Postcards from the Trail

We have been having remarkable weather. The jet-stream seems to have split and we are getting sun while Southern California and the Southwest is getting rain. That means even more flowers for us. It was time to hit the trail.

G wanted to so Mount Si but I wasn't really interesting in that long of a hike. So we decided on doing Section Line trail on Tiger Mountain. It was sunny but cold. Little did we know there were also icy roads. The first indicator was the DOT sand time coming on I90. Then there were the flares. The right lane was frosty white. Sure enough there was a spin out and Jeep Cheroke in the ditch. Too bad they took out the back of a State Patrol car first.

We parked, put on the boots and gingerly walked up the road to the trailhead. The frost was beautiful. We headed off to Nook trail and away from the crowds. The cold was nipping at my cheeks but I was warm. Soon we made the junction from Nook to Section line. It is such a killer. Straight up. It was a little bit icy in spots but not bad. The really steep part is under thick evergreen forest so it was not slippery. But that last part after Railroad. You think you are almost there and there is still a kill 1/2 mile. But finally we broke out into the sun. Such a gorgeous day. Views to the east of Cascade foothills. To the West, the Olympics and the Seattle skyline. You could even see the Space Needle.

After a Luna bar and a Clif shot, time to go down. It was so busy and icy. I almost slipped once or twice. But it went fast. It wasn't bad until we got almost to the car and it was slippery and frosty still.

Overall a great winter hike. 5 miles - 2:45 time.

I just started trying out Flickr. I'm mainly using it to post pictures for the NW hikers board but it is fun.

We have our own desert here in the state of Washington. You may not think of Washington as a desert state but the Columbia Basin area of Eastern Washington is a high desert. It is a favorite place for us to roam in the Spring and enjoy the wildflowers.

The wildflowers this year are going to be great. It has been an above-normal year in rainfall. We have also had a colder year so Spring is coming slowly. We had hoped to get out last weekend but it was rainy and cold. It even snowed down to 2,000ft!

But we knew it was time to go so even the rain couldn't stop us. I knew from the reports on NW Hikers Forum that the bloom was running about two weeks behind. G won't be able to get out the next few weeks because of Smartyplants plant sales so it was now or wait.

We decided on Vantage area because it was lower in elevation and we wanted to try to find Salvia dorrii. A little googling for where it occured and I found it listed on Turner Photographics as being located in the area. The backcountry hike at Ginkgo Petrified Forest in Vantage would give us a chance to check it out along with views of the Columbia. I highly recommend Best Desert Hikes: Washington for planning.

After tangling with traffic, we made it to Ellensburg by 10:30am. We decided to drive out the backroad on Vantage Highway to see what might be happening at Whiskey Dick also. We had seen some great wildflowers there in April 1998. I don't know how much longer we will be able to find flowers in this region because PSE is building a wind farm.

We didn't see many flowers until we got to the interpretive trail in the park and boy what flowers! The arrow-leaf balsamroot was in full bloom waving in the wind. It was surrounded by large clumbs of showy phlox which perfumed the air. It was intoxicating. We went on to the trailhead for the backcountry. It was a little scary having to walk up the canyon through the black basalt rocks knowing it was a prime location for rattlesnakes. We keep our hiking sticks poised and made lots of noise. It is still too cold.

At the top of the bluff we were treated to a spectacular desert garden and gorgeous views of the river at our feet. We meandered shooting photos and investigating. It was hard to go back. We're going back in a couple of weeks to see the cactus.

Here are some pictures from flickr:

We finally got a chance to get out and check out the in Eastern Washington flowers. The heat pushed the blooms and most of the flowers were past. 90 degrees in Quincy in May and the flowers are not going to last long.

We headed off over Snoqualmie Pass. It was 50 degrees at the pass so we knew it was going to be hot. Our first stop was Hayward Road and we pulled off at Cle Elum and headed towards Hwy 10. Along the way the lupine and balsamroot was in full bloom. We turned off on Hayward Road and found lots of Douglas's Triteleia, Penstemon in addition to balsamroot.

Then it was off to Quincy. We joined I90 at Ellensburg and headed toward Vantage. Just before we got to Vantage, we notice that there was a different blue/purple flower on the hillsides. The purple sage - Salvia dorrii was in bloom. We pulled off at Vantage and headed towards Wanapum dam. We found it right off in full bloom. Stunning!

Back on the road, next stop was Beezley Canyon Preserve. We had hoped that there might be a few hedgehog cactus still in bloom but no luck. We found a lot of the cactus plants but the blooms were past. The bitterroot almost made up for it.

We decide to make a loop out of it and headed towards Wenatchee and Stevens Pass. The lupine and balsamroot were in full bloom from Peshastin up the pass. The river as reported was running high and wild through Tumwater Canyon. Along the wall we saw a few plants of Lewisia Tweedii.

Here are some additional photos from my flickr collection:

We finally got a chance to make it back up Esmeralda Basin. It has been several years and our last trip was in the fall. It has a great spring bloom.

It was the usual 2.5 hour drive from Seattle to the trailhead. The road up the Teanaway is very good but we got stuck behind a horse trailer and it was slow and dusty. Cough... Cough...

The parking lot was pretty full but it is shared with the Ingalls Lake and Long Pass trails. We saw few people on the trail.

The trail starts in the woods and after 1/4 mile it passes the trail to Ingalls Lake. Shortly after the junction, we crossed some of the many side streams and started seeing wildflowers. At first, it was mainly penstemon, lewisia and delphenium. Gorgeous blue delpheniums.

A bit further, we came across one of the great meadows along the trail. It was filled with just past shooting stars and just starting to bloom Elephant Heads. We had some nice views of the surrounding peaks. Farther along, the steam followed the trail and looking closely along the mossy edges we found a native sundew. It is always great to find native insectivorous plants.

We continued on and emerged out of the tree into the rocky serpentine area. The scarlet gila was just starting to bloom. We stopped for lunch under the shade of a low pine.

The trail continued up and re-entered the trees. Here we came across amazing slopes of shooting stars among the streams. We could see the saddle of Fortune Pass above but first the trail would make a couple of wide switch back up the slope gaining us more views down the basin.

