10 miles of hiking • 3000' elevation gain •
Took advantage of a really low snow year and the inversion to hike / ice climb / snowshoe up to Lamberson Butte via Elk Meadows and the ridge to the south of Newton Creek. Essentially no snow until the Timberline Trail, but the trails are covered with packed sheet ice. Microspikes or similar were essential. 2-6 inches of snow in Elk Meadows. We used snowshoes to follow Gnarl Ridge along its crest, about 8-10 inches deep with a mostly breakable crust. No snow on the actual ridgeline with southern exposure or in the tree islands. Great views of Hood despite a persistent lenticular cloud camped out on the peak. It was warm and sunny - in the 40s (maybe 50s) throughout the day. Windy at the Gnarl Ridge / Lamberson saddle, but no where else.
The return on the ridge south of Newton Creek was tiring due to 35-degree ice/snow on the trail. Everyone fell at one point or another, tumbling downhill into trees and bushes. Oscar the dog slid the furthest, his fall arrested by a tree well. Microspikes worked well, but the other traction devices weren't as stable.
We hiked this route in early October and there was more snow then.
