Sandwich Dome

Trail: Sandwich Mountain Trail, Jennings Peak Spur, Drakes Brook Trail

Conditions: Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts

“Not a lot of recent activity on this loop. Did the full snowshoe-course counterclockwise. One recent soul broke out to Jennings Peak then went back down Drakes Brook Trail. From area of Jennings Peak, I broke out to Sandwich Dome. First tracks since last big snowstorm. Lots of deep dry powder but typical for breaking trail. Around three feet of snow or more off-trail but nothing significantly deep. A couple thigh-high spruce traps going around leaners or blowdowns but nothing of major significance. At Sandwich Summit there is a developing wind-blown snow headwall on the short scamper to viewpoint. It is sandwiched between a group of spruce trees. I would say current height is about 8-9 feet. It was consolidated enough to go up and across (I did not even dent the surface) but just throwing it out there for safety awareness. I weigh about 200 pounds with wear and without backpack. Note: No other connecting trails (i.e. Smart Brook Trail) were broken out between Jennings and Sandwich Dome. A few other snowshoes in there will make this trail nice and tidy. Still a work in progress up top.”

Trail: Drakes Brook Trail, Sandwich Mountain Trail, Jennings Peak Spur, bushwhack, Fletcher Cascades Trail

Conditions: Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder

“I successfully bushwhacked from Sandwich summit to Flat Mtn and down to the Cascades. All of the trails I took had been traveled recently, with just a fresh inch on top. The other routes to Sandwich did not look to have been traveled at all lately. Spikes would be fine for the traveled trails, but I wore snowshoes all day and saw 2 others in snowshoes too. The snow steadily increases with elevation, and bushwhacking off the summit I was knee deep most of the way down to Drakes Pass. There is supposedly an abandoned trail (shown on Gaia) but I had no luck finding it, so next time I would just stay further to the NW and go in more of a straight line. The woods in the pass were bad, but the snow was only half as deep on Flat, so I decided to continue though I wasn’t sure if I’d make it since it was very slow going. As is typical on a 5 mile bushwhack, there were good and bad parts, but more good than bad in my opinion, and I would take this route again, but it’s probably much easier without snow. The woods are almost entirely spruce, a lot of what I’d call pencil woods, sometimes open, sometimes very tight. It was a satisfying whack and I got back down to the beautiful frozen cascades pretty quickly and then back to the truck, about 8 hours for the 11+ mile hike.”

Trail: Sandwich Mountain Trail, Jennings Peak Spur, Drakes Brook Trail

Conditions: Snow - Unpacked Powder

“We had our fingers crossed for the golden ticket and we got it! Three of us laid first tracks to Jennings and Sandwich. The postholios who followed were quickly twarted from any summits due to inefficiency and fatigue. No need to worry though because of group of three in snosshoes repaired the damage. It's a beauty of a track now so get it while the gettins' good. Bring your shoes though because the soft snow doesn't consolidate well.”