2018 Trips To Date
Mt. Rainier- Pinnacle Saddle & Beyond
4.2 miles of hiking • 2000' elevation gain •
Took the trail to the saddle of Pinnacle and then climbed to the 6374’ summit of Plummer Peak. It is an easy climb to the summit w/ no exposure. All class 2 stuff. Views from the peak were 360 & very nice. Then returned to the saddle and followed the climbers trail to the saddle of The Castle. Summiting the Castle is a much more difficult climb which is beyond my comfort level so I just found a nice ledge a bit up from the saddle & ate some lunch, soaking in the sunshine & the scenery.
July 15, 2018
4
Hoh River Trail to Blue Glacier
39.64 miles of hiking • 7500' elevation gain • 2 nights
Started trip from the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center TH. Hiked in about 15 miles on day one and set up camp at Martins Creek. Very nice campsites there. Day 2 day hiked up to Elk Lake, Glacier Meadows and up to the Blue Glacier via the Lateral Moraine Trail. From the Lateral Moraine Mt. Olympus is right in your face...just awesome views. Spent a couple of hours there just soaking in the scenery and watching through my binoculars a couple climbers down climb Olympus. Just me & a couple of mtn. goats the entire time. Hiked back down to Martins Creek and then the next day hiked the 15 miles back to the TH where I was greeted with an overflowing parking lot filled with visitors. What a contrast from 24 hours earlier.
July 4 – July 6, 2018
1
Navaho Pass/Peak
13.75 miles of hiking • 4250' elevation gain •
This is not a hike if one is looking for solitude. The majority of hikers though appeared to be backpackers heading to "the meadow" to set up camp. There were surprisingly few people at the pass and even fewer who ventured the steep climb to the peak. The views of the Stuart Range & The Enchantments were nice from the pass but from the peak they were outstanding and one could also see Rainier and Adams to the south.
June 23, 2018
2
Olympics—Buckhorn Mtn
16.89 miles of hiking • 4250' elevation gain •
Took the long approach to Buckhorn via the Tubal Cain Trail. A few patches of snow near the top of Buckhorn Pass but nothing which require traction devices & once the pass is reached it is snow free to Buckhorn’s almost 7000’ Peak.
June 16, 2018
2
ONP--Wagon Wheel lake to Silver Snag
6.66 miles of hiking • 4000' elevation gain •
Typical Junuary day in the PNW. One minute raining, the next sunny, then hail and even snowing around 4000'. While I have hiked up to Wagon Wheel Lake before, a fairly unimpressive lake IMO, I have never taken the climbers trail which climbs around 800" feet above the lake to the Silver Snag plateau and also to Cub Peak. The views up on Silver Snag were fairly impressive and I sat up there for about an hour watching the weather move in and our of the area. The climb of Cub Peak does have some exposure and because I was alone along with the weather conditions making the tread a bit slippery decided to save its climb for another day.
June 10, 2018
Olympics---Deer Park
20 miles of hiking • 6250' elevation gain • 2 nights
Hiked from the Slab Camp TH and made base camp at the Deer Park Campground. Deer Ridge and the campground are completely snow free. Day hiked from there up Blue & Green Mountains. Attempted an assent of Maiden Peak but still a bit to much snow and turned around about 500' from the summit.
May 26 – May 28, 2018
1
Mt. St. Helens
11 miles of hiking • 5750' elevation gain • 1 night
Started the climb around 5 AM & Worm Flow route taken. Was told Monitor Ridge route will open June 1st. Snow is melting out quickly & the first half mile or so was snow free. Put on crampons after crossing the rocky section. Took us about 5 hours to reach the top. Glissade a fair amount on the way down which cut about a mile on the decent.
May 14 – May 15, 2018
Buck Mtn.
10.33 miles of hiking • 3250' elevation gain •
Accessed Buck Mtn. via the Elbo Creek TH. Trail to the summit entirely snow free. Lots of eagle activity in the area must of seen around a dozen of them flying around while on the summit....both bald & golden.
May 5, 2018
1
Mt. Washington
8.67 miles of hiking • 3250' elevation gain •
Snow present for the last 1 1/2 miles of the assent. I used crampons for that section but one could make it to the summit w/o traction devices. Light snow showers at the 4200’ summit. No views due to the weather.
