In summer the Westside Road is something that you drive up for 3-and-a-bit miles before parking where it is closed to vehicles at Dry Creek, then hike or bike further up the road on your way to exciting destinations such as South Puyallup Pipe Organ or Gobblers Knob.

During winter, however, the road will be gated shut. You can hike, snowshoe, or ski (depending on current conditions) as far as you like up this wide and relatively level surface. Along the way you will notice weird and wonderful forest overflowing with moss and facehugger rainforest roots, multiple minature waterfalls, the steep slopes and occasional small cliffs of Mount Wow to your left, and partial views over Tahoma Creek to your right. These views are better than in summer due to lack of leaves on the intervening trees.

Upon reaching Dry Creek, which is the summertime trailhead, you have an obligation plus a choice.

Obligation: gaze up at Mount Wow, admire its cliffs and avalanche/debris chutes, and think to yourself "wow indeed".

Choice: turn around (fair enough) or go further (only advised if you have the expertise to accurately evaluate avalanche hazard, which can be considerable when passing below these slopes).

Mount Wow is named after the Yakama word for 'goat'.