After about 2 hours we made the pass. Here among the silvered snags we looked out over the Alpine Lakes wilderness and Mt. Daniel in the distance.

A quick trip down and it was out for burgers in Cle Elum before heading home.

Some shots from Flickr

There is something mysterious and inspiring visiting the majestic coulees of Central Washington. One moment you are driving through the fields of the potato heartland of the Northwest. Green stretching to the horizon with pipes shaped as spiral dragons delivering the lifeblood water to the barren desert. The next moment columns of basalt rise high above your head and dust gathers at your feet where an ancient lake once existed.

Our destination; Ancient Lakes is a set of several small lakes ringing the base of a coulee rising up above the Columbia River near Babcock bench. They are one of many lakes in the Quincy NWR and just a few miles from the Cave B Inn where we stayed. The day was clear and bright with a slight chill in the air; perfect for a hike. It was probably possible to see the lake area from our room but to get there, we had to drive back out to the highway, skirt around Quincy NWR and approach the trailhead from the north.

The road headed west from Quincy through apple orchards. You could smell the sulfur from the dormant spray. None of the orchards were in bloom except a single apricot orchard. The white blossoms contrasting against the blue sky. A couple of apiaries boxes had been dropped off. The bees were busy at work pollinating the blossoms for future fruit.

The road turned south and paralleled the Columbia River. We were soon under a huge basalt cliff dotted with spots of yellow balsamroot and white phlox. We were shortly at the trail head. We stretched a bit and booted up. The sun felt warm and we left our vests in the car.

The trail was dusty. We walked among the sagebrush and headed away from the river. In the distance, we could see the lakes. Along the basalt cliffs, wispy ribbons of water fell from the fields above. In the distance, we could see a few parties of horse riders out for a morning ride.

The faint breeze whispered in our ears and the cries of the meadow lark broke the silence. We thought we heard cranes but never saw them. The lakes were dotted with a few ducks and other water fowl. But we saw no flowers. It didn't take long to reach the viewpoint between the lakes. We sat an a camp and rested while listening to the waterfall in the distance.

It was noon and time to return. By now the sun had moved and the river was a glimmer in the distance. The majestic vistas reminded us of the grandeur of the west as we made our way back to the car.

I haven't been motivated to get on the trail much this year. I need to get out more. G is making a point of getting me on the trail in preparation for France. Two weeks ago we went up Rattlesnake which was pretty nice but busy. Today we went up Bandera.

The original plan was to go to Mason Lake. The trail is in great shape all the way. We picked up our friend around 9am and headed to the trailhead. It is just off I-90 about 45 miles east of Seattle. Very easy and very popular.

The road to the trailhead had been washed out by the major storm we had in December. They fixed it in April but it is quite amazing to see the slope of destruction and realize the power of water. There are trees stacked upon trees and boulders up the slope.

Once at the trailhead, we tried to sign-in but they were out of permits. So much for keeping track of who is on the trail. The first mile is a nice shaded walk passing two streams. The incline is mild. The trail then branches off to the left and starts some serious climbing. This is the new Ira Spring Trail and it is in great shape. We did this trail in 2003 before they new trail opened and it was brutal climb.

The trail climbs steadily and crosses several openings where you can see I-90.Along the way, you can see penstemon, Indian paintbrush, ocean spray, lupine and charming dogwood. The clouds had burned off and it was getting warm. After a couple of large switchbacks, we got to the junction of the trail, if you can call it that, to the top of Bandera.

I wasn't that interested in going on the additional mile to the lake. It would just be swampy and full of bugs. So we decide to climb part of the way up to Bandera for the vistas. This final mile is a killer. The incline is about 45 degrees and it is a narrow little path of boulders. We were a week late for the wildflowers. Last week, the bear grass was stunning. But the over 90 degree days had taken a toll on the flowers and they were fried.

We went about 1/2 way up and pull off the trail onto some boulders. Here we sat among the heather, knickaknick, paintbrush and bear grass admiring the vistas while eating our lunch. Going down was actually worse than going up. It is a slippery ankle buster. We carefully went back down and joined the new trail.

The rest of the way back to the car was muggy and overcast. The patches of shade provided cool relief. Overall - 6 hours, 2000ft elevation gain, 4 miles RT.

Here are a few pictures:

What a wonderful day! After a long stretch of cold dark damp gray days, we finally got a sunny break. G and I talked about getting out. We've had cabin fever stuck in the house. The forecast was for a good day on Sunday so we decided to travel up about 60 miles north of Seattle to the Skagit River Valley.

The Skagit River has a huge delta. Over the years it has created a rich flat valley that is still farmed. In the Spring, the fields are a patchwork of color created by the fields of blooming bulbs. This region is the number one region for growing bulbs in the US and second to Holland in the world. After the spring, the fields are used for a variety of crops such as potatoes, cabbage, broccoli and corn.

The farmers leave the corn stubble in the field over the fall and winter. Other farmers will plant wheat and rye as cover crops. This along with the abundance of marsh areas attracts hundreds of snow geese which migrate to the delta in the winter from Siberia. They arrive around October and stay until February or March. The estimation of the flock size is around 50,000 birds. In addition to geese, three types of swans migrate; trumpeter, mute and tundra.

Besides the migrating flocks, there are also hawks, owls and an increasing population of bald eagles that roost along the Skagit. The winter salmon steelhead runs attracts many eagles near Rockport and Concrete a bit upriver.

But it was the geese that we wanted to see. A birding friend had mentioned seeing them recently and that planted the idea. This would give us an opportunity to get out and also do a bit hiking. So we went on the search for the birds.

We started at an area call Big Ditch. I thought it would be good because it is a long levy that runs along the delta. We would have an opportunity to walk and stretch our legs. We arrived shortly after 10am. There were several vehicles in the parking lot; mostly hunters which had been out in the early morning. We walked a long for a while seeing very little. In the treetops, we spotted a red tail hawk. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement and heard a splash. I recognized the glossy dark brown fir. It was a pair of otters. That we so neat to see them. It was the first time for us.

