Chilly, soggy weather this past Sunday wasn't enough to stop us from having a great hike to Lake 22 for the November meeting of Alpine Trails Book Club. After reading trail reports and the weather forecast, we came prepared with waterproof boots, rain gear, and lots of warm layers, and it's a good thing we did. The few people we passed on the trail who weren't so well prepared looked downright miserable! Understandably so too, since much of the trail had become seasonal stream bed due to the recent heavy rain.
Read moreSnow Lake - Gem Lake - Wildcat Lakes
On this cold, dark, autumn day, the trip Andy and I took on one of the hottest weekends of the summer seems forever ago. Normally, I plan all our hikes obsessively, especially overnight ones, checking weather forecasts daily for the week leading up the trip. Somehow I managed to avoid reading a single forecast in preparation for this trip, but I'm glad I did! If I'd known how hot it would be, we never would have gone, and even with all the extreme crowds, dust, and heat, it was such a rewarding trip!
I realized on the drive from home that I'd forgotten my paper topo map, but knew the trail was well marked to Gem Lake, and figured we could find our way based on the WTA description from there. I didn't want to turn back and delay our early start - an absolute necessity for the Snow Lake trail on a hot summer day. By the time we reached the ridge above Snow Lake, the sun was high above us, and the heat and sun were almost inescapable! Thankfully there was a little more in the way of shade as we skirted around Snow Lake, but as we began the climb up to Gem Lake, we were once again roasting. We took our time climbing to Gem Lake, taking water breaks any time there was a good patch of shade. Gem Lake was absolutely worth the climb, and we stopped for a leisurely lunch to admire the view. By the time we'd finished eating and refilling our water bottles, it was already 3:00, and according to the mileage listed on the WTA description, we were still 3.3 miles from our final destination for the night!
Read moreGreenwater Lake - Lost Lake
With all the hiking Andy and I did over the summer, I've hardly had time to edit the photos I've taken, let alone write posts. Thankfully, now that fall and rainy weekends have arrived, I finally have some time to catch up, starting with a lovely, laid back weekend we spent at Greenwater Lakes and Lost Lake in late July. The six mile trail is gentle for the first two miles until you reach the second Greenwater Lake. Over these first two miles, we passed many families with young kids out for a short, easy backpacking trip. There was a bit of added excitement at the first stream crossing, where the log bridge has been damaged by winter storms. Even though the bridge was tilting rather awkwardly, it was clearly the safest option for crossing Greenwater River, and we managed to make it across without incident. I read that two weeks after our hike, the Washington Trails Association took a work crew to reset the bridge, which would have been an impressive feat to watch, or better yet, participate in!
Read moreMarmot Pass - Upper Big Quilcene
For years, all my favorite trails led to lakes. On day hikes in particular, I'd bring a lunch and a book, and once I reached the lake, I'd find a (hopefully!) quiet spot to sit and munch and read for at least an hour. I didn't understand the point of trails to ridges and basins. If there was no specific destination, how did you know when to stop hiking? When did you get to sit and read? Over the past year though, I've started to appreciate ridges and passes more. Sure, the stopping point is often less obvious, but that means there's room to wander and explore. And it's hard to beat the views you get from a pass or a summit. Until recently, I never would have considered hiking somewhere like Marmot Pass, but I'm so glad that's changed!
Read moreBagley Lakes
It's rare in life to get rewarded for very little effort, but the Bagley Lakes trail does just that. When recently camping with friends just 30 minutes from the recently plowed and open road to Artist Point, we couldn't resist the call of nearby Mt Baker. Along with a small crowd of other cars, we drove to the end of the road to explore the still snow covered Artist Point. Most of the crowd was content to park, play around in the snow, snap a few photos, then turn around and leave. We, however, also made a stop a little lower at the Bagley Lakes trailhead to stretch our legs on a short hike. While Artist Point was still heavily blanketed in snow, here there was more trail than snow - just barely. The three of us had visited once before, as part of a larger group during my bachelorette party two years ago. I've always loved returning to trails a different times of year to see the the dramatic changes the season make to familiar landscapes.
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