscape. It was nice to just sit and look and reflect and be thankful. This time I had no problems to solve. Just time to read the Bible and sit with my Father. Often we hikers and skiers are focused on conquering miles, but my real reason for all this is to experience it all. And that goal knows no failure. The dad I wish I had when I was growing up is with me always, not just at the destination.

Sunday

Start 7a. Stop 1:30a. Lo 25. Hi 60. Miles 19. Elev 4800.

I was going to get up at 5 and leave by 6, but I slept in until 6! I left at 7 and I’m glad I did. Leaving earlier would have just meant an extra hour fighting the ungroomed crusty snowmobile tracks. About the time I climbed up to the high point and left the shady west side, the sun was just starting to soften the surface and my speed picked up. It was really fun descending the 1000 foot drop at 10 mph or more! That’s fast for a backcountry skier!

I gathered water at the river and spent a couple more hours gradually inclining uphill. I finished the segment half an hour faster than on Friday. It was a good weekend!

Diamond Peak to the north of the burn area

Mount Thielsen above the end of the road