We spotted nothing else so we started back to the car. Just as we arrived in the parking lot, we heard the sound of geese and a few gun shots to the south. The geese were on the move and heading north. They were in line to fly right over the parking lot and they did. What a magnificent sight to see and hear thousands of the large birds in formations flying overhead.

Now to see where they landed. We headed up to Hayton reserve on Fir Island. We had seen them in a distant field near there in other years. We started up the trail and looked west. There they were just a bit further up the road. We jumped in the car to see if we could get there before they left.

What we didn't realize was they were right next to the road. Never had we seen them that close and accessible. There were thousands turning the field white. They were feasting on the winter rye; honking and moving around. By now they were attracting quite a crowd. We walked a bit closer but remained across the road. I was certain they would take flight. But they didn't.

Another photographer moved across the road closer to the flock. The geese slowly moved away but did not take flight. Soon we all moved to the roadside next to them. They continued to eat and slowly move away. What was interesting is they moved towards a house but they didn't seem to want to cross the driveway and move onto the lawn of the house. They must have sensed the humans inhabiting the area. Thus they seemed to be bunching up into a small area of the field. A few spilled onto the road. I have no idea why they did not take flight with so many cars and people around. But they did not.

I was snapping photos like crazy. But it was also nice to just stand and watch them. We stayed at least a half hour and they never flew off. We finally decided to move on to La Conner for lunch still in awe of what we had seen.

After a lunch at La Conner Brewery, we traveled north to an area called West 90. This area is known for short eared owls. I ran into my birding friend and they told us the owls were flying in the area. We walked out into the marshy delta area and soon we also saw them. They flew around and fought a bit with some harrier (marsh) hawks. You could hear the gentle cries of the owls contrasted by the hawk shrieks.

The sun was getting low in the sky and we were getting chilled. We had a cup of coffee and then started home. Driving along Padilla Bay we spotted several herons and decided to stop one more time. We walked a short distance along the Padilla Bay trail watching the sun slowly sink into the west and burnish the ending day with gold.

For more information, here is a recent article from the Seattle Times. Also, this is a good map of the birding areas in the Skagit area.

And of course, I took pictures. Here are a couple of photos and a slide show at Flickr.

Snow Geese SlideShow

The color of the sky as far as I can see is coal grey.
Lift my head from the pillow and then fall again.
With a shiver in my bones just thinking about the weather.
Weather - 10,000 Maniacs

Another unpredictable weekend. The forecast was for sun but it has played hide and seek today. I did get a chance to drag myself away from the computer and I went for a walk along the Edmonds waterfront. The temps were around 50 degrees so I rolled up my sleeves and hoped to get some vitamin D. It was busy along the waterfront. Walkers and brave souls taking their boats out were out along the waterfront.

Come along with me on a walk along the waterfront.

Finally a sunny day! We needed to get outside like everyone else. There has been a tremendous amount of snow here in the Northwest. Here are some pictures on Stevens Pass from the WA department of transportation. I'm so amazed to hear of over 100 inches of snow on Snoqualmie and Stevens. I mean, those are totals normal for Mt. Rainier.

So we hit the trail today. We decided to do Cougar which actually is a part of a Bellevue suburb. It is a King County Park and you can feel like you are miles away. That is except for the rifle sounds from a near by gun park. But it was still nice to get out and enjoy the sun. We even got up close and personal with a pair of deer.

Here are the photos:

Trailside on the Coal Creek Falls Trail

Bridge at Coal Creek Falls

Continue on for more photos:

Tucson - Romero Canyon Trail

I'm daydreaming of some place warm and sunny. This is where I'd rather be today.

We got an email a couple of weeks ago from our niece. She gave birth to her son just before Thanksgiving and emailed us with an update. She mentioned that she had convinced G's mother (her grandmother) to go on a camping trip to Twin Lakes near Bridgeport in Eastern California. She wanted to know if wanted to join them. Of course!

G and I went camping with his parents up the Oregon coast to Washington while we were dating. She is always remarking how much she enjoyed the trip and would love to go camping again. Wanting and doing are definitely two different things especially after 35 years have passed. G's mother is in her mid 70's and we really couldn't see her camping. But our niece came up with a great solution. She and her husband wanted to go back to Twin Lakes. There are several full service fishing resorts at the lakes. The resort provides camping, motel and restaurant. Perfect. The young folks can camp and use old folks can stay in the motel.

She has arranged everything. We will be staying at Annett's Mono Village for three nights in July. G and I decided to make it a road trip and we are taking two weeks off. We'll drive down taking our time and rendez-vous with the group at Annett's. Then we'll go back to the Central Valley and spend a day or two with G's parents before driving back up.

We haven't driven down to Cali in over 15 years so this will be fun. We hope to take some time and see part of California that we haven't seen, do a little hiking and maybe investigate some towns.

Plans were made early in the week to go to Sauk Mountain. It is known for the spring wildflower blooms and views. Mid-late July is perfect time to visit to catch a gorgeous hill side filled with color. We did *not* expect clouds and heavy mist during a Seafair weekend but it is what we woke up to Sunday morning. Heck, we were going mainly for flowers anyway so what's a little mist?

We left Edmonds late - around 9-ish and arrived at the trailhead around 11am. The turn off is easy to miss coming from the west on Hwy 20. Watch for signs for Rockport State Park and a gravel road to the left. If you reach the park, you've gone too far. Turn around.

The road is a narrow single lane with few pullouts. I was glad I wasn't driving when we got to curves. The clouds were low down and we were driving in fog. We met one or two cars. It was drippy when we arrived a trail head. We pulled on our polypro and rain gear which we brought along.

The flowers started right away. Tiger lily, goat's beard and valerian were the dominant blooms with splashes of purple lupine and penstemon. The plant boys got right to identifying plants. First off was the bracted Lousewort - Pedicularis bracteosa. After a couple of switchbacks, we had groups of rocks to plant hunt around. Here we found heuchera, saxifrage and alpine blue bells. We were constantly surrounded by flowers everywhere we turned.

