Contributed by trip leader Kelly Clemen

Nine adventurous participants joined together for the CONC snowshoe up the new Vista Butte trail. Gaining over 700 feet of elevation in one mile, the route can be a bit steep sometimes, but the view at the top is well worth the effort. Our first challenge was getting up the 6-7 foot snowbank from the parking lot to the starting area. Fortunately a chute had already been created and we were able to place our snowshoes and poles on the bank above and then crawl up the chute. We strapped on our snowshoes and started climbing up that 700 feet to the top. We were fortunate that the trail was well-broken which made our trip to the top a lot easier. We stopped several times to get a breather and take off unneeded clothing, but in about 45 minutes we breasted the hill and marveled at the stupendous views of Mt Bachelor, Tumalo Mountain, Broken Top and South Sister as well as the numerous cinder cones and meadows below us. It was a lovely day, so the views were all out in the open. After eating a snack and taking in our fill of the views, we decided to head down a slightly different route paralleling the Vista Butte ski trail so we could tromp through some powdery snow. It added some new scenery to the trip and added a tad bit more mileage to the return. Once back at the trailhead, we had to slide back down the chute to where the cars were parked. Everyone did great on the day and had fun! If you haven't done the Vista Butte snowshoe trail yet, here is a link to a Bulletin article on the trail.