Guided Winter Hikes, Snowshoes at Snoqualmie

The Snoqualmie Pass Forest Service Visitor Information Center will open Dec. 20 and begin offering guided hikes and snowshoe tours. Hours of operation will be Thur. - Sun. from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

The guided walks are a great way for hikers to learn more about the wildlife, ecology and features of Washington's winter landscapes.

Information, Sno-Park Permits at visitor center

Services offered at the center include winter recreation information, current weather and avalanche forecasts, local knowledge of the Snoqualmie Pass area, and a wide array of interpretive materials including books, maps and Sno-Park Permits.

> More about Sno-Park and permits you need in winter.
> Find more resources in WTA's Winter Recreation Guide

Sign up for guided winter hikes, snowshoes and skiing starting Dec. 21

Beginning Dec. 21, Forest Service Naturalists at the Snoqualmie Pass Visitor Information Center will offer a variety of guided outdoor winter walks and activities.

To make a reservation, call Kim Larned at 509-852-1062 M-F until Dec. 19. Starting Dec. 20, the visitor center will take reservations Thur.-Sun at 425-434-6111.

Read the hike descriptions provided by the Forest Service, and sign up today:

90 minute walk: 1 mile roundtrip

Saturday and Sundays – 10:00 & 11:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.
Suggested donation: Adults $15, youth 16 and under $10

Join this 1 mile loop that winds through opulent old-growth forest. Elevated up on the snow-pack, you’ll enjoy experiencing the middle-canopy of the trees. You’ll see normally hidden lichens, fungus, winter birds and mammals. Discover what critters made those mysterious tracks and what exactly are all those tiny of black insects flipping around on the snow! We’ll guide you through this winter hike at a moderate pace and with interesting winter ecology facts you can impress your friends and family with.

Extended walk: 5 mile roundtrip

Friday, Saturday and Sundays – 9:00 a.m.
Suggested donation: $25 per person

This winter trek will take you into the heart of Commonwealth Basin, a landscape that is rich with snowshoe routes and interesting winter life. Marten, ground squirrel, bobcat, wolverine all travel through this area, sometimes leaving evidence on the fresh snow. We’ll travel about 5 miles at a moderate pace climbing into the basin, including a lunch break boasting scenery you’ll be craving the rest of the winter.  Bring a well-stocked backpack, lunch and dress for the ever-changing mountain weather for this one; we’ll be out for about 4-5 hours.

Photography walk: 4-5 hours

Beginning January 19, 2013 every other Saturday at 9:30 a.m.
Suggested donation: $25 per person

Photography enthusiasts from expert to novice will enjoy the opportunities for winter inspired photos.  Catch a radiating dendrite or possibly some magnificent hoar frost. Commonwealth Creek offers many unique photographic interests: ice falls, cool vapors and the swirling dark waters of mid-winter. Your guide will inspire discussions about light, composition and exposure. Participants are encouraged to bring their own film or digital cameras and extra batteries. In order to reduce your own exposure, please carry a well-stocked backpack with lunch. This trip usually lasts about 4 - 5 hours.

Kids in Snow! - 90 min. family snowshoe

Beginning January 12, 2013 Saturdays at 1:00 p.m.
Suggested donation:  Adults $15, youth 16 and under $10

Kids of all ages enjoy this 90-minute outing that jump starts participants on their way to earn a Jr. Snow Ranger badge. Identify tracks, learn about exploring nature in winter, and climb into our igloo (snowpack permitting). Discover which animals live nearby that turn white in winter, sleep the winter away, burrow and live entirely under the snow and those that can freeze themselves nearly solid right through until the spring melt. Kids control the speed of this walk, and we have a fleet of snowshoes, just for little feet. Adults can follow along with the kids; we have snowshoes for you too!

Nordic ski - 1-2 hours

January 12, 19, 26 & February 2, 9, 16
Donations are not suggested for this program

The Forest Service has teamed up with the Summit at Snoqualmie Ski Area to offer a guided winter ecology trip on Nordic skis. Begin this outing at Grand Junction on the ski areas’ popular Mt. Catherine Loop. Purchase a ski area ticket, ride the ski lift or ski up and meet the group at the Grand Junction hut. We’ll start skiing from there, making stops to talk about the history of the area, forest succession, wildlife encounters and all things winter related. Please meet promptly at 10 a.m., and plan to be back at the hut by 11:30.

Partnership hikes - 1-mile loops

January 19, 2013
Suggested donation:  Adults $15, youth 16 and under $10

The U.S. Forest Service and Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust are co-sponsoring a day on the snow.  Put on your snowshoes and get out on Sat., January 19, 2013 for three different 1-mile loop snowshoe outings where staff will share history and stories about this region and give you and your family ideas for your next area adventure!