April 28, 2018
April 21, 2018
Pack Forest-Hugo Peak
4.7 miles of hiking • 1500' elevation gain •
I have not done this hike for several years and decided to give it a go again as the Grandson had a football game the Puyallup area. Quite a bit of trail work has been done since I last hiked here with some elevated wooded pathways now over the really wet and muddy sections and in a couple places the trail has been re-routed due to what appears to be excessive erosion. To get some good vertical climb though one really has to do the steep section twice. Overall not a bad somewhat close to town hike for a wet, drippy day
April 15, 2018
1
Mt. Teneriffe
8.52 miles of hiking • 4250' elevation gain •
The new Teneriffe TH parking lot is nice but it does add a lot of foot traffic to Teneriffe Falls. From the Falls we took the Kamikaze trail to the summit of Teneriffe. According to my GPS from the Falls the elevation gain is 2000’ in just over a mile so it is a steep climb. The last 1000’ is snow covered and microspikes were helpful in getting to the summit.
March 31, 2018
Pinnacle Peak
4.18 miles of hiking • 2000' elevation gain •
This is a nice short steep conditioning hike but you really need to go up one side to the summit, down the other side, and than repeat.... for it to be worthwhile.
March 25, 2018
1
Tiger Mtn.—Summits 2 & 3
6.5 miles of hiking • 2750' elevation gain •
Started from the Highpoint TH & took various trails up to summit 2. From their hike over to summit 3 & then descended via the Cable Line Trail.
March 17, 2018
1
Olympics-Deer Ridge
9 miles of hiking • 3500' elevation gain •
Was shooting for the summit of Blue Mtn. but got a late start & settled on getting up to the top of Deer Ridge which was at approx 5700’. Microspikes used for the first 3 miles or so & than we swtched to snowshoes for the final bit.
March 10, 2018
Tiger Mt—Summit 3
5.98 miles of hiking • 2750' elevation gain •
Took Section Line Trail up to the summit of Tiger 3. Top 3rd of the trail was extremely icy & microspikes were used.
March 3, 2018
Olympics—Big Creek
8.6 miles of hiking • 2500' elevation gain •
Hiked as far up as where the trail intersects with the lower Mt. Ellinor Trail. On this day the entire route was snow covered but no traction devices were used.
February 24, 2018
Tiger Mtn.—Poo Poo Point
5.28 miles of hiking • 2000' elevation gain •
Took the Chirico Trail up to Poo Poo Point. They have really gentrified this trail with lots of new switchbacks & stone steps. For a short training hike the old trail was much better.
February 18, 2018
Tiger Mtn.
5.73 miles of hiking • 2750' elevation gain •
Section Line Trail to the summit of Tiger 3
February 10, 2018
Mt. Rose
6 miles of hiking • 3500' elevation gain •
Snow began a bit before the summit loop junction & while I used micro spikes I wish I had brought the snowshoes as the postholing became a pain the higher one climbed due to the warm temps.Trail to the top is relatively easy to follow after the junction. Just keep your eyes open for the orange ribbons.
February 3, 2018
Pt. Defiance Park
4.75 miles of hiking • 1250' elevation gain •
Windy, rainy, muddy.....just a typical winter hike @ Pt. Defiance Park.
January 21, 2018
4
Mt. Rainier-Reflection Lake & Pinnacle Saddle Attempt
5.31 miles of hiking • 1250' elevation gain •
Began the hike at the Narada Falls TH. Snowshoe trails were clearly marked & easy to follow to the lake. The trail up to Pinnacle Saddle required some route finding & we quit when the post holing got hip deep.
January 13, 2018
Pt. Defiance
4.72 miles of hiking • 1250' elevation gain •
Typical seasonal sloppy muddy trails. The dog is always up for a good sloppy hike with a quick clean up swim in the sound. Woof!
January 6, 2018
Mt. Walker
5.5 miles of hiking • 2250' elevation gain •
Nice views. One could clearly see 3 volcanoes along with downtown Seattle.
January 3, 2018
Mt. Rainier-Paradise
3.17 miles of hiking • 1000' elevation gain •
Annual New Years day hike with the family. Place was a zoo but once you hiked about a mile up from the visitor center the crowds thinned out.
January 1, 2018
