snow trip? we've got the rig.
who are you this season?
first chair, no 4 a.m. alarm.
Sleep at the pass instead of driving it at dawn. Thornberry has the clearance and the chains to get up there in a storm, and a heated bed waiting when the lifts close.
- 4x4 + chains
- heated bed
- fire pit après
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friday after work
Pick up in West Seattle. It's dark by 4:30 in December, so the drive over is headlights and a thermos. Camp at Lake Easton or a Sno-Park that allows overnight. Dinner on the stove, blanket on low, asleep by nine.
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saturday
Forty minutes to the lot and you're parked before the line forms. Après is a camp chair and the propane fire pit.
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sunday
Second day on the hill, or a slow morning and home by dinner.
what's in the rig?
- 4x4 Jeep w/ rooftop tent iKamper Skycamp, bedding and wool blankets. Sleeps two.
- heated blanket 12V blanket and a Jackery battery, included. Run it on low and it covers the night.
- chains on board Required on every pass from Nov 1, 4WD included. Already in the rig.
- two awnings Back kitchen awning, and a side awning so you can sit out of the snow.
- stove + fire pit Propane both. The fire pit is legal when a wood fire ban is on.
- passes in the glovebox Discover Pass and Northwest Forest Pass ride in every rig, plus our list of legal overnight spots near the passes.
where you sleep, legally
- Lake Easton State Park Overnight in the lot, about $12 a night plus a Sno-Park permit. Closest legal bed to Snoqualmie.
- Crystal Springs and Swauk Sno-Parks Overnight allowed, about $20 a night plus permits. Confirm with the land manager before you count on it.
- Not these Hyak, Gold Creek and Cabin Creek are day use only. Resort lots are off the table for Thornberry.
the hills
- Crystal Mountain Projected to open around Nov 27. Moves with the snow.
- Stevens Pass + Summit at Snoqualmie Projected around Dec 26. Same caveat.
bring
- Your ski or board gear. Rack fits on request.
- A real shell and two pairs of gloves. One is always wet.
- Lift tickets, and a Sno-Park permit for the lot: $25 a day or $50 for the season, bought online. The Discover Pass and Northwest Forest Pass are already in the rig. Sno-Park permits
Add-on S'mores Kit+$12
Six s'mores: local Maeve chocolate, marshmallows, grahams, roasting stick.
The propane fire pit the rig comes with is legal for s'mores even when a wood fire ban is on, so this one works in any season.
Add-on Pet fee+$50
Backseat pet mat, biscuit bag and water bowl, plus the extra cleaning.
Covers additional cleaning and minor pet mishaps. The mat gives the dog a spot that is obviously theirs and keeps a wet Labrador off your bedding at the end of a rainy day.
the quiet version of the mountains.
Snowshoe trails are empty on a weekday and silent after a storm. Thornberry gets you to the trailhead. The Snow Trekking Kit gets you up it.
- snow trekking kit
- awning cover
- hot stove
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night one
Drive to the trailhead the evening before. Camp set up in fifteen minutes, soup on the stove, headlamp, bed.
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day two
Spikes on in the lot. Three hours out, thermos at the turnaround, back for a late lunch under the awning.
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day three
Paradise at Mount Rainier if the road is open, or a second trail closer to camp.
what's in the rig?
- 4x4 Jeep w/ rooftop tent iKamper Skycamp, bedding and wool blankets. Sleeps two.
- heated blanket 12V blanket and a Jackery battery, included. Run it on low and it covers the night.
- chains on board Required on every pass from Nov 1, 4WD included. Already in the rig.
- two awnings Back kitchen awning, and a side awning so you can sit out of the snow.
- stove + fire pit Propane both. The fire pit is legal when a wood fire ban is on.
- passes in the glovebox Discover Pass and Northwest Forest Pass ride in every rig, plus our list of legal overnight spots near the passes.
where you sleep
- Dispersed, below the snow line Thornberry's natural habitat. Free National Forest pullouts on roads that aren't gated for winter; our overnight list has the ones we use, and Overlanding 101 covers the rules.
- At the trailhead Crystal Springs and Swauk Sno-Parks allow overnight, about $20 plus permits. Hyak, Gold Creek and Cabin Creek don't.
- Lake Easton State Park Overnight in the lot, about $12 plus a Sno-Park permit. Hot showers.
the trails
- snowshoeGold Creek Pond 2.8 mi, flat. The beginner loop at Snoqualmie Pass, from the Gold Creek Sno-Park.
- snowshoeFranklin Falls About 6 mi in winter, since the road is gated. Easy grade to a frozen waterfall.
- snowshoeSkyline Lake 3 mi, 1,100 ft. Short and steep from the Stevens Pass lot, big view at the top.
- snowshoeMazama Ridge, Paradise 6 mi, 900 ft at Mount Rainier. Intermediate, and check the avalanche forecast first.
