We sure did luck out on the weather. Meteorologists seemed to be jumping up and down, screaming, “Snow! Snow! Snow!” but all we saw was partly blue skies, light winds, and balmy temps. Okay, so it was in the twenties but that’s balmy when you’re shoeing. We stopped on the way to admire the Hood.
And discovered in the parking lot some strange quasi-hibernation behavior of young migrating mammals. They might have been Boy Scout mammals.
Making that last minute trip to the facilities meant doing a little ice and snow climbing, which is rather interesting to execute when you’re in a certain, uh, condition. Note: this restroom is in the nearby White River SnoPark; Trillium Lake has no such amenities.
The Trillium Lake SnoPark was spacious at 10:30 AM but that certainly wasn’t the case when we got back in the afternoon. Bumper to bumper.
Walkin’ in a winter wonderland! Mark in one of his many action shots. Snow shoes to the right, cross country skiis to the left. They posts little signs around to let you know which lane you’re supposed to be in. 
Turns out, we weren’t first tracks….but then some people have built-in snowshoes.
Strange snow mounds abounded. We couldn’t figure them out. I stepped on one, thinking it was a stump or something solid but it was nothing but white stuff.
Trillium Lake was one, giant crystal-white desert. The sheer absence of color made you suck in air, overwhelmed with the scope and purity of it all. Hood perched protectively over the lake like a caretaker.
We weren’t the only ones enjoying the scenery. Camp Robbers were taking advantage of the fact that it was a convenient spot for many people to pull out lunch. Hint: look at the top of the skis.
Too cold yet for the snow to melt, the trees were holding onto their load. We played a running game of “Hey, Mark, go stand under that branch with all the snow on it while I pretend to take your picture.” We were both too smart to fall for that one.
Tired of being spoiled all day with groomed trails, we found an open field and decided it definitely needed our signature.
The field afforded a tasty view of Sir Hood. Here’s Mark doing his Lewis and Clark impression.
By the time we headed back up the access road/trail to the parking lot, an assortment of outdoor enthusiasts were making their hilarious way down the hill. We witnessed sledding wipe outs, cross country ski tangles, and one guy with a brilliant plan for his toddler (see below.) I’ll bet he could make a spot of dough hiring out rides back up to exhausted skiers at the bottom of the hill.
Good times! We toasted our success and the New Year back in the parking lot with Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Cider. It comes in green bottles identical to champagne; people probably thought we were lushes. Who cares? The stuff was fantastic, although hot apple cider might have been a better idea on that day.
December 30, 2008
All Thoughts Work™ Outdoors 1 