The Ridge Road (an old Forest Service road that is now a trail) makes a nice pleasant snowshoe or back-country ski trip with great views. It is relatively open and with moderate slopes – except for either end! See the White Salmon page for a map.

The White Salmon trailhead gives several options for outings – but parking is very limited and frequently fills up on nice weekends (I go early in the day during the week and have no trouble…) If I were to drive up to White Salmon on a nice day, planning on a beautiful ski and found no parking, I would go to Plan B:

Plan B: Drive up to the lower Mt. Baker Downhill Ski Resort parking lot at mile 52. Go to the back left corner of the parking lot. While the lot is maintained by the resort primarily for downhill skiers, it is open to the general public. From this back corner of the lot, look over the edge and note the nice open trail leading off away to the north. Pack up for your trip and then somehow get from your car over the edge to that trail. Feel free to walk! The trail then continues for a beautiful kilometer before coming to the downhill to the main White Salmon Trail. Either turn around and go back or continue on. There are a couple of short, steep sections that you might wish to walk down, but you will come out on the main trail and have miles more of skiing available.

And when you are back at your car, you can go in and get a cup of hot chocolate at the lodge!