N e w s

The week of March 16th begins with a cloudy and windy but mild Sunday with and chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and highs in the high 50's. Monday will have showers in the morning with a thick cloud cover all day and highs in the low 50's. Tuesday will be milder with plenty of sun and highs in the high 50's. Wednesday will be mild with times of clouds and sun with highs in the high 50's. Thursday, the first day of spring, will have variable cloudiness with a couple of showers and highs in the low 50's. Friday will be cloudy, windy and colder with occasional rain in the morning and highs in the mid 30's. On Saturday it will be mostly cloudy with highs in the mid 40's. Some trails may still have some snow suitable for snowshoes but most trails will have a trench with frozen snow and ice. Some ice and snow has melted and refrozen during the cooler nights making ice the bigger problem. Higher temperatures this week will melt much of what is on the trails but cooler nighttime temperatures will continue to result in the formation of ice. Spikes, snowshoes, and even crampons are a must this time of year. Research your hike to determine what traction devices may be necessary. Remember you can't wear them if you aren't carrying them. Daylight will continue to slowly increase heading toward the summer solstice. Packing a working headlamp is always a good idea as it may mean the difference between finishing a hike easily and wandering around in the forest. NEVER assume that conditions at the trailhead are the conditions on the mountain. When the weather conditions are constantly changing, be sure you have dressed appropriately in clothing that will wick away moisture to prevent it from accumulating in your clothing, which can, at the very least, be uncomfortable. Layering should be with non-cotton materials as cotton tends to hold moisture. Keeping hydrated is essential no matter the temperatures since hydrating properly will allow you to hike longer and in greater comfort. Be sure to carry plenty of water with you as local water sources can be unreliable and may be contaminated. Once you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated! Remember, the weather forecast is only a prediction and always contains percentages. Be prepared and have a plan for the most likely and least likely forecast! Are you prepared to stay out overnight on a trail? Conditions in the morning can change drastically by the afternoon. Conditions at the trailhead do not always reflect the conditions on the peaks! Variable trail and weather conditions are a hallmark of these mountains. BE CAREFUL AND BE PREPARED!

Sheila: September 24, 2011 - July 12, 2024

Sheila was with us for more than 12 years. She was a great friend and a fantastic hiking companion. She went with me on all but a handful of hikes in many diverse places. Her first hike was at Frick Pond in December 27, 2011. Her last hike was July 1, 2024 on the Parksville Rail Trail. After that hike, her health began to deteriorate rapidly. When she could no longer breathe properly we called on the staff of the Jeffersonville Animal Hospital to put an end to her suffering. We cannot express are gratitude for the caring and companionate treatment we received. The end was quick and quiet. Cindy and I stayed with Shiela until it was over. She never seemed in distress. We are heartbroken but knew that what we did was right for our good friend.

Winter Hiking Gear

Recently there has been a lot of discussion on social media about snowshoes and other winter traction devices. The choice of this kind of equipment is highly personal and depends upon diverse criteria including hiking terrain and hiker budget. Few people will ever agree completely on the "best" equipment and even on what equipment to bring on a hike. Steve Olesen was kind enough to work up two chart that deal with this subject. One chart lists some popular brands of snowshoes while the other has other traction devices from spikes to full crampons. Many thanks to Steve. Check out his list below:

Snowshoes
Other Devices

Sunday: December 1st: Cemetery Loops
Thursday: December 5th: Cemetery Loops Redoux
Thursday: December 12th: More Cemetery Loops
Saturday: December 14th: Parksville Rail Trail
Thursday: December 26th: Round Top Figure 8
Monday: December 30th: Round Top Loop
Monday: January 6th: Round Top Figure 8+
Saturday: January 18th: Parksville Rail Trail
Wednesday: January 29th: Parksville Falls
Wednesday: February 12th: Parksville Falls
Wednesday: February 26th: Parksville Falls
Tuesday: March 4th: Round Top Loop
Monday: March 10th: Parksville Abort
Tuesday: March 11th: Round Top Ramble
Thursday: March 20th: Round Top Figure 8s Off Leash