Christmas in Pittsburgh reminded me of the icy northeast winters; needless to say, I was eager to get back outside upon return to the temperate PNW! What better way to do this than to break in my new snowshoes? On New Year's Day, my co-workers, Aminh and Kayla, planned to travel to Frog Lake Sno-Park, located in the Mt. Hood National Recreation Area (about 1.5 hours southeast of town). Twin Lakes is a popular hiking trail that services snow shoeing and cross country skiing in the winter. The 7-mile out-and-back trail gains 1,360' (high point 4,500').
We set off from the trailhead around 11am, ascending gradually through old growth forest on the Pacific Crest Trail. We could not have asked for a more beautiful blue-bird day. Though temperatures remained in the 30s, there was no wind chill.
At a junction about 2 miles in, the Twin Lakes Trail drops to Lower Twin Lake. The sunshine felt marvelous.
It's possible to circle the mountain lake, but our trio continued forward as the trail traverses up and switchbacks. After about a mile, the tread descends to the shore of Upper Twin Lake where Mt. Hood’s snowy peak rises above the lake shore woods. We relaxed here for a bit before heading back to a busy parking lot by 2:30pm. Apparently, everyone had the same idea to spend New Year's on the mountain because we hit
four hours of traffic on the way back. Still worth it though! I am also pleased to know that I can still get outdoors this winter despite taking another season off from alpine skiing.
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| Date snowshoed:1/1/19 |
While the act of making New Year's resolutions is controversial, I believe that it's healthy to periodically step back and evaluate one's life and general contentment. After reflecting on my own progress, there are a number of goals that I would like to work towards in the coming year. The one that I am most excited about is picking up a new hobby: rock climbing. I've dabbled with the sport previously, but this is a serious commitment to gain strength, skill, and maybe a few friends at the climbing gym. Additional targets on my radar include reducing the amount of processed food and stress in my life, as well as pursuing service work.
Let the journey begin... cheers to 2019!
