I traveled to Washington for the holidays this year. While in the Evergreen State, I really wanted to get a hike in. It’s been years since I had hiked in my birth state. I talked my cousin into coming with me and he recommended hiking to Snow Lake. It was a trail he had done several times in the summer and the trailhead was only about 30 minutes away. We overheard that the snow on the trail was pretty packed down so we were going to attempt it without snowshoes. This would be our first mistake. Snowshoes would have been really helpful but considering I couldn’t fit them in my carry-on, we really didn’t have much of a choice but to go without them.

Preparation is Key

I didn’t bring any hiking equipment with me, not even boots. So after a quick stop at Big 5 Sporting Goods for a $20 pair of hiking shoes (which is always the go-to when a traveler is missing the appropriate footwear for hitting the trail), we headed to the trailhead.  As the car gained elevation we quickly realized we underestimated the amount of snow. I only had a few days before I had to head home, so we were going to give it a shot regardless.

The snow was deep but it held us fairly well, other than the occasional misstep in fresh snow. We slowly wandered the trail left by previous hikers. It was a sluggish pace but the scenery was worth the price of admission (which was free because my cousin had a Discovery Pass).

“You guys got headlamps?”

When we thought we were halfway, we came upon some snowshoers heading the opposite direction. We asked if they had made to the lake, and the husband and wife nodded in achievement. But then the man asked a strange question, “You guys got headlamps?”.  As we looked in the direction of the sun, we must have had bewildered looks on our faces because he did not wait for an answer. “You won’t make it up there without them.” I did not take into account the time zone change and the fact that the sun sets much earlier compared to back home.

We said goodbye and thanked them for the advice, they said “good luck” and we parted ways. And after some discussion, my cousin and I decided to turn around and head back as hiking in the dark on an unmarked trail in the middle of winter did not sound appealing without having the proper supplies.

The hike was still worth the effort, even if we didn’t make it to Snow Lake. The snow-covered mountains and sunlight shining through the trees was a fantastic break from the chaos of the holiday season.

Chad Albright

Chad can be summed up by his idea of a perfect day: Waking up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains, warm cup of coffee in hand then grabbing his camera and fly rod, hitting the trail to explore some uncharted territory followed by cold beers and campfire steaks. Chad is often joined on his adventures by his wife, Tori, and their dog, Kona.