December 29, 2021 6.1 miles 1,750 feet gained
Great day in the snow and ice. I used spikes, but others didn't. Yay
Woodswalker
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Hikes by Woodswalker in 2021
December 28, 2021 8.7 miles 2,000 feet gained
I generally don't make Cape Horn a priority for hiking, but today in the snow it was gorge-ous Haha
December 24, 2021 4 miles 500 feet gained
Just a short nice Christmas Eve snowshoe with good friends and nice treats.
December 16, 2021 9 miles 2,000 feet gained
Great day in very wet snow, Beautiful ornaments and snow-flocked trees. We needed spikes on the way down even though there wasn't much snow.
December 10, 2021 7.3 miles 500 feet gained
Had a great morning with a friend hiking north from Germantown RD on the Wildwood.
December 1, 2021 8.5 miles 2,000 feet gained
I don't know why this one always feels like the hardest hike ever. But it was still a wonderful day. A few patches of snow, sitting by the fire at the lodge, visiting with Bruno, and stopping by the closed Phlox Point Cabin Taco Chalet and yes I used taco and chalet in the same sentence. Great day
November 24, 2021 7.5 miles 3,250 feet gained
I'd tried this trail before in the spring but the snow was too icy and sketchy even with spikes. This time we made it up to the lookout before the clouds rolled in and had great views. No spikes needed.4-6 inches of snow up top dusting of snow starts after about a mile and increases from there. Beautiful day
November 23, 2021 12 miles 1,250 feet gained
The snow gate is still open, but we decided to do a back route into Nesika and Waespe Point. Starting at the snow gate we took Road 1520 northish down to Multnomah Basin Road and from there followed it down to the bridge over Multnomah Creek and into Multnomah Basin. The ornament trail is slowly coming back and one of the dormitories and outhouses has been r...
November 22, 2021 12.3 miles 2,500 feet gained
The waterfalls are looking great. There's some gnarly blowdown past Casey Creek, but nothing we couldn't deal with. People are chipping away at it, for which I am grateful.
November 17, 2021 6 miles 1,250 feet gained
I just had a few hours but it was a great trip. The fall color is mostly gone and snow is topping the mountains in the distance.
October 31, 2021 8 miles 1,250 feet gained
Great day in the Badger Wilderness. The larches were still great and we added on Perry Point and Five Mile Butte. Fantastic day
October 29, 2021 6.2 miles 250 feet gained
The colors are looking good!
October 18, 2021 9.8 miles 2,750 feet gained
The undergrowth in the burned areas of the gorge is brilliant right now. Great day.
September 24, 2021 9 miles 1,000 feet gained
I just had a few hours so I took a quiet walk in Forest Park
September 14, 2021 9.1 miles 2,000 feet gained
I got a night a Five Mile Butte Lookout and then hiked up one of the new trails above the Timberline Trail that Mt Hood Meadows built. The was a bit of light route finding and easy scrambling. I went up to about 7000' but I hear you can continue on.
September 6, 2021 8 miles 2,000 feet gained
I'd never been to Mt Rainier so I woke up early and drove to Paradise Park. It was crowded until about 1 and then it cleared out. I also found some short spurs up there that hardly anyone was on. I spent a lot of time in quiet places just sitting and staring at the mountain and views. Completely amazing.
September 5, 2021 6.5 miles 2,000 feet gained
I went a with a great group to visit Mooney Tarn. #willhikefortarns is my motto. Really fun route finding and a bit of easy scrambling. It did involve crossing the Elliot twice. Let's just say when it comes to narrow log crossings I'm not to proud to scoot. Great day.
August 31 to September 2, 2021 27.8 miles 5,000 feet gained 2 nights
I had a great trip up in Goat Rock. It was super quiet up there. The bloom only remains in small sheltered creeks. We did the Nannie Ridge PCT Walupt Lake loop and the Berry Patch Snow Grass trails loop up to Goat Lake. Water was much more abundant on the Snowgrass side of the loop.
