17.5 miles of hiking • 4500' elevation gain •
This was a group snowshoe to Tanner Butte that didn't quite make it. The Eagle Creek parking lot was covered in a sheet of ice, as was the entire staircase up to the portage road, and Road 777 was totally frozen over up to the 401 trailhead. We started with 7 people and ended with 3 after some bailed en-route. We final 3 decided to turn around due to time reasons (1:30pm) at the false butte about a mile from Tanner. Some great inversion hoarfost down lower on the Wauna Point trail, then crunchy snow for the most part with intermittent drifts. We detoured down to a frozen Dublin Lake on the way back. Started in the dark and got back in the dark. It was snowing at Eagle Creek when we got down, a couple inches sitting on top of the ice. Crazy times out in the Gorge.
Comments
Bosterson
January 5, 2013
We've all been to Tanner before, it was cloudy so not like we'd be missing a nice view, darkness = harder to follow trail and also cold. It seemed prudent for safely getting home. The false butte was actually pretty neat, I've never been up to it before (it's all brushy in summer).
Chris
January 5, 2013
Bummer! Did y'all just want to get back before dark? I can't imagine going up to a mile before and then turning around.
I'm amazed at all the ice—I was up on Larch on Thursday and there was only scant ice along the road above 2500'—otherwise it was just fine. Must be a Gorge weather thing.