tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86679196056358875252024-03-05T18:11:09.103-08:00Outdoor Girls' Guide to WashingtonAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755294009167704616noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8667919605635887525.post-66035148457434922582012-10-13T13:59:00.000-07:002012-10-13T13:59:00.346-07:00Spray Park - Round 2<div style="text-align: left;">
The first time I had heard about Spray Park was when <a href="http://outdoorgirlswashington.blogspot.com/2012/07/spray-park.html" target="_blank">Valerie</a> went there on a cloudy day a few months ago. I had no idea what to expect, but my mind was definitely blown away.<br />
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A
friend and I had planned to go on a hike somewhere off of Chinook Pass,
but when we got to Enumclaw, there were hoardes of people talking about
going to the same place. So we enacted plan B: head to Mowich Lake.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
The
road to Mowich Lake is not too bad, for the first few miles after the
town of Carbonado. Then you hit dirt. Literally. It's about 13 miles of
gravel road, filled with potholes. Not as bad as Middle Fork Road, mind
you, but not exactly fun.<br />
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After
getting a nice coating of dust on the car, we arrived at Mowich Lake,
packed up our gear, then headed to Spray Park. The trail was nice and
cool in the trees and it felt great to stretch my legs after that bumpy
ride. We stopped at an overlook and I was blown away!</div>
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After
the overlook, we continued on to Spray Falls. I loved how the falls
weren't one big stream of water, but many small streams. I snapped a few
pictures, then we headed on our way to the main attraction.<br />
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I
had been so busy chatting and paying attention to the trail that I
hadn't noticed where we ended up. I turned around, and WHAM! Mt. Rainier
right in your face!<br />
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Look at those pictures! Isn't is so gorgeous!??!</div>
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<br /></div>
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After
a quick snack and getting eaten alive by mosquitos, we headed up to the
Hessong Rock - Mt. Pleasant Saddle. That trail was steep! It looked so
long, but didn't take us that long to get up there.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Pleasant</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The view from up there was spectacular! You could see most of Spray Park with Mt. Rainier in the background.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/417386_3343253511700_238090708_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/417386_3343253511700_238090708_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hessong Rock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We then hiked
back down and headed back to the car. I was so tired but I still wanted
to grab some shots of Mowich Lake before we left. It was super late when
we got back, but I still had lots of fun.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/383966_3343253791707_367529145_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/383966_3343253791707_367529145_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<div class="Body25Indent">
Total time: 6 hours </div>
<div class="Body25Indent">
Distance: 7.5 miles, 1600 ft elevation gain (including side trip to Hessong-Pleasant Saddle)</div>
<div class="Body25Indent">
Passes: Mt. Rainier entrance fee required<br />
Location: Mowich Lake Trail head, GPS: N <span id="lat_gps">46 55.978</span>, W <span id="long_gps">121 51.833</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755294009167704616noreply@blogger.com0Carbonado, WA, USA47.0798248 -122.051500547.0690118 -122.0712415 47.090637799999996 -122.0317595tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8667919605635887525.post-91001660953606213662012-10-10T13:48:00.000-07:002012-10-10T13:48:14.058-07:00Skyline Trail - Mt. RainierSo in my previous trip report, I went exploring on the east side of
Rainier on a Saturday, and now in this post, I am going to tell you
about my hike on the west side of Rainier that occurred the next day.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
Driving
out to Rainier is no easy feat if you are coming from downtown Seattle.
To get to either Sunrise or Paradise, it will take about 2.5 hours.
Luckily for me, I live about an hour south of Seattle, so I shaved an
hour off my time for both days!<br />
<br />
Tina, Crystal and Dasha
all met at my place early in the morning so we could meet the rest of
our group at 9 in Puyallup (try saying that!). We stopped at Starbucks
in South Hill while waiting for the others. I eventually got a call that
they were at the Starbucks in the Fred Meyer while we were at the other
Starbucks across the parking lot! Doh!<br />
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<br />
We
met up, did introductions, then got on our way. The driving
instructions to Paradise from where we were were pretty simple: turn
right out of the parking lot, turn left when you get to the stop sign in
Eatonville, turn left when you get to the stop sign at Alder, then
follow the road into the park until you hit the parking lot! The only
problem was it was about 20-30 minutes between each turn!<br />
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<br />
We
got up to Paradise with no issues, other than a short wait at the gate
to the park. The mountain looked gorgeous and the sun was out! I was
really hoping to see a marmot snoozing on the snow. They are so cute!!!<br />
<br />
The
Skyline trail is a really popular trail, as we found out on our way up.