The switch backs are well done and make it easy to meander up the hill. The mist would open and close giving us glimpses down a couple of switchbacks but never opening up to see any father. We could hear the drone of traffic on Hwy 20 off into the grey.

As we got closer to the top, the clouds closed in and it started drizzling. The trail swings around the side of the mountain and we came across a couple of patches of snow. We never saw any of the small lakes below. Near the top, we decided to stop and have lunch. It was already after 1pm and everyone was hungry. There was no purpose to go any further since it was wet and you couldn't see squat.

The drizzle didn't let up. It was a wet cool 1-hour descent back to the parking lot . My pants were soaked below the knees from the wet foliage. We stripped off the rain gear and threw it in the back of the car. We headed off to Cascade... for milkshakes.

The flowers were wonderful. It was good that it wasn't a hot day because it would have been a very hot climb up the exposed switchbacks. And we have a reason to return since we never saw the view.

Click on through for more pictures.

Just last week, we hiked Sauk Mountain. The day was overcast but the flowers were great. It was not remote trail. It is located just off of Hwy 20 near Rockport. Out in the country but not the remote wilderness. There is a state park along the hwy just as you turn off. You drive through the edge of state park on a narrow road which winds for 7 miles to a parking lot. The views are supposed to be great even from the parking lot.

Views, wildflowers and short hikes are always popular with hikers. But yesterday, there were also hunters. Bear hunting season opens August 1st in Washington. Sauk Mountain with its open hillsides filled with berries and flowers is also popular with bears. This brought hunters to the same mountain.

Yesterday, a young hunter mistook a hiker for a bear and fatally shot the hiker. The mid-50's woman was bent over getting something from her pack. She was wearing black. The hunter thought she was a bear and fired a shot. The hiker was hit, knocked from the steep trail and was killed.

News Report

Investigations are still going on. I am still hoping to hear more details. One local report says she was just 10-15 minutes on the trail. That would have but her on the open slope starting up the switch backs. The grass was tall but I am still amazed that someone who was from the area would not think about how popular the trail was and not take time to make certain it was not a hiker. Especially on a Saturday morning in August.

It does feel a little creepy to have been on the same trail less than a week ago. I have become much more aware of the hunting seasons. We may want to think about wearing bright clothes. I don't often wear black but G does. Hmmm... maybe it is time for a new hat for G.

I've also heard that she was an avid hiker and was doing what she loved. My heart and thoughts go out to her family and everyone involved.

Teanaway Valley is a hikers paradise. The river runs from Mt. Stuart along the eastern slope of the Cascades near Cle Elum. It also a very unique botanical area due to the serpentine soil in the area. The plants that grow in this area have adapted to the unique soil which have a high percentage of nickel. You will see both typical Cascade plants along with some plants from the Great Basin desert. We have been hiking in this region for over 20 years and try to do at least one hike in the region every year.

This year we decided to do Beverly Turnpike on Sunday (8/3/2008). We had been on the upper regions of this trail when we were training in 2004 but we couldn't remember exactly when we had last hiked the lower portion of this trail.

To reach the trail head, take I-90 east to the Hwy 97 Wenatchee exit just past Cle Elum. Continue on Hwy 97 until you cross the Teanaway River and turn on Teanaway River Road. This road continues for 13 miles. Just before you reach Beverly Creek, turn off and go about 1 mile in to the trailhead.

It took us about 2 hours to reach the trailhead from Seattle. There were about half dozen cars in the lot. Not bad for a warm August weekend. The trail start to climb. At 1/2 mile it passed the junction with Bean Creek Trail. The Beverly trail continues on climbing with the creek.

The open forest was dotted with summer flowers; Prince's Pine, etc. It must have been hot since most of the spring flowers such as lupine were dried to a crisp. After about 2 miles, the trail opens up onto the scree area. The area was covered with creamy buckwheat flowers. We stopped for lunch along the creek. It was so relaxing and peaceful to sit and listen to the water. We were alone and had seen no one else.

We decided to go a bit further but eventually called it a day. We didn't go that far - maybe two miles. But it refreshed us and cleared out minds.

Field filled with Buckwheat

Hmmm... Now what Indian Paintbrush is this? ( Castilleja elmeri )

Scarlet Gilia

Campanula rotundifolia

Natural arrangement

Butterflies on the trail

We've been wanting to go camping - or I should say - we've wanted to try camping again. We got a small taste on our trip to California but we haven't tried sleeping in our tents on hard ground for a while. G and I both have back problems and really wonder if we could sleep even with a nice therma-rest mat.

But I remembered another option - Yurts. My French instructor went camping last January and stayed in one on the Washington Coast. It sounded so cool. Here is how they are described as on the Washington State Park site.

These circular, domed tents are made of extra-heavy, durable canvas and have spacious interiors with skylights, screened windows, hardwood floors and locking doors.

G was laid off this week so we can go any day of the week. I went out to the Washington State Park site today to see when would be the earliest we could get a reservation. Surprise! I found an opening on August 25th at Cape Disappointment. Cape Disappointment is at the mouth of the Columbia River in the Southwest corner of Washington. The area is called the Long Beach Peninsula and is a great place to go beach combing, kite flying and relaxing.

We haven't been to this area in over 25 years so it will be fun to revisit the Long Beach peninsula area. We're hoping the weather is good but even if it isn't - it will be fun to be at the ocean and sleep in a yurt. Don't you think these are so cool?

The Skagit County prosecutors plan on charging the 14 year old boy who shot and killed the hiker on Sauk Mountain with first-degree manslaughter. The prosecutors feel there is enough evidence to prove recklessness.

More details have come out in the past weeks. The boy was only 120 yards away. He shot across a popular trail. He did not take time to positively identity the target with binoculars - only the scope on the gun. The woman had been wearing a blue parka which she had taken off and was putting away in a pack. The woman she was hiking with was near her on the trail. And she was shot in the head.

The hiker's death may also result in changes to the state laws regarding young hunters. As this article in the Seattle Times says - "How old is 'old enough' to hunt in Washington?"

