Mallardy Ridge Snowshoe

We made it up the road about 1 1/2 miles before the trailhead until the snow made us pull over and park (a vehicle with traction devices could make it all the way). There were only about 2 1/2 inches of snow on the road, so our snowshoes stayed strapped to our packs until we were a mile past the trailhead.

The snow got deeper as we gained elevation, about 2 1/2 feet at the basin atop the ridge. We walked in a steady, 36 degree rain the whole way, not as asthetically pleasing as snow but a great test of our cold/wet weather winter gear. Despite last week's strong winds, the trail was remarkably free of blowdowns.