August 27, 2021 13.2 miles 1,500 feet gained
I wanted an easy hike today with some mileage so I went out to the gorge. Amazing trail work has been done, but lots of spots that look like they will continue to be washouts. People are making there way down to Punchbowl even though there isn't a beach anymore. Not too crowded.
August 19, 2021 12 miles 2,500 feet gained
Beautiful smoke free day on the mountain so I went for it. The flowers are still blooming but faded a bit. The gentians are at peak if you love those.
August 11, 2021 5 miles 500 feet gained
July 21, 2021 3.2 miles 500 feet gained
Had a great social hike looking at tons of wildflowers. Lupine, beargrass and valerian is all looking nice in the meadows above MT Meadows along the TT.
July 21, 2021 3.2 miles 500 feet gained
Had a great social hike looking at tons of wildflowers. Lupine, beargrass and valerian is all looking nice in the meadows above MT Meadows along the TT.
July 14, 2021 8.3 miles 1,750 feet gained
The beargrass is great about 2 miles in and the other flowers are starting. We took Vista Ridge Trail up to the TT and had lunch a bit above Dollar Lake. There are the remains of a pretty big avalanche down in Elk Cove. Minimal bugs. The trail is mostly clear except for big snow drifts near the junction with the TT. Lots of down logs.
June 30 to July 4, 2021 30 miles 5,750 feet gained 4 nights
Fantastic trip out to the Strawberries. We did Strawberry Mountain, Strawberry and Little Strawberry Lakes, Slide Lake and an off trail to Slide Falls. Very buggy right now except for Strawberry Lake. The exposed meadows along the trails are full of wildflowers, but the wildflowers in the lake basins have a few blooms but aren't going strong yet. The section...
June 25, 2021 4 miles 750 feet gained
Went up with some friends who work at Meadows to explore the new short connector trails up there. We eventually made it up to Timberline and tried to make it to Heather Canyon but without spikes it was to slow and slippery to make our way across the snow fields on steep terrain. Took the ski lift back down. Great day!
June 16, 2021 20.5 miles 15,250 feet gained
Had a fantastic trip in Lassen National Park after it was clear that Yosemite would be too hot. Hiked up high early in the day and sat in lakes all afternoon. We explored King Creek Falls area. Stunning alpine meadows feet from the trail head. Summited Brokeoff Mountain. Of course the view is great, but the approach through the meadows and tarns was amazing....
May 29, 2021 18.5 miles 1,250 feet gained
We searched for something that would be quiet and snow free over Labor day weekend and were super happy with this hike. We started at the Lower Bridge campground TH on the Metolius river. It's just past all the car camping. We hiked for about 3 mile along the river on fisherman's trail's and then scrambled up to the closed dirt road. Which was actually mostl...
May 22, 2021 9.1 miles 1,500 feet gained
I had a wonderful trip to southern Oregon visiting old friends. We did a short hike that went around the edges of a piece of land we both lived on years ago. We started at the Tunnel Ridge TH and hiked west over near the headwaters of Muddy Gulch and Birch Creek. The trail is flat once you get up to the Ditch and goes for miles in either direction. Tons of P...
May 17, 2021 10.3 miles 2,250 feet gained
The phlox is at peak at the top. We added a few extra miles on just because. The forest is such a lovely shade of green right now! The clouds briefly rolled aside just as we hit the top.
May 16, 2021 7.5 miles 2,250 feet gained
Beautiful day hiking the rim loop clockwise. The flowers are going strong in many of the hanging meadows. I heard from another hike that bees were swarming on Archer Mountain and we saw them swarming around a tree at the edge of a lookout point as well. The falls even had some water still flowing. Great day.
May 11, 2021 15.3 miles 4,000 feet gained
Glorious day in the gorge. The water flow is low but the wildflowers are popping. Relatively uncrowded near the falls and just a few people further up the trail. I had the summit to myself. There's still solid snow starting about half a mile from the parking lot but it was shallow and well consolidated. The main bootpath actually heads up a few hundred feet ...
May 5, 2021 9.8 miles 3,000 feet gained
Great day out at Herman Creek. I went up the ridge via Gorton Trail to one of my favorite lunch spots. Peak 3152.
