2/20. Saturday. A rare clear weekend day. Warm. 9 of us snowshoed to Frog Lake and then up to Frog Lake Butte. My phone registered about 23k steps, maybe 9 miles? A good workout.
The trek on Frog Creek Rd to Frog Lake is crowded with dog mushers and snowmobiles (some betching toxic smoke). Once we cut off to the lake in the woods, we lost the crowd. Even though there're obvious signs of other human, we didn't meet any while walking about 270° around the lake. I poked the lake surface with my hiking pole, and it quickly went through to the water. So, you don't want to walk on the ice.
Frog Lake Butte road is also wide, good for cross country ski or snowshoe. However, there is no one. Along the gentle but steady slope (suitable for a car), you get view to the south occasionally.
We saw Jefferson on the way back. We trekked to the top of the butte, greeted by a cell tower. The snow is pristine here, no foot print. Its eastern end offers a decent view to the desert east. Mt Hood to the north was in the clouds, so couldn't see where it was. Only saw it on the drive back. We snowshoed off trail down from the butte.
The trek on Frog Creek Rd to Frog Lake is crowded with dog mushers and snowmobiles (some betching toxic smoke). Once we cut off to the lake in the woods, we lost the crowd. Even though there're obvious signs of other human, we didn't meet any while walking about 270° around the lake. I poked the lake surface with my hiking pole, and it quickly went through to the water. So, you don't want to walk on the ice. 
Frog Lake Butte road is also wide, good for cross country ski or snowshoe. However, there is no one. Along the gentle but steady slope (suitable for a car), you get view to the south occasionally. 
We saw Jefferson on the way back. We trekked to the top of the butte, greeted by a cell tower. The snow is pristine here, no foot print. Its eastern end offers a decent view to the desert east. Mt Hood to the north was in the clouds, so couldn't see where it was. Only saw it on the drive back. We snowshoed off trail down from the butte.