The forecast was for rain. Not exactly what we wanted for a couple of days at the beach but at least we had reserved a yurt. We would stay dry and warm.

It was about a 3 hour drive which took us down I-5 through Olympic and then we headed out to the coast. It took us through the heart of the Washington timber country. We passed loaded and empty truck but more distressing the miles and miles of clear cuts. I realize it is a crop, an industry and more important the life line to this area of the state but it is needless to say very depressing to drive through areas that look like a war zone.

We reached Raymond and turned off to drive along the top of Willapa Bay to the town of Tokeland. We wanted to see what the area was like because there is another park with yurts in the area. It was sunny and we saw some wonderful flocks of sandpipers and sighted our first pelicans. We returned and continued around the bay to Ilwaco and checked in about 2:30pm.

Tokeland Harbor

The yurt was exactly as we expected. We opened a window to cool and air and then headed to the beach for a little bit of exploring. We returned and had our dinner. It looked like it was clearing so we headed back to the beach and caught a wonderful sunset.

Yurt at Cape Disappointment State Park

Click through for more pictures...

The sun woke us by peaking in the skylight. A sunny day. Whoo Hooo! We planned on hiking so it would be a perfect day. I've found out that Cape Disappointment is one of the foggiest places in the US with 2552 hours (equivalent to 106 days) of fog so I'm very happy to see the sun.

You can not cook in the yurt so we got up and went out to start up our camp stove and boil some water for coffee. Dew still dripped from the trees but it was calm and pleasant. We had a hot cup of coffee and bowl of cereal before heading off to the end of the peninsula.

View Larger Map

Cape Disappointment is at far southwest tip of Washington state. To the south is the mouth of the Columbia. To the west, the Pacific Ocean. Across the Columbia, is Fort Clatsop where Lewis and Clark wintered in 1805 after reaching the Pacific from their journey St Louis. It was named in 1788 by a British sea captain John Meares who took shelter in a cove from a sea storm. He was looking for the fabled great river but failed to find the Columbia River due to the treacherous bars at the mouth. A few years later in 1792, Captain Robert Gray would cross the bar and name the river Columbia after his ship Columbia Rediviva.

To the north is Long Beach Peninsula; a long finger of land and sand jutting up into Willlapa Bay. The beach goes for miles, in fact 28 miles. Washington State also allow driving on the beach so there are entrances along the way to drive out onto the beach. I didn't have nerve to do it this time because I've done in the past and gotten stuck in the sand.

Our destination was Leadbetter State Park at the northern tip of the peninsula. Driving up the peninsula, you drive through the typical beach tourist towns filled with junky gift stores and weird museums. All along there are obvious signs that fishing and shellfish is a major industry. Boats in yards, piles of crab pots and mound of white oyster shells fill yards. Oysterville is near the tip, a sleepy Victorian town still known for Willapa Bay Oyster harvests.

We reached the parking lot at the park and pulled on our boots. We had several false starts at finding the trail we wanted but finally did. The trail winded along the bay and then across the edge of the salt marsh before crossing through the low spruce and shore pine forest.

The trees ended and we crossed grass covered dunes to emerge on a long almost secluded beach. The upper beach area was roped off to protect the breeding grounds of the snowy plover. We decided to hike a half mile down the beach to catch a different trail back to the parking lot. Along the way, we stopped to watch a large flock of plovers dancing along the edge of the surf. They were so cool undulating in mass with the surf.

Once back at the car, we headed back towards Ilwaco. We stopped in Long Beach to check out the condos along the shore in case we wanted to return in the winter. Along the boardwalk, we watched the kites flying the beach and a car being pulled from the sand. Oh yeah, I don't want to drive on the beach.

We also stopped to check out the North Head lighthouse and the vista from the cliffs above the camp. Hunger was calling so we drove over to Astoria for a couple of beers and some good grub at Fort George Brewery.

The skies had turned gray and rain was immenant. We headed back to the yurt and relaxed for the evening. We listened to the rain on the canvas roof and it lulled us to sleep.

Here are the photos from our hike.

Along Willapa Bay at the start of the hike

The forest of scrubby pines along the trail

Salal berries

Salt Marsh

Mount Rainier from Third Burroughs Mountain

Our anniversary was this weekend. I missed celebrating it last year when I was in France. We have an unusual way of celebrating. We go for a hike.

Our favorite place to go is Burroughs Mountain out of Sunrise at Mt. Rainier. The trail starts at Sunrise which is at 6,400 ft and climbs up into the tundra-like terrain on the shoulders of Mt. Rainier. Burroughs Mountain is actually three small summits which give you an armchair vista down on the powerful glaciers of the northern side of Rainier. First Burroughs is about 1.5 miles from Sunrise at 7,200ft and Second Burroughs is a mile further at 7,400ft. The last mile seems so much steeper. We've also gone on to Third Burroughs which is even wilder and closer to the icy glaciers.

For our anniversary hike, we like to leave later in the afternoon, have dinner on Second Burroughs while watching the shadows lengthen across the crevasses and then hike back at sundown. It usually takes us about 1 1/2 hours so we try to leave by 7pm.

This weather is unusual this year. It snowed last weekend at Sunrise and it has been cold. It feels like mid-September. We checked the forecast and it was supposed to be warm. It was sunny at home so I packed up a dinner of sauteed shrimp, lemon orzo and caprese salad. We made a latte and packed it in a thermos along with the stroopwafles Amy brought back from Holland.

It was sunny but windy and cold when we reached the parking lot at Sunrise. Clouds swirled around the mountain and clouds hugged the summit. The trail is steep as it climbs through the meadow at Sunrise to Sourdough Ridge and turns west towards Burroughs Mountain.

The wind was whipping up from below at the junction to Berkeley Meadow and Fremont Lookout. Here the trail turns rocky as it climbs through the shale. This area is so botanically interesting. The paintbrush and lupine are dwarfed by the cold and hostile growing conditions. But you don't want to take your eyes off the trail too long because it is a steep drop down the side.

