Tumalo Mountain Trail Covered With Snow

We typically hike Tumalo Mountain once a year - usually late spring/early summer once the snow melts. However, we have been anxious to get back into the Cascades after a winter of hiking in the High Desert and the opportunity to tackle Tumalo Mountain arose last Saturday. Tumalo Mountain, just north east of Mt. Bachelor, has a height of 7,779 feet. The hike up to its peak climbs over 1400 feet in two miles and is considered difficult due to its steepness.  However, we have never attempted this hike with snow on the ground and found the trail challenging. The snow drifts were from 3 to 6 feet, although the snow was compacted and we managed with a GPS to somewhat follow the trail to the summit using trekking poles and micro spikes. Once reaching the summit, the views towards Mt Bachelor and towards the Three Sisters and Broken Top were outstanding. After enjoying the views and a quick lunch, the return trip had additional challenges as the snow softened with the warm weather. All in all, we saw only one other hiking couple and a pair of paragliders jumping from the peak on our return. It will be awhile before the snow fully melts in the Cascades after the winter storms. But in the meantime, we will take advantage of any hike we can access as soon as it becomes passible.