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| Schreibers Meadow was still under more than two feet of snow. |
Road
Access: Road #12
was open and clear of snow to the junction with Road #13. Road #13 was clear of
snow to within about 2 miles of Schreibers Meadow Trailhead. The snowpack has
been melting rapidly and it will not be long before visitors can park much
closer to the trailhead. Please park courteously along the side of the road,
leaving plenty of space for large vans, trucks, and trailers to get past.
Trail
Status: Park Butte
and Scott Paul trails were completely snow covered from about half a mile below
the trailhead. There were a lot of snowmobilers using the National Recreation
Area and they are allowed to do so until there is less than two feet of snow at
the trailhead. Snow bridges over creeks and other hazards are treacherous this
time of year because they can melt out from below and be much thinner than they
appear from above. We prefer to use some sort of flotation—such as snowshoes or
skis—to distribute our weight across the snowpack, making for safer and more
efficient travel.
 |
| Rocky Creek and the Metcalf Moraine area are still covered in snow. |
Snow
Level: Continuous
snow coverage above approximately 3200 feet.
Snow
Observations: We
found soft corn snow on all aspects with little overnight recovery occurring
due to the warm temperatures. We received reports of some icy sections and
breakable crust above 8000 feet.
Route
Observations and Additional Information: The route up the Squak Glacier was in typical
early-season form, with good snow coverage on most crevasses and direct route
finding to Sherman Crater. Cracks were already beginning to appear on the upper
summit wall, but these were easily end run by traversing to the climber’s left.
Grant Peak was under snow.
 |
| Only minor suncupping was developing on the Squak Glacier. |
 |
| The route was is typical early-season form. |
As always, please pack out all garbage and human waste using blue bags or another system. Blue bags are available for free from the USFS Service Center in Sedro Woolley. Help us protect our water sources and our wilderness so that all visitors may enjoy it. Thanks and happy climbing!
