FSPW invite friends for hikes

From snowshoe stroll to extreme adventure; the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness winter hikes program has featured both ends of the spectrum and most levels in between over the past dozen years. Once again, this winter promises to be all of that.

“In the past, we’ve had winter hikes for just about every level of fitness,” says FSPW Executive Director Phil Hough, “from a walk along Lightning Creek road — groomed in the winter — to late winter climbs to Scotchman and Star Peak. Those are a little more ambitious.”

“A little more ambitious” is somewhat of an understatement. The rating system for FSPW’s hikes in the Scotchmans is E for Easy, M for Moderate, S for Strenuous and S+ for S+upid, a tongue-in-cheek warning that some hikes are for the very fit only. Both the Scotchman and Star hikes are rated S+, but there are a lot of other options, including hikes into the Ross Creek Cedars and other lower elevation walks on unplowed roads that have often been “groomed” by snowmobiles.

“A winter hike is a chance to experience a different world,” says Hough. “It’s very quiet, and a snow-pack changes how the planet looks considerably. Animals actually seem more present, because their tracks stand out. It’s fun and illuminating to get a chance to study their trails.” As well as make your own.

Hough led the first hike of the season January 20 along Lightning Creek to Regal Creek Trail, where a modicum of effort took the group to a panoramic view of the Lightning Creek canyon and the visage of Bee Top Mountain. Other hikes will include a foray up the east end of Pillick Ridge on January 27, two hikes into Ross Creek, and several explorations of the southern edge of the Scotchman Peaks proposal.

To learn more about the FSPW winter hike series or sign up for a hike, visit http://www.scotchmanpeaks.org/hiking. For more specifics about leading hikes, write to [email protected].