The first two miles are up and up! (About 1400 ft in elevation) The
last four miles are all down hill through gorgeous meadows.<br />
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<br />
There
was still quite a bit of snow on the trail, but the flowers were
blooming and it was just so gorgeous! The two guys in our group decided
to slide down on their stomachs on some of the snow, with only t-shirts
and shorts on! Ouch! (And no one got a video of it either!)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/404577_3516385159883_1180991621_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/404577_3516385159883_1180991621_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The snow slide. You can see their tracks!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We hiked up to Panorama Point, which gives you a
fantastic lunch spot, with views of the Tatoosh mountain range. We
soaked in the views before making our long descent. I was surprised at
how crowded it was up there!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tina and I</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<br />
As
we followed the trail back down to the parking lot, we watched people
practicing an ice axe arrest and other climbing skills. We also saw
quite a few marmots! I was really hoping to see a marmot do this:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8307/7810260250_065a71744a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8307/7810260250_065a71744a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Ingunn from <a href="http://trailsnail.com/" target="_blank">Trail Snail</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/578528_3516386199909_2099392929_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/578528_3516386199909_2099392929_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only marmot I got a picture of. Still pretty cute!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We passed waterfalls and more meadows and
more marmots. I was so happy to see three of those cute, fat, fluffy
animals! I think I love them so much because they remind me of my cat,
George, who is cute, fat and fluffy! And now here are lots of pretty
pictures of the meadows!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
As
we got back to the paved trail, there were more people, so we booked
back to the cars. I really enjoyed this trail (except for the massive
amounts of people at the end) because the views of Mt. Rainier were
truly fantastic!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/579743_3516386359913_1937971908_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/579743_3516386359913_1937971908_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Back
at Longmire, we stopped to take a look at this bridge over the
Nisqually because it's just so cool looking! Overall, this was
definitely one of my favorite hikes. Next time, I think I want to make
it up to Pebble Creek, and eventually Camp Muir!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="Body25Indent">
Total time: 4 hours </div>
<div class="Body25Indent">
Distance: 6 miles, 1400 ft</div>
<div class="Body25Indent">
Passes: Mt. Rainier Entrance Fee or Annual Pass<br />
Location: Paradise, Mt. Rainier </div>
<div class="Body25Indent">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body25Indent">
Thanks for reading!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755294009167704616noreply@blogger.com0Ashford, WA 98304, USA46.7584413 -122.030940946.7366853 -122.07042290000001 46.780197300000005 -121.9914589tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8667919605635887525.post-53818859274961738012012-08-15T14:57:00.002-07:002012-08-15T14:57:42.489-07:00Franklin Falls and Denny CreekI hiked to Franklin Falls twice last year, and didn't once get a
picture. Finally, on my third trip there, I got plenty of pictures, as
you will soon see!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/s720x720/179553_3271938288864_1896395736_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/s720x720/179553_3271938288864_1896395736_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Franklin
Falls is a rather large waterfall that is right under I-90 Westbound,
just west of Snoqualmie Pass. I have driven over I-90 hundreds of times
in my life, but never knew it was there. The first time I went, the
falls were roaring, but we could walk around the pool at the base of the
falls.<br />
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<br />
<br />
This
time, however, there was so much water, we all got stuck on this little
ledge and had to take pictures from there. The whole area at the bottom
of the falls was covered by several feet of water! I was not expecting
that!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/483994_3271938968881_697450858_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/483994_3271938968881_697450858_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buddha and Tina</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
From Franklin Falls, we walked
back to the trail head, then off to the Denny Creek trail head. From
there we hiked up into the forest, until we came across Denny Creek.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/s720x720/599822_3271939248888_1025899856_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/s720x720/599822_3271939248888_1025899856_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Now,
last year, it was low enough that we could rock hop all the way across.
