Snowmobiling and Snow Camping at Summit Lake, Oregon

I have been eager to go snow camping this season and the opportunity presented itself this weekend. Since Katie is not fond of snow camping (she has a hard time staying warm), I went with my friend John. We packed up and left my house around 6 AM Saturday, destined for Skyline SnoPark (Mt. Hood National Forest). This SnoPark is off Hwy 26 SSE of Government Camp, Oregon. It's popular with snowmobiles, offering access to the areas around Clear Lake and Timothy Lake. Skyline SnoPark is also the access point to the Clear Lake Lookout Tower where Katie and I stayed last weekend.

Download route (one-way) as shown in map above in Keyhole Markup Language (KML) format for use with GPS units and mapping programs. Disclaimer.

We arrived at Skyline SnoPark around 7:30 AM. There were already many other snowmobilers there, half of which had motorhomes. The weather was nearly perfect: partly sunny, no wind, temperature in the mid 20's. We unloaded my snowmobiles, hitched up the gear sleds, and headed off down Skyline Road/FSR 42. Our planned destination was Summit Lake Campground, about a 14 mile ride South of the SnoPark. The campground has 5 sites situated on the shores of Summit Lake. It's about 0.8 miles from Skyline Road/FSR 42 on Peavine Road/FSR 141.

The snow was great and the trail recently groomed. The only disappointment was that an automobile had illegally driven on the trail, creating deep ruts all over for many miles (more on that below). We had a great ride cruising along around 20-25 mph pulling our sleds full of gear. In the past, I have pulled one of the sleds while snowshoeing, but this sure made it easier. The turnoff to Summit Lake is not groomed and there were no tracks from other snowmobiles. Luckily it had been colder the previous week, so the snow was firm. We easily made it up Peavine Road/FSR 141 to Summit Lake Campground. Its a beautiful little lake and it was a pleasure having it all to ourselves. It was very quiet except for the occasional echo of our voices.

   

We set up our camp in a nice spot close to the lake shore. This was my first time trying out my new Marmot Alpinist 2P tent. While I set the tent up, John went to work digging out an area to build a fire. We found some firewood outside the campground and used my new Echo CS-271T chainsaw to cut it up. We took turns splitting it and soon had a nice fire going.

   

After enjoying lunch, we went on a snowmobile ride to the Warm Springs Cabin (built and maintained by the Mt. Hood Snowmobile Club). It is farther South along Skyline Road/FSR 42. We found the culprit who had destroyed the groomed trail about a mile from the turn off to Summit Lake. It was an abandoned Jeep Cherokee. Probably some disrespectful people who thought they were above the law. They'll be in for a treat when they receive the bill for towing their rig and are then handed a fine.

   

After passing the abandoned vehicle, the trail was superb. We flew the rest of the way to the cabin. The Warm Springs Cabin is a large log cabin with a wood stove, table, chairs, and loft above. We passed a couple of riders on our way there who had enjoyed lunch at the cabin.

   

Back at camp we started our fire again and relaxed as the sun went down. The temperature had warmed to just over 40°F during the day, but dropped back down around freezing as the sun set. We cooked a delicious meal and then went on a short night ride prior to relaxing around the campfire before bed.

   

I had expected to wake up to clouds and possibly rain Sunday morning, but instead we were greeted with a beautiful sunrise. I took a few pictures in between eating breakfast and packing up camp.

   

On our way back to Skyline SnoPark, we made a side trip up to the Clear Lake Lookout Tower. As we neared the tower, we rode by four cross-country skiers who presumably spent the night at the lookout. Since no one was there, John and I went up to the top to admire the views. I could see more than Katie and I did last weekend. Clear Lake was frozen, Timothy Lake was open water, and the base of Mt. Hood was visible (the top was hidden by clouds).

   

   

A few more miles and we were back at the SnoPark. We had a few sprinkles just before we reached my truck, but soon the sun made another appearance. We lucked out with the weather and had a great trip. Sometimes I feel like like snow camping is even more fun then summer camping. In any case, it is nice to be able to get out year-round.