Walloper Creek Loop from Lodgepole Lake

There are a number of snowshoe routes starting at Lodgepole Lake. The road is usually plowed right to the Rec Site at the end of the lake. Users stomp in tracks around the lake and through the forest in the area between hills. Longer routes can also be stomped in and various loops are possible. On the first day of the New Year we dropped down to a large pond then followed the Walloper Creek drainage southwest. there are some flagged routes in this area and there are also some motorcycle routes connecting the backroads and skid tracks but some navigation will still be required. Our goal was to go over to Melba Lake but deep untracked snow made progress slow so we opted for a shorter loop. The stomped-in route was hard work and took 3 hours but anyone who wants to try this loop can just follow our track. Its always a lot easier when it has been set, especially if a bit of warmer weather helps the snow to consolidate.

We have hiked in the area in dry conditions and some of the same terrain can be covered, but it is a much better snowshoe area, set at 4600 feet in the High Country. For snowshoers interested in the Lodgepole Lake area, turn onto the Chuwhels Mountain Road at Stake Lake and park at the end of the road. There will be snowshoe tracks through the campground and beyond into the forest, across cutblocks and replanted slopes, and to the area’s ponds and creeks. If you choose to explore farther, carry a compass, a GPS, or use an app on your mobile phone to help you find your way back to the parking area. Lodgepole Lake is a bit hidden, sandwiched between 3 hills.