This year, we had to do the balance beam on a log dam. I was so proud
of myself for not getting wet on the way across, but on the way back, I
stepped in the water on my very last step! (Thanks a lot, you unstable
but stable looking rock!)<br />
<br />
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<br />
Once
we got across Denny Creek, we meandered though the forest some more
before coming up to the rock field and hiking our way up in the heat. We
stopped several times where ever there was shade to drink water and
snack.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/8/3/4/600_137170292.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/8/3/4/600_137170292.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our group. Photo by Valerie. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We got to <span class="st">Keekwulee
Falls, which we couldn't see because of all the brush in the way, but
then we arrived at Snowshoe Falls. Isn't that pretty? I do love me some
waterfalls!</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/394693_3271939768901_753471115_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/394693_3271939768901_753471115_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowshoe Falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span class="st">After that, we decided to
trek as far as we could go before there was too much snow and we had to
turn around. While we were taking a rest break, a guy stopped to let us
know that the snow cover on the way to Melakwa Lake was rather thin and
that he had fallen several times up to his waist because of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_bridge" target="_blank">snow bridges</a>.
He had also tried to cross the creek, and said it was very difficult
when he did it. Not wanting anyone to get hurt, we got to the first
large snow patch, Tina made a snow angel, then we packed it in and
headed back down. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/5/b/0/600_138146032.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/5/b/0/600_138146032.jpeg" width="610" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rebecca and Buddha near the waterslide. Photo by Tina.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span class="st">We stopped to dip our
toes in the icy water of Denny Creek at the "waterslide," which is a
natural rock formation that kids use in summer as a waterslide. It
didn't appear to be working very well, but the kids that were there were
still having fun!</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/4/3/e/600_138145662.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/4/3/e/600_138145662.jpeg" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maxwell hitching a ride across the logs. Photo by Tina.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span class="st">Then we crossed back over
the log jam and headed back to the cars. I am very tempted to make the
trip up to Melakwa Lake, but I'm definitely going to wait until the snow
has melted! </span> <br />
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Total time: 6 hours </div>
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Distance: 2 miles, 400 ft for Franklin Falls, 4 miles, 700 ft elevation gain to Denny Creek<br />
Passes: NW Forest Pass required<br />
Location:
off exit 47 on I-90, GPS: N 47 24.780, W 121 20.493</div>
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Thanks for reading!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755294009167704616noreply@blogger.com1Denny Creek, WA 98045, USA47.4128899 -121.442316547.402144400000005 -121.4620575 47.4236354 -121.42257550000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8667919605635887525.post-46970799597329091842012-08-11T20:48:00.001-07:002012-08-11T21:56:11.782-07:00Surprise LakeToday we hiked to Surprise Lake. It was a great trail and unfortunately my pictures do not do it justice. The Surprise Lake trail is off of Hwy 2, about an hour and a half from Seattle. It is approximately 9 to 10 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 2700 feet. From the lake you can continue on to Glacier Lake or you can connect to the PCT. One of the most amazing things about this trail was that there was hardly anyone on it. We only saw 9 groups on the way up, I had to count because for the first hour we didn't see anyone. I was amazed. Starting at 10:30am on a Saturday I thought it would be much more crowded. Many of the groups we did see were backpacking, there is great camping at the lakes but no fires allowed unfortunately.<br />
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The trail starts out fairly easy, not too much of a slope and it is very well maintained. A lot of nice staircases, bridges over water crossings, and some boardwalks early on. <br />
