Forest Service guided snowshoe walks for adults and children are beginning again on weekends starting Jan. 8 at Stevens Pass and Jan. 9 at Snoqualmie Pass.
No experience is necessary, and snowshoes are provided.
Stevens Pass offers a two-hour program for all skill levels. It includes a slide show about the area’s history, including the 1910 Wellington avalanche disaster. Visitors then begin an easy 1-mile round-trip snowshoe hike on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Sessions at Snoqualmie Pass include beginning, intermediate and advanced level tours. A 90-minute trip teaches winter birding and how to track animals. The more advanced extended trip goes through Commonwealth Basin. The “Kids in the Snow” program teaches children about snow safety, as well as providing fun activities.
Guides stress that you should wear layered and insulated clothing, hats and gloves, with sturdy, waterproof boots for the snowshoes. Jeans or cotton clothing are no-nos.
To offset the costs of the program, the Forest Service suggests a donation of $10 per person for most tours and $20 for the extended hike at Snoqualmie Pass.
Herald staff
Planning your snowshoe adventure
Stevens Pass
Reservations: Call Skykomish Ranger District, 360-677-2414.
Introductory snowshoeing: Ages 6 and older; group size 20; Noon to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Jan. 8 to March 27.
Bus service: Sultan Shuttle offers transportation from Sultan or Monroe to the resort. Call 425-330-4467 or go to sultanshuttle.com for fees and schedules.
Snoqualmie Pass
Reservations: Before Jan. 8 call 509-852-1062, afterwards call 425-434-6111. Trips for special events and school groups can be scheduled. Meet 15 minutes early at visitor’s center off I-90, exit 52 on Snoqualmie Pass.
Interpretive 90-minute walk: Group size 20; 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Jan. 9 to March 27.
Extended half-day hikes: Group size 10; 9:30 a.m. Fridays through Sundays, Jan. 9 to March 27.
Kids in the Snow program: All ages welcome, group size 20; 1 p.m. Saturdays, Feb. 5 to March 27.
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