2010-04-25 45 -122

Location

In Gifford Pinchot National Forest along a National Forest road. Conditions unknown.

Participants

APR - Going for the multihash! This is tenuous, it is a few miles up national forest roads, which tend to vary wildly in quality. We'll see how my trusty steed fares!

Plans

None

Expedition

It started off because I was pumped about the success earlier in the day. I decided I should try for a more challenging point. The roads up to the hashpoint seemed like they would be decent until at least a couple miles to the hashpoint. So I gathered my things and took off for the hashpoint.

As I got closer, the roads gradually got worse, until I was on a paved single-track with parts washed out. Then it degraded further to a well maintained gravel road. About a mile from the last turn I would need to make, and about 3.5 miles from the hashpoint, I saw a Subaru off to the side of the road, and snow covering the road further up. I drive up, see that the snowpack is only about 200ft long, and decide that I could most definitely walk/hike the 3.5 miles each way to the point. I then turn my car around, park it, and begin walking. The snowpack was maybe 4 inches thick, more than I would want to drive through in anything but a big 4WD truck given the slope (probably a good 10-15%).

I make it through the snowpack with minimal foot wetness, and proceed to hike up the mountain. I make it about 1 mile down the road (@ about 10% grade on average) when I see another snowpack. Figuring that it would remain about 4 inches deep for quite a while, I started in on it. About 300-400 ft in, the snow was now at least a foot deep, and my feet were quite wet and cold. I decided to give up and return down, tail between my legs. I trudge back down, taking some pictures of the scenery as I go. When I get back down, another car (audi wagon) has pulled up, and the drivers are inspecting the snow. They ask what the situation of the trail is, and I say that its clear for about a mile, but then the snow starts up again, and keeps going, and getting deeper. I also mention I only made it a few hundred feet after the next snowpack. A person from the Subaru was apparently in it when I walked by, but I hadn't seen them. She said that by the time she turned back (about 3 miles up the mountain, and still a good half mile from where I would need to stop), the snow was over 1.5 ft deep, maybe even 2 ft, and that it looked to keep getting deeper. Her friends continued on, though, but I suspect they were much better equipped for it than I was. This made me feel better about turning back, because there is no way I could climb another 2.5 miles @ 10% through that kind of snow. The guys from the Audi mention that they are thinking of trying to make it past this snowpack, and I advise against it, as it is probably deeper than they are thinking, and is rather steep.

After getting back into my car, I took my 2+ hour drive back along scenic roads. My feet were still wet (though no longer quite so cold) when I finally got back home.

Tracklog

Photos

The first snowpack looking back towards the car.
Anti-proof
The look of failure (and also of a geohasher who didn't reach a hashpoint)
Failure snowpack one way
Then another
The look through the trees
Tall trees
The way back, with some mountains and trees along the way
The landscape
Pretty little waterfall.


Sun 25 Apr 2010 in 45,-122: 45.9440030, -122.0453958 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox