Winter Blast on Black Butte

Hiked this with Larry, Sarah, and Ric from the Bend Hiking Meetup.  The trail was entirely snow-covered. We donned microspikes at the trailhead and headed out.

The first three miles were pleasant, with peekaboo views of the Cascades. Once we passed the upper trailhead, it started snowing. Then the wind picked up. The visibility dropped.

We made it within a few hundred yards of the summit and decided to call it our summit. Briton’s that point, Larry and Ric ventured off trail and determined that there was a whole lotta post-holing. Coupled with the biting winds and the low visibility, we made the call to turn around.

Great hike!