Hager Mountain Fire Lookout - January 17-19, 2025

For our fourth visit since 2021 we encountered very low snow levels on Hager Mountain, making the approach and descent more difficult. The snow was also very consolidated and extremely firm, with winds keeping it from softening despite milder temperatures in the 30s during the day and sunshine. While we were able to skin up most of the approach, we were only able to ski down 1.3 miles of the approximately 4-mile route, then hiked the remaining distance carrying our skis. Certainly snowshoes would have been preferable in these conditions! Our Saturday in the lookout was a mellow, sunny day of relaxation.

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