Spent a couple of days at the cabin last weekend, after a few feet of fresh snow and the temperature at 6000 feet staying below freezing for almost the entire week prior we figured it’d be a good chance to start the season at Bear Valley on Saturday. The snow was great, the cold weather made for great conditions and we managed to find plenty of untracked pockets in the trees in the front bowl. Justin, Mandy Baughman’s boyfriend, accompanied us for the day, nice to have a third body along for chats on the chair. Unfortunately his pass ripped off his pants the run prior to lunch, but it warmed up a little for him and he caught some rays while we finished up with a few runs in the early afternoon.
The fresh snow and cold temperatures made for some great scenes at the cabin, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Lakemont Pines lake look so picturesque. Managed to snag quite a few good shots on Sunday morning when Ellie and I ventured our for an early morning coffee.
Last summer we rode our bikes into a backcountry cabin near Bear Trap Basin, on Sunday we decided it’d be good exercise to try to make it through the wilderness to visit the cabin during winter. Unfortunately the deep snow made the couple of miles into Bear Trap Basin too arduous for the day, but it was fun to get off the beaten path and explore.
Lakemont Pines lake in the morning sunrise
The start of the hike into Bear Trap Basin (left), snow tracks (middle), and on the way up the ridge into Bear Trap Basin (right)
Still making our way up (left), and the view west down Highway 4 (right)
Group shot with Katrina, Matt and Luke with Bear Valley in the background (left), and halfway down from the ridge with Mitch and Sarah added to the snowshoe group (right)
Great pictures, hope you’re going to keep doing this.
Happy New Year,
John and Lynn
Sick pics Valtsey, so jealous…
Beautiful pics! I haven’t been into the Bear Trap Basin cabin in years but I’m planning to take my wife in for Valentine’s Day. Since you were in there this summer, I wonder if you remember: is there a woodstove in there?
Man I love the pics. How do we get snow like that here in Aus?