Snowshoeing Barlow Butte, Oregon
After a fun night snow camping at Devils Half Acre Meadow, Matt and I took off on snowshoes for Barlow Butte. Since we were camped at the base of the butte on the Western side, we chose to go almost straight up from there. Our route was about 0.6 miles each way. The temperature was in the mid 20s F with no wind and mostly sunny skies. This was one of those times I regretted not bringing my sunglasses. I figured it was a fairly safe bet to assume it wasn't going to be sunny. It's Oregon after all! I was wrong most of the morning until the clouds started to roll back in.
Download route in Keyhole Markup Language (KML) format for use with GPS units and mapping programs. Disclaimer.
About halfway to the summit, we reached the ridge on the Southwest side of Barlow Butte. It was an open area with great views to the South and West. We took a short break and I watched Matt roll a huge snowball off the ridge. Unfortunately it disappeared before we could see its final resting place.
As we reached the summit, the sun was shinning directly down on Barlow Butte. Matt looked quite comfortable laying in the snow protected from the sun by his glacier glasses. Obviously he was more prepared for the sun than I was. I enjoyed the view for a bit before hiding in the shadows of a nearby tree.
I was relieved as clouds begab to roll in before we headed back down to camp. The return hike was a speedy one. It only took us about 10 minutes to get down. We were able to do a standing glissade much of the way down, although I ended up falling a few times and resorted to a sitting glissade. I don't come close to having the balance Matt does. Amazingly, he didn't fall a single time.
Disclaimer: You are responsible for informing yourself of the hazards of backcountry travel and taking the necessary precautions. Loomis Adventures may not be held liable.
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Matt in the snow
I think his comfort may be mistaken for momentary exhaustion, and his glacier glasses look a lot like a beanie put over his eyes. :P Admittedly it was pretty comfy in the soft snow and the hat helped block all of the bright light. I think I've got the bag of gummy-pigs in my hand in that picture. What a weird, but tasty, gummy snack.
I actually ended up with a pretty decent tan on my face from Saturday. The sun is definitely getting more intense as it heads towards the solstice. We probably had only an hour or so of direct sun on us. So I'm glad it wasn't sunnier or sunny for longer or I probably would have burned.
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