Snowy Mountain is somewhat of a hard hike and there aren’t a lot of viewpoints. The trail near the top was very slippery and steep that it took a lot of my energy. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It provided a good workout and I loved the trails. There is a fire tower in the middle of the forest and it provided amazing views. The people I met were very fun to talk to and we all shared a good time together at the fire tower.
Snowy Mountain Important Information
Trail Map: Trail Map 1
Suggested Phone GPS Apps: Alltrails.com, Avenza Maps, Google Maps
Difficulty: Strenuous
Distance: 7.5 Miles
Elevation Gained: 2,300 ft
Portable Toilet At Parking: None
Trail Breakdown
1 Mile Red Trail Flat
1.6 Mile Red Trail Going Up
1 Mile Red Trail Steep
Red Trail Going Back Down
Note: The information is just an approximation.
Parking
Start Of The Hike
“What are you going to do with that axe?” I asked a fellow hiker I met on the way to the trail head.
“For firewood!”, he replied.
“Good! I thought it was for chopping body parts!”, I said and we all laughed.
His group consisted of 5 men and 3 women, all going up the mountain. We had a brief discussion when we were at the parking lot and before we knew it, we were all talking like we were all friends. But such conversations were short lived as they were too fast for me to keep up and in time, I was all alone, hiking again in solitude.
Red Trail
Red Trail
Red Trail
Red Trail
Stream
Planks
River
More Planks
Trail By The River
Red Trail Start Of Going Up
The start of the ascent was a trail with a set of stones perfectly aligned to look like a set of man-made stairs. I took a 5 minute rest, drank some water, and massaged my legs a little bit as the tough part of the hike was about to start. The flat trail ended here and the only trail that was left to conquer was the grueling and arduous ascent to the fire tower.
Muddy
Difficult and arduous, the steep footpath went on and on without any hint of ending. I kept moving and kept going but every time I looked up, it was all the same, more ascents or more going up. There didn’t seem to be an end to the trail with my body starting to feel the fatigue accumulating inside of itself as I could feel the toll on my mind increasing as well.
Slippery
The torturous ascent never let up as kept going higher and higher. This time, the trail became wet, muddy and slippery as I tried my best to maneuver my body to find a safe and easy path but there was none. I had to endure the tough terrain while hoping I will come out safe and sound.
Red Trail
Water Gushing Downward
It was a river, although it may not look like it but the water was flowing down like a river. There were plants, rocks, moss, and trees growing at the trail but in between those rocks, there was water flowing like fire hydrant opened at maximum. I went to the left side, trying to avoid the water and plant life as much as possible but there were times when the trail stopped and I had to go to the center.
View By Looking Back
View looking back after I got to the second part or after I got a little higher.
Second Part
I arrived at the second part of the trail as the water with all its force kept flowing downward. It was wild, untamed and unmaintained. The trail marker was just stuck on a tree and there was no way to get there other than to keep moving up. There was no footpath, and no visible trail that I could find, the trail marker was just a sign telling me to get up.
Going Up – Very Slippery
The flowing water calmed down a little bit, the higher I got up the mountain. It trickled downward with a few rocks that looked dry and undisturbed. But the smooth stone combined with water was very slippery and I had a hard time getting up as I had to plan where to properly place my footing in order to keep myself safe and sound.
Somewhat Flat But Slippery
The last part of the trail was slippery but it was flat. At least I won’t drop down a few feet if I fell down or so I thought to myself. I kept moving, kept pushing on until I finally got to the top.
First Viewpoint
Trail To Fire Tower
Second Viewpoint
Vista
Snowy Mountain Fire Tower
Snowy Mountain Fire Tower From Below
Snowy Mountain Fire Tower Views
Snowy Mountain Fire Tower Vista
Snowy Mountain Fire Tower Rain Clouds
Looking Down From Fire Tower
Going Back – Saw First Viewpoint Again
End Of The Hike
