I got out today, hiking from the Cedar Falls lot down the PTC to the Cedar Butte Trail, across the Southside/Westside trails, down Olallie to the PTC, and then to the Christmas Lake Trail. I parked in the pull-out before the official lots and so when I finished the Christmas Lake Trail I was almost back at the car.
There was a bit of rain but I was in the forest and only felt a few drops. It stopped by the time I got down to the relatively open PTC. It was all good.
My niece Jaclyn is in town from Idaho for our grandson Dean’s 1st birthday party. That was yesterday, 6/24, and it was fun.
Jaclyn and I had planned to hike in Olympic National Park to Pyramid Peak. We wanted to take the 5:30 (first) ferry across the Sound to Kingston and drive from there. But when we pulled up to the ferry waiting area it was dark. A quick search on the phone revealed the first two ferries had been cancelled and the first one was scheduled for 7:13. Doh!
We quickly came up with a new plan – Jaclyn wants to visit as many National Parks as possible and North Cascades National Park is on her to-do list so I headed to I-5 and went north while Jaclyn started researching hikes in that park. She came up with the famous hike Cascade Pass. She had read that the last 3.1 miles of forest road to the trail head was closed so we were prepared to do a road walk.
Little did we know that those 3.1 miles are uphill all the way. By the time we got to the trail head I was bushed. I handed off the bear spray and Garmin to Jaclyn and told her to head up. I was going to just hang out in the parking lot. And the views there are amazing:
Ho-Hum
But after about 30 minutes I felt fully recovered so headed up the trail because I could not help but run into Jaclyn on the way down. And indeed, about 2 miles up the trail there she was, on her way down, having hiked up to almost the end of this section of trail.
I wound up doing just over 10 miles and she did about 12.5 miles. The track below represents her progress – great job to Jaclyn!
On the way up, while we were driving to where we could park we encountered an enormous black bear:
I have been doing regular local hikes but not putting them in the blog because – bleh – good workouts but not photogenic at all.
Today I had to drive to the Middle Fork because I was scheduled to volunteer for the Washington Trails Association at an outreach event. Tomorrow, 6/24, is officially Washington Trails Day, and WTA has tables at a number of trailheads 6/23 and 6/24 to talk to hikers about getting on our Trail Action Network mailing list and, in general, talk about trails and hiking.
The event was scheduled to start at noon but I got there about 8:30 because I wanted to hike. I parked at the Middle Fork lot and cruised up the connector trail. I was going to do Garfield Ledges. But doh! I got across the Taylor River bridge and realized I had forgotten my pass so I turned around and went back and put the pass on my dashboard.
Then, having lost that time I crossed the Gateway Bridge, which spans the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River, right near the junction with the Taylor River, turned left and wandered down the Middle Fork Trail for a couple of miles, turned around, and headed back. I waited near where I thought we were going to put up the table for the others to show up. Here is our table and my co-volunteers:
WTA Table
Note how empty it is. I doubt we talked with more than a dozen people for the three hours we were there. We were supposed to be there for four hours but we bagged it after three because of how slow it was.
I finally got out to an actual mountain last Wednesday. I did the 8-mile out-and-back on Rattlesnake Mountain to Grand Prospect. It was a beautiful day and a great workout. I saw exactly one person on the way up and perhaps 7 or 8 on the way down. There were plenty of cars in the lot (although it was not full) but clearly they were mostly mountain bikers.
I am impressed with the bikers who can go up and down these mountain trails. They built the trails and they definitely use them.
Saturday (which is supposed to be rainy) I am scheduled to do a WTA work party.
I finally got out to an actual mountain today. I did the 8-mile out-and-back on Rattlesnake Mountain to Grand Prospect. It was a beautiful day and a great workout. I saw exactly one person on the way up and perhaps 7 or 8 on the way down. There were plenty of cars in the lot (although it was not full) but clearly they were mostly mountain bikers.
I am impressed with the bikers who can go up and down these mountain trails. They built the trails and they definitely use them.
Here is another view, looking north as above but also a bit west, showing some of the more distant mountains:
North and West
I am hopeful I can get out on Friday. Saturday (which is supposed to be rainy) I am scheduled to do a WTA work party. I hope this old man will be useful.
I am still not getting out to the mountains as often as I would like. I woke up yesterday morning expecting to do J’s Landing but the more I thought about it, and about the various events I have coming up (such as a trail work party on Saturday) I decided to save gas money and go local.
I drove down to Bothell Landing, hiked through Blyth Park and up Norway Hill – as pictured above.
The forest on Norway Hill is nice but not awesome:
Norway Hill Forest
Once at the top of the hill you gain the Tolt Pipeline Trail. From there I went past a few wineries and the fancy-schmancy hotel/restaurant complex near the Woodinville ball fields, and then I took the Sammamish River Trail all the way back to Bothell Landing. It was a beautiful Sunday in early June and the trail was jammed. Another drawback of going local.
Anyway, it was about 9 miles, 3.5 hours, fun but it ain’t the mountains.
On July 21 Jan and I are going to do a boat ride and lunch on Diablo Lake. I was there once, years ago, but I did not drive. I was not sure exactly how to get there or where to go to catch the boat when we arrive so I decided to drive to Diablo Lake, hike the Diablo Lake Trail, and scope the place out.
At the trail head was a warning sign, explaining that there was an active mountain lion in the area. The sign suggested that you hike in a group. I was alone so, reluctantly, I turned around. I hate to drive all that way (2.5 hours) without a hike but I was not inclined to deal with a mountain lion.
However, just a few yards up the trail there were deer:
Almost Friendly Deer
I saw one of them later as I walked on the lake shore. I of course did not try to approach any of them, but they are fairly unafraid of humans. They were comfortable getting much closer than deer usually get.
The lake is spectacular and it is surrounded by mountains.
Sourdough Mountain
I look forward to July 21, it should be a fun outing.
I find it increasingly difficult to motivate myself to drive long distances to hike, thanks to the continuing high price of gas. Plus, I am going to have to drive some long distances in the new few weeks – to Diablo Lake for a boat ride with Jan (and I will probably drive there by myself before the boat ride to see how long it takes and make sure I know the way). To Maple Falls for a WTA Outreach Event.
Speaking of which I drove to Bellingham on Sunday for an event. Here are my two fellow Trail Ambassadors at our table:
Ski to Sea Race in Fairhaven, Bellingham
Not sure where I will hike next – or when. I will do my usual Thursday grocery shopping with Brittany and Dean tomorrow and on Friday the painters might start on our house.
I didn’t make it to Dirty Harry’s yesterday, I am shooting for tomorrow to do that. I did Cedar Butte and then swung by Christmas Lake on the way back.
Parenthetically, I might have solved my bike seat problem (too hard). I just got a pair of padded bike shorts and I will try them out when next I pedal.
I hate to have to cut the bike trips short just because my old butt gets sore.
