My trek along the NCT to the Jordan River today was an oddity. I don’t normally hike the National Scenic Trails in winter, nor do I normally hike just one day. Unless, that is, I happen to be in the area. And I was. I was checking out nearby Bay View, a historic area, and tacked an extra day onto my trip so I could hike this stretch of the NCT that I bailed on last fall, when rain was in the forecast. It was a good call.

Ed (Stubs) and I brought along our snowshoes. While there wasn’t much snow in Bay View, there was a lot on the trail. Ed dropped me off where I’d ended last September, then drove to the next trailhead and hiked in to meet me. What a trek!

The snow was deep and powdery, so the scenery was gorgeous. But no one had hiked or snowshoed through here, so we were breaking fresh trail. And this first section was super hilly. We both had quite the workout! Even when we met up and both headed southbound, using Ed’s freshly broken trail, it still was difficult.

Heading Toward the Jordan River

Once we made it to the trailhead on M-32, things got much easier. The terrain flattened out, for one. Plus, the trail is near the Warner Creek Pathway (it might piggyback on a portion), which is a popular local trail. So we ran into a lot of other people, and the trail was broken in quite well.

As we neared the end of this segment, which for us was the Jordan River National Fish Hatchery, the crowds thinned and the trail became less traveled. Still, it was much easier than that first section.

Hiking in All Seasons

If you haven’t yet hiked in the winter, check it out! Snowshoeing makes for slower going, but it’s so beautiful to see a snow-covered landscape. And if there’s no snow, it’s still a refreshing experience.

Snowshoe

MI NCT miles today: 13 (20.9 km)
MI NCT miles to date: 624.3 (1,004.7 km)
Total NCT miles to date: 1,391.8 (2,239.9 km)
Total NCT miles to go: 3,208.2 (5,163.1 km)

 

 

©2018 Melanie McManus – All Rights Reserved

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