Cairn Hill and Old Pass Hill are a couple of peaks above Highway 97. Both peaks are great for a short day trip when running low on time. Views in decent weather could include Teanaway and Tronsen Ridge.
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Cairn Hill and Old Pass Hill at a Glance
Access: Highway 97
Round Trip: 6 miles
Elevation Range: 3740′-4885′
Gear: none
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Highway 97 to Cairn Hill
Cairn Hill and Old Pass Hill were also the pups and my backup plan back in January. So it was my second trip to Blewett Pass this year. But we ended up snowshoeing on Tronsen Ridge for the better weather.
I parked directly south of Cairn Hill across the highway. Then I went right up the south ridge. The place didn’t look to have seen much snow this year. And I didn’t start seeing patches until I almost reached the top.
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Next Stop Old Pass Hill
I didn’t stay on Cairn Hill long. But as I began to leave, I postholed almost immediately. So I put on snowshoes before walking down the northern slopes. It was surprising to see a lot more snow on that side.
Shortly, I went down onto the road. Then it was another mile before I would traverse uphill to Old Pass Hill. Luckily, I came across recent snowshoe tracks. But they all turned around right before I started to go up, darn!
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Summit Plus Outro
It was a fairly direct walk-up if I stayed on the crest. Soon, I plowed through the powder and reached the top. The clouds were high enough to let in the views nearby. But I couldn’t see much past the notable Miller Peak.
I didn’t see anyone during the trip. But the songbirds would sometimes come by to keep me entertained. Back to the car I went!
See more trip photos here.