01
Jan
2018
jloomis

New Years snow camping at Shellrock Creek Campground

Katie and I wanted to take Julian snow camping again this new year like we did last new year. We like to start and finish the year snow camping. It has been an odd winter so far with alternating low and high snow levels, so I went out scouting for a spot Saturday. We wanted to avoid the crowds near snoparks this year. I found about 6-12 inches of snow at one of my favorite upper Clackamas River areas, Shellrock Creek campground. And I was able to drive my truck there so we wouldn't need the snowmobiles this trip. Shellrock Creek campground is located just up the road (FR 58) from FR 57 before the PGE gate where the road turns to gravel. It's about 33 miles SE of Estacada.

Since we were staying away from the Government Camp area, we didn't have to deal with traffic. We had a liesurely start and didn't leave home until about 9 AM. We arrived around 10:30 AM to sunny skies and a temperature of 29°F. There was just one other truck at the campground, the same guys I had talked to the day before.

Julian sledding while we finish setting up camp     Inside our our warm cozy tent

We setup camp before proceeding to play. Julian loves riding on his sled, but he soon may outgrow it for a small snowmobile. We'll have to see what next year brings.

Fun times sledding     Katie and Julian in the snow

We spent the day alternating between playing in the snow and relaxing in our warm tent. We even let Katie take a short nap while Julian and I went on a short hike up stream.

Katie and Julian at Shellrock Creek Campground in the snow     Shellrock Creek, Oregon in the winter
Single drop of water on a Western Red Cedar branch     Snow Camping in an Eskimo FatFish 6120i

The other folks staying at the campground left that afternoon, so we had the whole area to ourselves New Years Eve. Much different from last year at Little John snopark.

Julian pulling sled up a hill     The whole family warm and cozy snow camping New Years Eave

In the morning Julian was eager to get some more sledding in before we left. I concentrated on getting everything packed up while Katie and Julian played some more in the snow. We had a great time with beautiful weather. Happy New Year.

Partial Gear List

Fiskars 28 in. Splitting Axe
Kel-Tec P-3AT .380 Auto
Kni-Co Alaskan Jr Camp Wood Stove
Eskimo FatFish 6120i Pop-UP Shelter
High Peak Alpinismo Arete Mummy Bag
Marmot Lithium MemBrain 0F Sleeping Bag
Therm-A-rest Explorer Self-Inflating Mattress
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Mattress
Disc-O-Bed Cam-O-Bunk Portable Bunk Bed Cots
Regalo My Cot Deluxe with Sleeping Bag
Suboos Gen 2 Ultimate LED Tent Lantern
Columbia Titanium Hightail II Softshell Jacket
Head Digital Sport Liner Gloves
Columbia Men's Fast Trek Fleece Hat
Petzl TIKKA XP 2 Headlamp
Olympus Tough TG-1 Camera
Lifeline Aluminum Sport Utility Snow Shovel
First Aid Kit
Samsung Galaxy S6 Active w/BackCountry Navigator

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