The Yurtathon II - We Don't Need No Stinking Gear.

Garry, Lisa, Pam, Sherrie and I set off for the second annual Yurtathon in The Mount Tahoma Trails System (skimtta.com). This event requires hiking or snowshoeing to The Yurt along the Lower Yurt Trail and then back along the regular trail.

There is never any grooming along the Lower Yurt Trail so it is always interesting.

We set out at about 8:45 and headed up. The Lower trail had less snow on it than in previous visits although there were plenty of opportunities to posthole and we took advantage of many of them. We had decided at the parking lot which was completely clear to leave the snowshoes behind so we had already taken that choice away.

 

The deepest parts are the more open ones, but it is hard to avoid postholing this time of the year. There are places that the snow below has melted away and in you go.

By the time we made the junction of the main trail which leaves an uphill mile to go to get to the Yurt we were ready for some easier travel and got it. We arrived and had the Yurt to ourselves for a spectacular hour of food, water, rest and conversation.

We headed up the regular trail. That's right, UP. The challenging part of the Yurtathon is it's resemblance to stories your parents or grandparents told you about going uphill both ways on the way to school. You go downhill to the junction and then it's a steady 2 miles uphill to High Point which is just past SnoBowl hut. From there on you get your downhill reward for the last 3.5 miles to the parking lot.

All in all it is just over 13 miles so a half marathon length hike. We had considered calling it the Half Yurtathon, but It is a full Yurtathon even though it is just a half marathon in length. The name stays.

Be very well and more soon.....