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At around 1.3 miles you will cross Surprise Creek. It is a easy trek over a downed tree. The water in the creek is amazingly clear. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TiK63X0Z6qUm_XOEBc_Rs2ZTisr9iqBMN1r7J59FL-J6iSz4ucSjdP_j8NDKnlzPUHnyIyvOfD_WGLd9LeJgLtrWR9S0QCAqbVJNXYxoSzH8XwRZJ6CYWWTqDHSQmN1rIM7Leg0Y5RI/s1600/P8100004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUif8fmXqo4NhioQIvrXlhLawDrUFDoqdwYdrbabY0LBvYoK-zYILzSf_b5Eryr1V0GBoNmljvAY1e6X2WOB-PRMMmfsNdCSpuo11laHIk84b7G7O7TIbjS2rV0fVyz-PZgbxsIpNbniQ/s1600/P8100001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUif8fmXqo4NhioQIvrXlhLawDrUFDoqdwYdrbabY0LBvYoK-zYILzSf_b5Eryr1V0GBoNmljvAY1e6X2WOB-PRMMmfsNdCSpuo11laHIk84b7G7O7TIbjS2rV0fVyz-PZgbxsIpNbniQ/s400/P8100001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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After this point there are a couple of places where the trail is overgrown but it doesn't last long and up ahead are some great views. <br />
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One of the reasons this trail is so awesome is there are a lot of breaks in the trees to catch glimpses of the beautiful peaks you are passing. At around 3 miles the trail starts to climb more steeply until just before the lake. However, the steepness of this trail is probably easier than Mount Si, so nothing terrible.<br />
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At around 4.7 miles you will reach the lake. There is a lot of wilderness restoration going on around the beginning of the lake and areas are roped off. However, this won't spoil your chances of enjoying the gorgeous lake. <br />
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My one good lake shot came out fuzzy. I am unfortunately a lazy camera operator when I am out hiking. <br />
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We hiked on down the trail past the other groups that were already lunching on the rocks until we found a quiet area to eat. <br />
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The water was cold but very clear and blue. I don't think I could have swam in it but it was very inviting.<br />
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On the way back we stopped at the outhouse. I climbed up and to my surprise it was just a latrine, no house. Better than nothing I guess. Luckily no one walked up behind or in front of me. Anyway, from this little wooden perch there was an amazing view. I had to stop and snap a picture of it.<br />
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Surprise Lake Trail<br />
Stevens Pass, Hwy 2<br />
Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest<br />
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10 miles round trip<br />
Elevation gain: 2700 feet <br />
Passes Needed: Northwest Forest Pass<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_118749622"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/surprise-lake-1">http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/surprise-lake-1</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16951137282824291725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8667919605635887525.post-23201735519401987982012-08-08T15:26:00.004-07:002012-08-08T15:26:59.943-07:00Lodge LakeI've been dragging my toes on writing this post, and I'm not quite
sure why. Probably because I'm not really in a writing mood, but I'm
going to get it done today!<br />
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On the 4<sup>th</sup> of July, I joined a friend for a
short hike up at Snoqualmie Pass. I had always wanted to hike around the
Snoqualmie Pass ski area during summer to see what the terrain looks like
without the snow, and I finally got my chance. </div>
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We started out in this little parking lot off the side of
Snoqualmie West, then hiked up to the ski slopes and under the chairs. There
was still quite a bit of snow in the shade that we hiked over. Once we got to
the ski slopes, there wasn’t any snow and it was rather hot out in the open. I
was fascinated by all the landforms I had skied over and never knew where
there, like the board walk shown above. </div>
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We got across the ski slopes and headed back towards
Beaver Lake. Along the way we met an older gentleman who was planning on fishing
at Lodge Lake, and was so proud of himself for carrying all his gear, including
an inflatable raft. We chatted with him, as we walked over some snow patches,
then he slowly trailed behind us. We met him again as he was setting up for
fishing at the lake later in the day.</div>
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Beaver Lake is a small pond on the edges of the ski area.