First Burroughs was engulfed in fog with just a sliver of view. Should we continue on? I wanted to. We might be lucky and get a break. The next mile is always so hard for me. The altitude takes its toll on my energy level. It was particularly hard today since I knew it might be miserable at the top.

But we had a break in the clouds and found a warm spot on the rocks below away from the wind. I dished up dinner and we toasted our years together with a glass of wine while we watched the lengthening shadows on the ice below.

The clouds were thickening and we decided to head back. It was a good idea since it was getting foggy again. It was cold and windy and a little damp while we scrambled back to the car. The latte was perfect and stroopwafles never tasted better.

Getting reading at Sunrise

Start of the trail at Sunrise

One of the last flowers in bloom - the Asters

Heading towards Frozen Lake

Almost to First Burroughs

Click for more...

Mt Olympus from Obstruction Point - Olympic National Park

The weather has been gorgeous. I don't remember a better September. It almost makes up for the cold unpredictable summer. We realized we had not been over to Hurricane Ridge at Olympic National park in ages. Good weather - off during the week - no reason not to make a trip.

We decided on Wednesday to go to Obstruction Point. This is a dirt road that run below Grand Ridge from Hurricane Ridge back east. All along the drive are stunning vista back over the Olympic Mountains. And once at Obstruction Point, you can hike either along Lillian Ridge to Grand Lake or towards Deer Park. There was once plans to create a road all long the ridge from Hurricane Ridge to Deer Park but those were scraped.

We caught the 7:50 ferry and made it to Pt Angeles by about 10am. I forgot to check the park website and we were delayed by construction. I'm glad we decided to go last week. I've found out that the road is closed totally during the week while they finish paving.

We made it to Obstruction Point about 11am. The road is in good condition but one lane gravel. There are a couple of places where I wouldn't want to meet another car but fortunately we didn't.

We decided to hike towards Deer Park. It is over 7 miles to Deer Park which was too much for us so we decided just to go to Elk Mountain, the highest point on the trail, which is about 2 miles. Brilliant sun contrasted with the gray slate. The grass had started to turn golden and there were meadows of red leaved blueberries. I completely forgot how narrow the trail was. There were one or two spots that were a little narrower than I like. A little bit of vertigo but I made it.

We went as far as the second junction to Badger Lake and then climbed up to the top of Elk Mountain where Port Angeles, Sequim and the Strait was laid out at our feet. It was clear enough to see Victoria and even Mt. Baker in the far distance.

The shadows were lengthening and it was a quick trip back to the car. We headed back to Pt Angeles. We were starved so we stopped for pizza and a cold beer. Yum.

Here are some pictures.

Obstruction Point Trailhead

View of the Olympic Range from Obstruction Point

Beginning of trail to Deer Park

Click for more pictures....

Here are some shots from the gorgeous Fall sunset we had on our way back from Olympic National Park. These were taken on the ferry ridge from Kingston to Edmonds.

We really needed to get out and get some fresh air. We're had a temperature inversion here in the Seattle area. It has been foggy and nasty every day this week. We decided to head up to Rattlesnake Ledge which is just up towards Snoqualmie Pass.

It is about a 45 minute drive from our house. The trail is 4 miles roundtrip and elevation gain of just over 1100 feet. The trail is in great condition - smooth with few rocks or roots. It makes for an easy climb. Today it took us about 1 hour 10 minutes. I found an old post from 2004 when we were training - 45 minutes! Sigh...

At the ledge, you get over 180 degree view over the Snoqualmie Pass area, Middle fork of the Snoqualmie river, Mt. Si and the Ceder river watershed.

Here are a few more of the vistas today.

Our destination viewed from the parking lot

Rattlesnake Lake - it is running a little high right now

Off we go

View Up the Middle fork of Snoqualmie River from the ledge

Mt. Si from Rattlesnake Ledge

The edge of the fog in the horizon

The weather has been gorgeous. We have had one of the best month of May in a long time. June is starting out well also. Yesterday it got to almost 80 degrees. Today in the mid-70's.

Our friend wanted to go for a hike. I have really gotten out of shape this winter. Yeah... too much time on the computer! I'm starting to walk and go back to an exercise. My knees and lower back are not in great shape. I'm hoping as I start to move it will get better. But I was a little worried about doing a hike today. So I choose Little Si.

Little Si is a small mountain right next to Mt. Si. Mt Si towers over the small town of North Bend in the Cascade foothills just about 40 minutes from downtown Seattle. Do you remember the series "Twin Peaks"? It was filmed in the town. Today it has become a suburb of Seattle with many developments. But you can still find wilderness next door.

The trail is 2.2 miles one way with an elevation gain of 1,200 and high point of 1,576. The Mountain to Sound Greenway Trust has been working on the trail and it is in great shape.

The hike was lovely. The alder and big leaf maple trees have recently leafed out and were fresh and light green. The sword ferns had just finished unfurling. The day was warm. On the way up we saw a couple of rock climbers on the rock wall below the summit. I took my time and it wasn't too hard. It took almost 2 hours which is really really slow. There were a few other hikers at the top. It was brilliant at the top. You could see across to Rattlesnake Ledge and up to Mailbox Peak. Of course, the bigger Mt. Si towered over us.

The way down was fast. We stopped and had a late lunch. An enjoyable day in the forest and sun .

Come take a Photo Hike with me:

Trailhead sign

Lovely chartreuse treetops

Sword Ferns

Oyster Mushrooms

Rockclimber

At the summit

North Bend with Rattlesnake Ledge and Mountain in the distance

Haystack summit of Mt Si from top of Little Si

Related Posts and Links:

• Hike of the Week - Little Si
  
• Rattlesnake Ledge Hike
  
• Snoqualmie Falls - near North Bend
  

Twenty Two Creek

Last Monday, the weather had cooled off but it was still warm. No rain was forecast so we decided to take advantage of the weather to go hiking. We decided to go to Lake 22 which is north of Seattle along the Mountain Loop Highway.

Mt. Pilchuck is the dominating peak in the area. For many years, it was an easy to get to ski area with two chairs and a couple of rope tows. It eventually lost its permit and the area closed.

