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Past Activity

Midnight Lake

  • Start date: 01/12/2020

  • Start time: 12:00 AM

  • End date: 01/12/2020

  • End time: 11:59 PM

Description:

This is a good first trip of the year for experienced skiers. We'll leave from Gold Lake Sno-Park, ski in the flat road to Pengra Pass, then head over to the PCT. Here the trail makes a steady climb through the trees until it levels out for the stretch to Midnight Lake, where we'll stop for a snack or early lunch with the gray jays. From there we'll continue in a clockwise direction on the rolling terrain over to Abernethy Road and Bechtel Shelter, for another potential break. From there, it's a long downhill glide back to Pengra Pass and back to the Sno-Park.

The route might be altered if necessary due to snow conditions, but will remain comparable in length and difficulty.

  • Event Leader: Sue Wolling

  • Event Leader Phone: 541-345-2110

  • Event Leader Email: sue.wolling@gmail.com

  • Assistant Leader:

  • Event category: Trips

  • Area Type: Mountain

  • Departure Location: South Eugene High School, 19th & Patterson

  • Rating: Moderate

  • Roundtrip total drive miles: 120

  • Season: 2020

  • Permits Required:

  • Event Status: Passed

  • Supplies and Equipment Required: Skis, Boots, Poles, Food, Water, layers of non-cotton clothing, and optional gaiters, wax/Maxi-Glide, sun screen, and all the other things you haven't thought about since skiing last winter. If you possibly could drive, please be prepared to drive--I'll provide a sno-park permit if needed.

  • participant prerequisites:

  • Conditions:

  • Total Distance: 6

  • Member Fees: 1

  • Elevation Gain: 600

  • Non-Member Fees: 5

  • Committee: Trips

  • Junior member fees: —

Trip Report

The forecast of "10 to 18 inches of snow with wind 24 to 30 mph and gusts as high as 49 mph" was daunting, but 8 of us decided to give it a go anyway--and we're glad we did! Though trail was broken for the first flat mile to Pengra Pass, the trai on to Midnight Lake was under about 8 inches of fresh snow. But thanks to Harold's mighty trail-breaking, with a little help from Sue, we made it to Midnight Lake without much trouble. It was tempting to declare victory and glide down the same trail we had just broken, but we decided to soldier on to Bechtel Shelter. The snow on this leg suddenly became much deeper--somewhere between knee and thigh-deep in places--but with Sam pitching in to help break trail, we made it to Abernethy Road. Sam and Harold rewarded themselves with some turns through the trees, while the rest of us stayed on the road to re-group at Bechtel Shelter for a chilly lunch while the group before us struggled to get a fire started in the stove. Getting back on skis helped us to warm up, and we enjoyed a glide down to Pengra Pass and back to the parking lot. As it turned out, only about 5 inches of snow fell while we were there, and the predicted winds never materialized (except for a few seconds of a windy white-out on the drive back), so we were glad to have enjoyed a snowy day in the mountains.