I would have never known it was there since its usually covered with snow! It was quite picturesque, but I was
still wanting to get to Lodge Lake. We trekked along further into the forest,
along the PCT, until we came to Lodge Lake. There were a few creek crossing,
and we both had a few mishaps involving slippery rocks, but we made it there in
one piece. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/s720x720/602592_3271926568571_801185721_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/s720x720/602592_3271926568571_801185721_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beaver Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lodge Lake</td></tr>
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The lake was absolutely stunning against the view of the
mountains (I believe that is Denny Mountain in the background), and we lunched
on a log that jutted into the lake. After a quick snack, we headed further
along the trail, just to see how far we could get. We got to a small unnamed
lake, then decided it was time to head back.</div>
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The trail was rather easy to follow, except for the snow
covered parts. It was not very difficult and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>didn’t have much of an elevation gain. This
would be a perfect hike for small kids, or anyone who wants a stroll in the
forest, without the crowds. I can’t wait to visit again!</div>
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Total time: 4 hours </div>
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Distance: 4 miles, 400 ft elevation gain<br />
Passes: NW Forest Pass required<br />
Location:
off Snoqualmie Summit West exit, turn R into parking lot, then follow
to west end. There are no markings, but park there and follow the main
trail to the ski slopes.</div>
<br />
Thanks for stopping by!<br />
<br />
-Rachel <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755294009167704616noreply@blogger.com0Snoqualmie Pass, WA, USA47.3923346 -121.400094247.3493371 -121.4790582 47.4353321 -121.3211302tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8667919605635887525.post-16731107863482400952012-07-31T07:00:00.000-07:002012-07-31T07:00:01.549-07:00CCC Road: Upper TrailheadThere is a road just outside of North Bend that leads to a large
network of trails. It is called the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road. There
is something special about this road. For lower clearance cars, it is
only accessible for a small window in spring and early summer.
Otherwise, you will need to take a high clearance vehicle. All because
of potholes.<br />
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I
took advantage of the recently graded road a few weeks back and posted
about it here. The potholes weren't bad and there were plenty of other
lower clearance cars racing along the road. I decided to brave it again a
few weeks later, and unfortunately determined that would be the last
time I would see the Middle Fork Road this year.<br />
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<br />
<br />
A
few gals from my meetup group (plus my parents) met at the Safeway in
North Bend, then headed out to conquer the first 10 miles of the road.
It took us at least half an hour to go that 10 miles because of
potholes. We also had to stop because my parents' Jeep had started to
lose pressure in one of its tires. They told us to go on ahead without
them while they changed the tire. So on we drove until we got to the
parking area, which held about 4 cars.<br />
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<br />
As
we began hiking into the woods, the sun shining through the trees made
the forest look ethereal and beautiful. We came to our first creek
crossing and I was sure glad I had my poles. The first creek crossing,
unbeknownst to us, was the easiest of the 4 we would cross.<br />
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Soon
enough, we came to another creek crossing. This one was a little bit
more challenging, but still doable. We then came to a clearing in the
trail, where we could see the silhouette of the moon above a peak. You
can just barely see the moon in this picture, but I swear its there!<br />
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<br />
We
continued on to cross another creek, which was even more difficult than
the one before. Finally, we came to the last creek crossing, which was
rather difficult and almost everyone got their feet wet.<br />
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<br />
We
hiked further into the forest, passing the same man twice, once as we
hiked in, once as we hiked out. He was definitely trucking along at a
quick speed! We eventually got to this tree that had been struck by
lightening. What a beautiful sight it was! The pictures definitely do
not do it justice.<br />
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<br />
It
was getting late by this point, so we turned around and headed back
across the 4 streams. It was much easier the second time around! We got
back to the car and found a note from my parents saying they were headed
to the Snoqulamie Brewery. I later talked with my mom and she said they
made it to the second creek crossing (about half a mile in) before
turning back. I was very proud of them for attempting this hike!<br />
<br />
I
would recommend exploring the Middle Fork area if you have a high
clearance vehicle. If you do not, I still recommend it, but wait until
next spring (or when they pave it in 2015!)<br />
<br />
<br />
Total time: 2 hours (give yourself at least an hour and a half for driving to and from North Bend)<br />
Distance: 4 miles, 400 ft elevation gain<br />
Passes: NW Forest Pass required<br />
Location: off Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road, about 9.8 miles in. GPS: N 47 32.235 W 121 34.650<br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping by!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755294009167704616noreply@blogger.com0North Bend, WA, USA47.4956579 -121.786777547.4742014 -121.8262595 47.5171144 -121.74729549999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8667919605635887525.post-80717054911595606642012-07-29T23:00:00.001-07:002012-07-30T17:54:00.060-07:00Spray ParkThis weekend Brian and I headed out to the Mt Rainier area to hike the Spray Park trail. It was about 70 degrees in town but it was in the 50s at Mt Rainier. Of course neither of us checked the weather before we left, but luckily we had enough layers to keep us warm.<br />
<br />
The Spray Park trail is one of several trails that set out from the Mowich
Lake camping area. The first two miles are fairly easy going, just a
little up and down. At 1.7 miles there is a look out.