There are several lakes located in small cirques below the rocky slopes including Lake 22. It is an easy 1 hour drive from Seattle. The trail to the lake is 5.4 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 1350ft.The proximity to Seattle and the easy trail makes it very popular even during the week.

After climbing for a while, the trail opens and crosses a large talus slope bring lots of interesting plants in the open area. The trail makes a couple of large switch backs up the slope before reentering the forest near the creek. This become more boggy. It was filled with Skunk Cabbage - Lysichiton americanus. Can you guess that it is related to the stinky Arum in my garden? Yes! It is one of the few arums that are native to the US. There is also a species that grows in bogs in the east. The weather was cool so we did not notice any odor.

We were just about 1/4 mile from the lake when we ran into snow. The moist air had cooled considerably and we arrived at a foggy snowy lake. On clear days, the rocky slopes of Mt Pilchuck tower in the background. Maybe another day.

Well maintained trail to start

The steps eases the elevation gain along the switchbacks

Cornus canadensis lines the forest trail

Diamond-like dew drops

Linnaea borealis - Twinflower

Asarum caudatum - wild ginger

Misty hillside

Aruncus dioicus - goatsbeard

Delicate Maidenhair Fern

Lysichiton americanus - Western Skunk Cabbage

Trillium ovatum

Foggy Lake 22

Foggy Lake 22

I heard that the trails in the Teanaway basin were open. The warm weather has opened the eastern slopes of the cascades earlier than last year even with our heavy snow fall. We decided to go to Iron Peak, one of our favorite trails in the area. We hiked this last Tuesday - June 23rd.

We have been hiking this region since the early '80s. I have a photo on my desk that was taken on our first trip to Iron Peak way back in early July 1986. I think we've been up this trail 4 or 5 times. The trail is not that hard since the wide switchbacks spread out the elevation gain. It was fine for me even being out of shape.

The drive takes about 2 1/2 - 3 hours from north Seattle. The last 13 miles are on dirt road. The road used to be pretty bad but it was regraded and improved about 5 years ago. But time is starting to takes its toll - man were the potholes killers this time - especially in the bright sunlight.

We got to the trail head around 11am. The parking area at the side of the road was empty. It was Tuesday and few people were to be seen. In fact we never saw another hiker on the trail the whole day.

The trail starts along side of El Dorado Creek. It was running fast and full but it was a lovely sound. The forest is Douglas fir and pine with very little undergrowth. But what makes this area special is the serpentine soil - a unique soil poor in minerals. It creates a botanical wonderland with species of wildflowers that have adapted to the soil. About half way up, we came across a large blow down. Fortunately, it was easy to pick our way through the broken trees.

On the upper slopes we saw lovely anemones, glacier lilies, shooting stars, and snow douglasia. Off in the distance we could see Rainier and close by the rocky sides of the peaks in the Esmeralda Basin.

We reached the saddle by 2pm. Yep - it is taking me about 1 hour to climb 1 mile. The rest of the way to the summit still had snow patches and we were content to explore the saddle. We sat on the rocks, ate our sandwich and watched the lovely view down the opposite side to Beverly basin where we hiked last year. The wind picked up and the high overcast cooled us off. We headed back down to the car and back to Seattle by 7pm.

View towards Esmeralda Basin

View towards Beverly Basin from Saddle

View of Beverly Basin from Iron Peak Saddle

Anemone drummondii

Erythronium grandiflorum

Douglasia nivalis

Related posts:

• Beverly Turnpike - August 2008
  
• Esmeralda Basin - July 2006
  
• Iron Peak - Ingalls Loop - July 2004 (a 16 mile loop!)
  
• Miller Peak - June 2004
  

Like most of the west, the railroad has played a large part in the settling of Washington. The two main access points to the Puget Sound area are across Snoqualmie/Stampede Pass and Stevens Pass. Rail came earlier to Stampede Pass area. Northern Pacific Railway choose Tacoma as a terminus and the rail line opened over Stampede in 1888.

The Great Northern Railway went farther north and cross the Cascades at Stevens Pass to the terminus of Everett and Seattle in 1893. In February/March 1910, two trains were delayed by snow and avalanches for several days. The trains made it to Wellington where they waited for the tracks to be cleared. On March 1, 1910, thunder triggered an avalanche which swept the trains off their tracks and down 150 feet. The accident killed 96 people and is one of the worst rail disasters in the history of the US.

To protect the trains, a series of show sheds were built over the 9 miles of steep tracks at the pass between 1913-1915. A new tunnel was build in 1929 and the old steep grade and tunnels were made obsolete. Today, the tracks have been turned into the Iron Goat Trail. Do you remember the train with the Mountain Goat as its emblem. That was the Great Northern mascot from which the trail gets its name.

Today Highway 2 parallels the train tracks to the top of Stevens Pass. Just a few miles from the pass, is the Iron Goat Trail Interpretive Center. It includes several informative panels on the history of the railroad and a bright red caboose. Today the trail is the result of the hard work of the Volunteers for Outdoor Washington.

A new crossover trail between the Interpretive Center at Scenic and the upper grade opened two years ago. It is a short 1 mile trail which gains 700 ft over 25 switchbacks. The group did a great job on the trail.

Monday we decided to check out the trail. We decided to hike up the crossover trail to the main grade, then to Windy Point and continue east towards Wellington. It took about 1 1/2 hours to drive from our house to the Interpretive Center. The clouds had closed in and lowered by time we reached the trail head. It was wet and misty.

We took our time climbing - enjoying the woodland flowers which were in bloom. We reached the main grade and went to explore the tunnel. I was amazed at the size and darkness of the tunnel. It was also amazing to see that much concrete in the forest.

We headed for Windy Point. It took us along a narrow edge on the side of the tunnel and a short way through the forest. Unfortunately the clouds and mists prevented us seeing the vista. We could hear the traffic below on Highway 2. We continued along through the forest. For a while we hiked along side one of the snow shelters. Railroad spikes littered the forest floor. We came along one of the rail mileage posts. The forest was dark and rather spooky. I had heard that someone had seen a large bear on the trail the previous week and we could see bark that had been torn from trees - a sure sign of a bear in the neighborhood. It was getting colder so we decided to turn back. We stopped at the Windy Pass overview which was still clouded over and ate lunch.

