Circumnavigate the Crater Lake Rim on Snowshoes

The weather window is here and the ranger up at the Crater Lake Headquarters Visitor Center says snow conditions are really good now for snowshoeing and XC skiing. There has been a solid month of good freeze-thaw cycles and the weather/snow conditions couldn't be much more ideal in the upcoming weeks. The snow is consolidating nicely and is firm and fast for a 3-day circumnavigation of the crater rim. The itinerary is +/- 11 miles a day for 3 days, completing the 33 mile loop. I'll pick anyone up who's interested; room for 6 and truck has 4 wheel drive. I have winter camping experience and knowledge of winter backcountry travel safety. Zero avalanche exposure unless a freak storm rolls through and drops a foot or two of fresh snow 1-4 days before departure; not impossible but the forecast and historical weather data say this is highly unlikely this time of year.

Each person is responsible for themselves and should come prepared with the proper skills, winter camping knowledge, winter gear, and extra food/fuel to account for unexpected delays or unexpected weather conditions. This is not a beginners snowshoe and requires winter camping/snowshoeing experience as well as moderate-to-high fitness levels in order to make the daily milage requirements. Anyone going should be able to snowshoe 11+ miles a day with a moderately heavy pack.

The following items/skills/abilities are strongly recommended for a safe, fun, and comfortable completion of this trip. I'll go so far as to say they are required. Gear substitutions and modifications may be made to make your kit "winter worthy". Message me if you're unsure about something and I'll let you know if we can make it work. Most 3 season gear can be supplemented with other 3-Season gear for shoulder season alpine conditions.

1. A minimum of a 20 degree bag.

2. A 5+ R-value sleeping pad or multiple closed-cell pads

3. At least one synthetic upper insulator (200 wt. fleece, primaloft, etc.) and a WP/B Hard Shell

4. Synthetic or Merino base layers

5. Sunscreen and sun-hat

6. Trekking poles with snow baskets

7. Camp shoes/Booties & a WP bag for sleeping with boots

8. Wide-mouth hard sided Nalgene of some kind

9. Insulated bottle or hydration hose if using bladder

10. An efficient stove and large pot for melting snow

11. Lots of dense, ready to eat food for quick calories

12. Either have a freestanding tent/bivy, the ability to stake out a tarp/tent with anchors, or other means of staking out a shelter in snow.

13. There needs to be at least two snow-shovels on the team

14. Sunglasses and Ski/Snowboard Goggles, or Mountaineering Sunglasses with side-shields.

15. Have a solid calorie/water intake schedule

16. Should be able to hike sun-up to sun-down (Note: Hiking fast isn't necessary at all, just a steady pace with short breaks is all that's needed to make the daily milage.)

17. Be able to monitor and control their sweat accumulation carefully while hiking.

18. Be able to Identify tree-wells, cornices, voids/hollows under the snow over water, streams, brush, stumps, etc.

I live in Beaverton and would be happy to pick anyone up at a Transit Center Nearby near Portland (Sunset Transit Center?), or further south. Leaving super early in the AM: 4am at the latest, to arrive at Rim Village by 8am.