Unfortunately, we were surrounded by clouds the day we chose to hike. <br />
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After the look out, there are three water falls starting around 2 miles into the hike. The first one, below, is small but pretty. I liked all of the moss on the rocks around the falls. The picture doesn't really do it justice.<br />
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Around this point there is also a turn off to a camping area that looked like it wouldn't be a bad place to spend the night. Enclosed by the forest but reasonably flat. There are also other places to camp on up the trail, however, I don't think you are allowed to have campfires. <br />
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After this you will come to a fork in the trail. You take the right side of the fork and come almost immediately to the second waterfall. It was a little underwhelming to me. <br />
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As you hike down to the third falls there is a good vantage point. Still cloudy but nice to have a break in the forest. <br />
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Then you will come to Spray Falls. It was kind of hard to see. You have to stand out on a rock, one or two people at a time. This was the best I could do. <br />
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After the falls we headed back to the fork in the trail and hiked up several switchbacks. It was a good, little workout. We probably hiked for about three quarters of a mile to reach Spray Park. <br />
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When we got to this first mountain meadow, we decided to eat our lunch. The fog really rolled in as we were sitting there. We talked to a couple who said that they didn't think the trail ever curved back around to spray falls but that there were several more meadows on up the trail. At this point we turned around, had it been sunny we would have had some terrific views of Mt Rainier. Luckily there were still great things to see along the way which made the trip completely worth it. <br />
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Total time: 3.5 hours<br />
Distance: 6 miles<br />
Passes: Mt Rainier National Park day pass or a national park annual pass<br />
Location: <span id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_txtAddress1"></span>WA-165 S/Mountain Meadows Rd/Mowich Lake Rd<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16951137282824291725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8667919605635887525.post-41518739162901393772012-07-26T01:22:00.000-07:002012-07-28T20:56:43.210-07:00Mirror LakeI've hiked <a href="http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/mirror-lake-1" target="_blank">Mirror Lake</a> before. It's one of the more beautiful views I've seen on a hike to date. I was really looking forward to revisiting the area, and I'm happy to report that it's still a wonderful place to spend the afternoon trekking and exploring.<br />
<br />
The hike to Mirror Lake itself was only about 2 miles, but we trekked a bit further so in total we hiked about 5 miles. We saw two other lakes and even got to walk in some snow that was still on parts of the trail. What I loved about this hike is that we got to do a little bit of everything: it wasn't super taxing physically but we enjoyed the changes in scenery, and I got to take a lot of pictures! I wish the weather had been a bit more sunny, but I was happy that it didn't rain so I really couldn't complain.<br />
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After a short rocky uphill, we reached the trail-head, and in no time we reached our first viewpoint, Cottonwood Lake. If you choose to do this hike in the summer months I recommend bug spray, as there were lots of mosquitoes buzzing around.<br />
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Rachel gets excited like a kid on Christmas Day when she sees snow, so she was very happy that there was still a fair amount on one part of the trail we hiked through. I had just received my new Leki trekking poles in time for this hike, and I felt very comfortable in the snow using them for added traction. The weather wasn't particularly hot, but it felt nice to have the cool snow crunching under our feet as we got closer to our destination. </div>
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Mirror Lake, how I missed you! The last time I had set foot on its shores, it was much earlier in the hiking season and there had been much more ice and snow. We didn't meet a ton of other hikers on the trail, but with the warmer weather we did run across a lot of campers and volunteers maintaining the trail. There was a group of guys and a pup camping right by the lake, so we enjoyed the sights, took some pictures, and ventured a bit further down the trail to stop and have lunch.</div>
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We reached an area that seemed nice to stop and snack, and I explored the surroundings to check out the view and take pictures. There was a pretty waterfall and lots of my beloved bear-grass and other flora to catch my eye and camera lens. </div>
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I could have stayed here all day, mesmerized by the flowing water. If I was big on meditating, this would totally be my spot. There were other sights to see however, so we moved on further. We hiked to the last lake of our journey, Twilight Lake. It was in the middle of a swampy, boggy meadow, and it felt like our own little private patch of forest. </div>