We headed back down - fast and smooth. We arrived back at the parking lot in no time. We took a bit of time to read the history and explore before heading back to civilization.

There is much more to explore. We would like to return and explore from one of the other two trail heads. For more information - see the Iron Goat Trail website.

Red Caboose at the Interpretive Center trailhead

Stairs along the Crossover Trail

Steeper switchbacks near the top of the Crossover trail

Snowshed wall near one of the tunnels

Old Rail Tunnel

View from just inside the tunnel

Built in 1914

Trail continues along side of the tunnel snowshed

Hard to believe there is a tunnel behind that hillside

1713 railroad miles from St. Paul Minn.

Our anniversary is in early September. We try to go every year to Sunrise at Mt. Rainier for a late afternoon hike. We take along a picnic and have dinner while watching the sun set. The idea came from a co-worker who told me that she would drive up to Chinook Pass after work with her husband and have a picnic. I loved the idea. We are not always able to make it but we have a couple of times including last year. It was rainy on Labor Day weekend so we waited another week.

I did not want to do a very strenous hike so we decided to do the loop around Naches Peak. We like to start along the Pacific Crest Trail at Chinook Pass and loops around the peak. It is an easy hike just over 3 miles long.

It starts out with wide expansive views east before swinging west. Dewey Lakes appear in the distance and and the PCT trail turns south. The loop trail continues straight west coming to a beautiful little tarn lake with views of Mt. Rainier. The meadows are starting to yellow and the blueberry bushes are turning red. The ash is still green but accented with brilliant red berries.

The vistas continue as your travel west with views of Mt. Rainier and Cayuse Pass to the south before the trail swings north and enters the forest. Soon you arrive back at Highway 410 and Tipsoo Lakes. It is about 1/2 mile back up to the pass where we left our car. G was a sweetheart and hiked back to the car while I waited.

We decided to have our picnic along the lake. The weather was gorgeous and everyone had taken advantage of what could be the last good weekend in summer. It was crowded and the road was noisy from the Harleys out for a Sunday ride. But the food was good and the crowds soon disappeared. After our picnic, we drove up to Sunrise and watched the final rays of sun before heading back.

Along the Naches Trail south of Chinook Pass

Some friendly hikers we met along the trail

Seed pods of Anemone occidentalis

Dewey Lakes

Blue vista

Fall color along the Naches Loop Trail

Dinner and Prosecco

Related - Burroughs Mountain 2008

One of the Fall joys in the Northwest is the opportunity to see the beautiful sub-alpine larch trees turn brilliant gold. If you are lucky, you can catch them on a crisp clear day where the gold blazes against the blue sky.

The weather cooperated this year and yesterday we drove up to Washington Pass to hike to Blue Lake. The big leaf maples were turning along the road as we drove along the Sauk River and as we climbed higher, the vine maples had turned bright yellow and red. But it was cold! There were icicles hanging down the rocky cliffs along the highway.

The trail head to Blue Lake is just before Washington Pass along the North Cascades Highway. It took us about 3 hours to drive from Seattle and we arrived shortly before noon. The parking lot was almost full and several other groups were getting read to head out. Busy day on the trail. Not surprising since it is one of the easiest trails where you can see sub-alpine larches. And it had just been mentioned in the New York Times travel article on "Finding Autumn Gold in Unexpected Places".

The trail starts along boardwalk and parallels Highway 20 for about 1/2 mile before it turns and starts to climb. The climb is gradual and after about 1 mile, the trees start to thin and you can start to see Cutthroat Peak. The larches appear about 1 1/2 miles and after a short 2 miles, you arrive at the lake.

The low sun turned the larches bright gold. They were beautiful contrasted against the dark granite and blue of the sky. Of course, since it was Saturday, every lake vista was taken up with a photographer trying to get the perfect picture. We spent about a half hour climbing along the shore with everyone else before heading back. We still passed many groups heading for the lake.

The drive back was blinding - mostly with the late afternoon sun as we were driving due west. We headed to La Conner for pizza dinner. The beer never tasted better.

Start of the Trail

The Larch appear

Granite peaks along the way

Magical trail through the larch

Golden Needles

A friend call last week and asked if we wanted to go hiking on Sunday. Sure! I had read several good reports about Boulder River,. a low elevation hike near Darrington. It starts at about 1,000ft and only gains 600 feet over four miles. The low elevation makes it a good hike for late or early in the season.

We checked the forecast and it looked pretty good. Sunday rolled around and I checked the weather radar in the morning. There were showers all along the highway from Arlington to Darrington but the forecast was still for clearing and no rain. We packed our rain gear just in case, dressed in warm clothing and headed out.

It was easy and beautiful drive through the farm fields and along the Stillagaumish River to the trail head. The drive was lined with big leaf maples and alders that were still wearing their yellow end-of-the-season leaves. We turned off at French Creek Road - FS 2010. The trees were still dripping from the morning showers and the potholes were filled to the rim with water. I dodged the pot holes the best way I could although we did hit several. After a short 3 1/2 miles, we arrived at the trail head.

The beautiful scent of cedar overwhelmed us as we opened the car doors. We had parked in a group of old cedar trees. We laced up the boots and headed down the trail. One side was lined with tall mossy fern-covered rocky cliff. On the other side, Boulder River roared in the distance. The bright sun rays cut the mist and made the forest look heavenly. The path was covered with huge big leaf maple leaves the size of two large hands. Water dripped from moss laden trees.

The sound of the river became louder. At about 1 1/4 miles, we came to a beautiful waterfall. We continued on walking - in and out of the fog and sun. After about 2 miles, we decided to stop at an sunny cliff and have our lunch.

The sun was getting lower. We had just turned our clocks back the previous night and we realized how quickly dark was coming. We returned to the car and headed back. The late afternoon sun turned the area golden and we had to make one more stop along the Stillaguamish River before heading back to civilization.

More details - WTA Boulder River