Another typical April rainy weekend in the Pacific Northwest. I discovered Tronsen Ridge Peak while looking for a new hike east of the Cascades. But the 70% chance rain after 11 AM meant we could still squeeze in the short climb before the rainfall.
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Tronsen Ridge Peak at a Glance
Access: NF-7224
Round Trip: 4.5 miles
Elevation Range: 3080′-4970′
Gear: snowshoes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Road Walk on Patchy Snow
For context, Tronsen Ridge Peak sits on the northern end of the long-running Tronsen ridge. The peak is also the nearest higher point of Tiptop where the pups and I visited two years ago.
Because of the snow berm off the highway, the area was still inaccessible. Glad I brought snowshoes for this trip. So I could use them lower down. Later, we left the 3600′ road bend and went up the west ridge. But to my surprise, the ridgeline was mostly snow-free.
See more trip photos here.
Tronsen Ridge Peak West Ridge
Right away, we felt the intense south wind on the ridge. But glad that there was tree coverage to enjoy the climb more. The snow-free terrain happened to be on the windward side.
So to avoid the wind, we continued on the leeward slopes in shallow snow. Then the final part of the climb involved light rock scramble. But above there, the summit still had lots of snow.
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Tronsen Ridge Peak Summit
It had been snowing for the past half an hour. Then we arrived on a semi woodsy and windy summit as the snow continued to fall. Glad we were able to take refuge behind big trees on the northern slopes.
The weather today was similar to Tronsen Head back in December. This time, we were in the clouds with no views. So I could only imagine what we could have seen on a clear day.
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Rainy Outro
The pup and I spent just enough time to eat and chitchat before we left the top. Later, lower on the ridge, the snow turned into rain. Then the wind stopped.
Back at the 3600′ road bend, we continued down the ridge. So we could cut the switchbacks on the road.
See more trip photos here.