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One of our fellow hikers brought her pup, and it was a blast watching her swim around in the lake, run out onto the grass, and flop on her back and wriggle around. Rachel managed to get a group shot of us with Ollie (or Olly?) racing right through the picture. Way to photo-bomb like a pro!</div>
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After a short stay at Twilight Lake, we decided that this would be a good turn around point, so back up we went. Back past the falls, back for one more glance at lovely Mirror Lake, and back once again on the snowy path. </div>
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It was great to revisit a place you'd once been and be reminded of how much you had enjoyed yourself while creating new memories. Like an old friend, Mirror Lake welcomed me back to its shores, and I left with the promise to return again soon. </div>Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18090004861104875491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8667919605635887525.post-43262047667476390952012-07-23T16:26:00.003-07:002012-07-24T08:30:39.038-07:00Squak Mountain - Bullitt FireplaceI just love the name of this mountain: SQUAK! Sounds like a bird,
huh? Apparently, it came from the sound of the Southern Lushootseed name
for the mountain. Who knew?<br />
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Anyways,
I had been wanting to hike the Phils Trail-Thrush Gap Loop trail for a
while, but I still haven't finished the whole loop. Me and another gal
from my meetup group started out after work and made out way up the
mountain. It was definitely not a walk in the park! This trail kicked my
butt!<br />
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We
passed over creeks and went up, up and up! It seemed like there was not
flat part of the trail. There were a couple of trail intersections, but
it was fairly easy to follow. We wanted to at least get up to the top
of the mountain before 7 pm, our turn around time, so we kicked it into
high gear!<br />
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We
got to the Bullitt Gorge Trail in pretty good time, so we continued up
it. According to the signage at the trail intersection, the area near
the top of the mountain was originally owned by the Bullitt family, who
had built a lodge at the top. When they gave their land to the state to
make it a park, they wanted it to stay as pristine as possible, so only
hikers are allowed on the top portion of Squak.<br />
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Eventually,
the trail leveled out and we hiked through a swamp. We were a little
off on our map location, but we eventually found the remains of the
lodge, which are the foundation and a fireplace.<br />
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The
fireplace was absolutely beautiful! I so would love to have one like
that in my house.. sigh, someday. While we snacked and rested near the
fireplace, another large group came hiking up the hill. They were also a
meetup group! Fancy that, huh?<br />
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We
took their pictures, and they took ours, then we headed back down the
hill. We made really good time because we got back to our cars before it
got dark out.<br />
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Overall,
I would say this was a really fun hike that was definitely a workout! I
still have the other half of the trail to finish, but I think I will
save it for a weekend so I don't have to rush through it.<br />
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Total time: 3 hours<br />
Distance: 5 miles<br />
Passes: Discover Pass required<br />
Location: <span id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_txtAddress1">13201 Squak Mountain Rd SE, Issaquah, WA</span><br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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-RachelAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755294009167704616noreply@blogger.com0Issaquah, WA, USA47.5301011 -122.032619147.487216100000005 -122.1115831 47.5729861 -121.9536551tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8667919605635887525.post-11494988530822810062012-07-23T16:25:00.001-07:002012-07-24T08:30:56.658-07:00Ardmore TrailsArdmore Park is a 28-acre park off of Bel-Red Road in Bellevue. The
park features a maze of trails through a forest that makes you feel
like you are out off of Snoqualmie Pass, not in the middle of a suburb.<br />
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The
trail we took was roughly 1.5 miles round trip, with very little
elevation gain. The trail meandered through the woods, crossing over a
stream that runs through the park. There are some stairs but other than
than it's fairly flat..<br />
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<br />
Ardmore
Trails is a great place for an after work walk or trail run. There was
hardly anyone on the trail (3 people!), excluding the parents and kids
at the play area. It was quiet and peaceful, a great place to gather
your thoughts.<br />
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<br />
Total time: 45 minutes<br />
Distance: 1.5 miles<br />
Passes: none required<br />
Location: <span id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_txtAddress1">16833 NE 30th Street </span><span id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_txtCity">Bellevue</span>, WA<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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-RachelAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01755294009167704616noreply@blogger.com0Bellevue, WA, USA47.610377 -122.200678647.524739 -122.3586071 47.696015 -122.0427501