April 29, 2021 8.9 miles 3,000 feet gained
We made it to about a half mile from the top. Solid ice alternating with steep sloped sliding slush defeated us even with micro spikes, Still it was wonderful.
April 27, 2021 13 miles 1,000 feet gained
I had never been to Cottonwood canyon and I wanted to go before it got too hot. Great day with some easy off trail climbing up high for amazing overlooks of the John Day River. The Balsam Root is starting to fade, but the phlox and Bicolor lilies were blooming. Wonderful day!
April 19, 2021 10.1 miles 2,250 feet gained
I started out at the Equestrian TH and made it to Phlox Point despite some pretty fierce winds up top. Nice Glacier Lilly bloom stating about 2400 and continuing to the top. Lots of yellow violets lower down and a smattering of Trilliums. I went down the east side and wandered north a bit along Hardy Creek. I had thought about hitting the saddle on Hamilton ...
April 15, 2021 10.8 miles 3,000 feet gained
Despite starting up via Angels Rest it was a day filled mostly with solitude. No snow on the trail. Just a few patches here and there in the woods. The Trilliums were full on, but every thing else is still not blooming. There are still a few old Russ Jolly engraved signs up there, but mostly trail helpers are posting new ones. Lovely jaunt in the mostly gree...
April 12, 2021 12.3 miles 1,750 feet gained
I wanted to have a day that was somewhat leisurely with a lunch that was in a warm spot with a view. And I found it. The cutoff trail from the PCT to Carpenter Lake was still in great shape. I was hoping to hear the frog orchestra at the lake but no luck. It appears to have dried up even more since the last time I was there. The top of Aldrich was so windy I...
April 7, 2021 7.8 miles 1,500 feet gained
A wonderful leisurely stroll to see flowers at Catherine Creek. Bloom is full on down low. I saw all my favorites.
March 31, 2021 7 miles 2,750 feet gained
My friend Susan took a day off from work and suggested Dog Mountain. Completely beautiful views of course and a wonderful day. No snow. But the trail through the top meadows is pretty muddy and a bit slippery. Wonderful day!
March 21, 2021 10.5 miles 0 feet gained
I just wanted to get some miles in and still have time later in the day. So I went to Frenchmans Bar in N Vancouver and got a lot of views of cranes, egrets, eagles, herons, tundra swans, geese and ducks. I was especially pleased by a description on a sign of what the birds needed the area for. Along with feeding, staging and migrating they included loafing ...
March 16, 2021 11.4 miles 1,500 feet gained
It's so great to have the daylength to go slow and have a leisurely lunch
March 13, 2021 9.6 miles 2,000 feet gained
Great day but we didn't get as far as we wanted because the snow between the summit and the saddle was super soft and slidey and it really slowed us down. The roads up from the saddle and the road by the creek past the saddle were covered in soft melting snow. We ended up just adding a bit onto the usual saddle loop and enjoying the beauty.
March 4, 2021 8.3 miles 1,000 feet gained
Beautiful last day of some sun. The trail from Frog Lake up to Lower Twin was the perfect for snowshoeing. Not iced but well packed. Once we got past Lower Twin Lake even though the trail was broken it was super soft and slidy. It felt much harder than it should have. It was great to hit the well packed section on the way down again. Right now it's not spika...
February 21, 2021 5 miles 0 feet gained
I wanted to have a gentle stroll with some friends I don't get to see all that often. So we went to North Vancouver Lake. It's basically a wetland with many paved paths and some not paved with options to connect up to other bike paths and trail. We saw a ton of Sandhill Cranes, Geese, an Egret and the usual birding regulars. No real views of the lake from th...
February 20, 2021 9 miles 1,750 feet gained
Surprisingly quiet day out there. Some grass widows and the umbels are just starting. 4-8 inches of snow in the shade. At about 1000'. I heard there was a foot of snow up higher. We stopped at about 1700 feel.
February 10, 2021 14.6 miles 500 feet gained
Quiet day getting some nice flat mileage in.