- spikesTwin Falls 2.4 mi, 500 ft. Low and mossy, icy in the shade. The easy one.
- spikesRattlesnake Ledge 4 mi, 1,160 ft. Packed hard by December, so spikes earn their keep.
- spikesLittle Si 3.7 mi, 1,300 ft. Intermediate, rocky near the top.
- spikesWallace Falls 5.6 mi, 1,300 ft. Intermediate, three falls, rarely deep snow.
bring
- Waterproof boots and gaiters. Wool socks, more than you think.
- A thermos. Hot cocoa at the turnaround is the whole point.
- A Sno-Park permit if you park at one: $25 a day or $50 for the season, bought online. The Discover Pass and Northwest Forest Pass are already in the rig. Sno-Park permits
Add-on Snow Trekking Kit+$30/night
Two pairs of microspikes, or two pairs of snowshoes. Message us which you need.
Spikes for packed and icy trails, snowshoes for fresh snow. Trekking poles come with either.
Add-on S'mores Kit+$12
Six s'mores: local Maeve chocolate, marshmallows, grahams, roasting stick.
The propane fire pit the rig comes with is legal for s'mores even when a wood fire ban is on, so this one works in any season.
Add-on Pet fee+$50
Backseat pet mat, biscuit bag and water bowl, plus the extra cleaning.
Covers additional cleaning and minor pet mishaps. The mat gives the dog a spot that is obviously theirs and keeps a wet Labrador off your bedding at the end of a rainy day.
watch the pacific throw a fit.
December through February is storm season on the Washington coast. Twenty-foot swells, king tides, driftwood the size of the Jeep. No snow required.
- wool blankets
- awning walls
- year-round camps
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day one
Three hours west. Kalaloch or Cape Disappointment, both open year-round. Awning out, walls on, wool blanket, the whole show from a camp chair.
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day two
Beach walk at low tide, then the rain forest. The Hoh is at its greenest soaking wet.
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day three
King tide at dawn if the calendar lines up, then home.
what's in the rig?
- 4x4 Jeep w/ rooftop tent iKamper Skycamp, bedding and wool blankets. Sleeps two.
- heated blanket 12V blanket and a Jackery battery, included. Run it on low and it covers the night.
- chains on board Required on every pass from Nov 1, 4WD included. Already in the rig.
- two awnings Back kitchen awning, and a side awning so you can sit out of the snow.
- stove + fire pit Propane both. The fire pit is legal when a wood fire ban is on.
- passes in the glovebox Discover Pass and Northwest Forest Pass ride in every rig, plus our list of legal overnight spots near the passes.
where you sleep
- Kalaloch Campground Olympic National Park, on the bluff above the beach. Open year-round, first come in winter, some loops closed.
- Cape Disappointment State Park Year-round camping, and Waikiki Beach is the classic storm-watching spot.
- Hoh Rain Forest Campground Year-round, first come. Check park conditions after a big storm.
the show
- King tides The year's highest tides, late November through January. Washington Sea Grant publishes the dates.
- Rialto Beach and La Push Sea stacks, driftwood, and a parking lot right at the sand.
- Westport jetty The closest big-wave spot to Seattle. Stay off the rocks when it's running.
bring
- A hooded shell that is actually waterproof, and rubber boots.
- Binoculars and a tide table.
- A dry pair of camp shoes you never walk the beach in.
Add-on Pet fee+$50
Backseat pet mat, biscuit bag and water bowl, plus the extra cleaning.
Covers additional cleaning and minor pet mishaps. The mat gives the dog a spot that is obviously theirs and keeps a wet Labrador off your bedding at the end of a rainy day.
Add-on S'mores Kit+$12
Six s'mores: local Maeve chocolate, marshmallows, grahams, roasting stick.
The propane fire pit the rig comes with is legal for s'mores even when a wood fire ban is on, so this one works in any season.
four things, every trip
chains from Nov 1
Washington requires every vehicle on the passes to carry chains from November 1, 4WD included. Thornberry's are in the rig. Check WSDOT pass reports before you leave.
no heaters in the tent
No propane heaters inside the tent or the Jeep. Carbon monoxide. The heated blanket is the heat, and on low it covers the night.
sleep where it's legal
Overnight parking is allowed at some Sno-Parks and state parks and banned at others. Our list comes with the booking, so you aren't guessing in the dark.
keep the battery warm
Cold cuts battery capacity. The Jackery rides in the cab or the tent, never on the rack, and recharges while you drive.
fri + sat nights
$200/night
sun – thu nights
$165/night
Heated blanket, battery and chains included. Booking, payment and the protection package all happen on Outdoorsy.
gift a trip
A winter weekend in a rig is a better present than another thing. Email us the dates and who it's for and we'll set it up as a gift.
ask about a gift booking →