Sumpter Snowshoeing – The North Trail

It was another beautiful day in Sumpter….the kind that just can’t be ignored! It was one of those days with blue skies and sun shining on the snow, that begs a snowshoer to drop everything and grab the snowshoes!

It was actually warm (comparatively speaking of course) by the time we got started. It was a pleasure to be hiking with our friends Ray and Cheryl again. We were joined by Sumpter Dredge State Park Ranger Miranda Krane, and away we went!

` The North Trail January 19th, 2013

We followed the North trail through the Sumpter Dredge State Park. This trail is less than a mile, has a few slight inclines, and follows Cracker Creek along most of the hike. This is particularly a great hike for days with clear blue skies because of breathtaking views seen from the trail.

If you’re not familiar with Sumpter, this is a good hike since it is nearly impossible to get lost while on this trail!

The North trail will take you around behind the Sumpter Dredge and offers views you will not see in the summer.

Take a look at the photos……

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It was another great day on the snowshoe trails in Sumpter…..and the hot chocolate afterwards was pretty good too!  :)

Join us next week as we take a different trail in the State Park!  Watch for details at the Snowshoe Club!

Snowshoeing in Sumpter

It was great week for snowshoeing…..cold temperatures, lots of snow, and even got to do some snowshoeing with a beaver!

J.R. Beaver Sumpter Valley Dredge

See the J.R.  Beaver snowshoeing video at YouTube.

We’ve already been out more times in one week than the entire season last year! We can’t ask for any better snow either….the snow so far this season has been very dry, which makes for easy snowshoeing.

Dry powder means less work and of course….less work equals more fun, right? It’s like we say in Sumpter……“ There’s no snow like Sumpter snow!”

New Year’s Eve 2012

Our first official hike of the season is always New Year’s Eve and it was awesome ~ especially since we had to cancel due to lack of snow last year!

We enjoyed the company of some very nice people who are part-timers working on building a house here in Sumpter.

Ray, Cheryl, and Toby…..(Toby is the four legged snowshoer)

I kind of envied Toby…he got to explore a whole lot more than we did…and he didn’t even need snowshoes! :)

The sun was shining bright and our view of the Elkhorn peaks was breathtaking!

The Elkhorn Peaks above Sumpter, Oregon

Just when I didn’t think the week could get any better…..I got to end it with a hike with one of my favorite snowshoeing partners in Sumpter!

State Park Ranger Miranda Krane (off-duty)

We took the trail leading from the water tower at the North end of town. This is a pretty accessible trail…however,  I would like to caution everyone that due to natural discharge from the water tower,  the end of the street at the gate does have a pretty good sheet of ice!

Unlike other trails around town,  this one does have some vertical climb to it….but the views are well worth the extra effort!

Sumpter Water Tower Trail

Miranda has no problem with this steep climb

As Miranda attacked the hill head-on…I took the easy away following the atv trail around the side of the mountain.

Going around the mountain…instead of straight up…..

Miranda shows us that it is always a lot more fun coming down than going up……

Coming Down

It was a great week for snowshoeing in Sumpter……can hardly wait until the next hike!

Visit the Sumpter Snowshoe Club here.

For more photos, visit:  Facebook.com/sumptersnowshoeing

Snowshoeing through Sumpter

It was a beautiful day for strapping on the snowshoes! All the snow had fallen the night before, the clouds drifted apart, and the sun kept us warm as we took one of my favorite walks through town.  This hike takes us through the State Park…then up into the center of town and over to my favorite part of town!

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Here you go Herb! Hope you enjoy the photos……!

Visit the Sumpter Snowshoe Club here.

Snowmobile Tour of Sumpter

It was a beautiful day for a tour of Sumpter!  I felt sorry for anyone who was not me that day…….!

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Got a snowmobile?  Got snowshoes?

Then you already know what to do with these, right?

We just want to show you where you can take your winter motion devices for some real fun and adventure this winter!

Click the link to watch the video at YouTube…. http://youtu.be/M0vcd727ctw

Visit the Sumpter Snowmobile Club

Visit the Sumpter Snowshoe Club