19 January 2013 Maxwell Butte SnoPark Mountain Loop

Marc, Luke, Dan, Jean and I hiked the Mountain Loop at Maxwell Butte on another gorgeous January day. The roads were not quite as clear as two weeks ago and the trees were not as laden with snow, but the day was crisp, clear and beautiful.  The valley was socked in with an inversion layer of fog so we were very happy to spend the day in the sun.  The hike to the hut was a nice uphill workout though the woods.  We were glad to have Dan and Marc there for route finding.  The view from the top included the tip of Mt Jefferson, Three Fingered Jack, and the three Sisters with Mt Washington.  We ate lunch in the warm Boy Scout shelter...someone had left a fire smoldering in the stove.

Mt Washington is to the left, then the Sisters

view from the shelter

Three Fingered Jack

Park map

Maxwell Butte Sno Park Mtn View Trail 4 Jan 2013

Jean and I took a friend's advice and headed to a sno park on the west side of the Santiam Pass so the roads were pretty clear of snow and ice.  This particular trail was also an out and back type and if we kept to the left the entire time, we couldn't go wrong.  And the trail was very worn in to a deep groove from other skiers or snowshoe travel so we could not get lost.   This is key when everything is white and looks the same!
The day was crystal clear, no wind, and it was quite warm.  We soon shed the outer coats and unzipped around the neck.  Never did put on a headband.  Mittens came in handy here and there, especially after a fall.  We were able to catch a glimpse of three mountains, Mt Washington, Mt Jefferson and Three Fingered Jack, all snow covered.  We decided that this is doable and we want to try it again and aim for the larger loop.  We are pumped!

Mt Jefferson

Three Fingered Jack

Mt Washington