Missed summit of Mt. Herman

Getting there...

Mt Herman Rd was passible to low-clearance vehicles until about 1.5 miles from the trailhead. We parked on the side of the road at one of the many pull-offs and hiked the rest of the way to the trailhead.

Miles Hiked

Approximately 4.0

Elevation Gain

Approximately 1000'

The Hike

The trailhead is easy to find from Mt Herman Rd and there is parking space for a few vehicles. Upon reaching the trailhead we found tons of snow. The trail itself was difficult to spot so we set out and did our best. After a short distance hiking along the stream and after several postholing incidents, we decided to climb the slope to the East. Upon reaching the top we foung indications of the trail. After a short distance here we found a stair and some snow-covered tracks; we knew we were on the trail. Another .5 mile of hiking and we were spent from all of the postholing so we decided to turn back. The GPS indicated we had made it to 8620'. On the way back we followed our route to the ridge we had first climbed, but then we decided to take what appeared to be a trail down instead of the slope we had first climbed. This quickly turned to a slippery, steep slope where my wife and I got our first experience glissading, and without an ice axe! There were enough trees to break our short runs. Back at the road, with a few bruises and a cut to my wife's hand, we headed back to the car. The day was enjoyable and educational and we will definitely be back after more snow is gone to summit this mountain.

Partner(s)

My wife Amber.