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December 28, 2014 9.64 miles 3,000 feet gained
Came to within 1/3 mile from the summit, there was a bit too much snow for Pepper to continue. It still was a great hike, we mostly escaped the rain, and had winter wonderland with little snow to deal with (until ~4200'). This trail is very well graded, and while there's few views, the forest is very nice. There's a ton of rhododendrons, I need to come back ...
December 25, 2014 7.5 miles 1,250 feet gained
We were going to do a loop around the lake, but with late arrival (took time driving over icy hill, luckily it mostly melted out by the time we headed back) and our start @ Coldwater Visitor Center we didn't want to push it. Hiked along the lake past the big washout area, had great views of Minnie Peak and (I think) Mt. Whittier. There was little snow on lak...
December 21, 2014 3.5 miles 250 feet gained
This park has been transformed in the past year, they laid gravel on almost all trails - very few muddy places left. New signs and maps, new bridges, etc...
December 14, 2014 8 miles 1,000 feet gained
Wanted to go from Hummocks to JRO but stopped about 2 miles short because of high wind (not a good time to go near drop-offs). Still a great day, we hiked back and around the Hummocks, and visited Coldwater Lake.
December 13, 2014 5 miles 250 feet gained
December 7, 2014 4.5 miles 1,500 feet gained
The wind was not bad, until we reached the top... up there, it was like in the Jet Engine Test Lab busy at work (and sounded just the same). It was warm enough that wind chill was not an issue. Great views as always.
December 3, 2014 7 miles 1,000 feet gained
November 30, 2014 8.5 miles 500 feet gained
Clear & cold day, it barely got above freezing. Lots of birds, saw what we think bighorn sheep droppings. Hardly any people all day, I never seen this place so deserted.
November 27, 2014 7 miles 500 feet gained
Finally took my grandmother to see Lewis River - she always came to visit us in winter, when this trail was closed by snow. The falls were roaring, sheer walls of water; at Upper Falls viewpoint the ground was literally shaking under our feet.
November 9, 2014 4.5 miles 1,500 feet gained
Sunset didn't really happen but I forgot my SD card anyway. Maple colors were beautiful on the lower half of the hike, some of the best I've seen. On the way down checked the steep "deer" trail off west side of summit. Nice day to be up there.
November 1, 2014 2.5 miles 250 feet gained
October 30, 2014 3 miles 0 feet gained
October 19, 2014 11.5 miles 2,750 feet gained
Surprising how I never got to hike this whole loop before. Great trail, only 1 rough area about 1.5 mi long, nice fall colors, some really giant ancient trees, unique perspective on St. Helens... Downloadable GPS track @ the link.
October 10 to October 12, 2014 15 miles 3,000 feet gained 2 nights
3-day hike with a little trail RX. Oak woods were quite gold but the best color is still ahead (this or next weekend), the larches - ones that I saw - just started to change color. The trail above the camping area to Flag Point is completely clear of blowdown (!), would like to know who did such a huge work. I removed 19 logs (small and mid-size stuff, still...
October 5, 2014 2.5 miles 250 feet gained
Shallow lakes with muddy shores, but what a view! Plus, those cliffs on Goat Mtn...
October 4, 2014 5 miles 1,250 feet gained
Nice, little traveled trail near popular area. We started late so didn't go far.
September 20 to September 22, 2014 17.91 miles 1,750 feet gained 2 nights
September 14, 2014 11 miles 2,000 feet gained
Planned to do Obsidian but we left home late & also had uncertain smoke forecast for Three Sisters so we went to Jefferson Park (my dad never been there). Pretty hot to start, but cool and pleasant breeze at the lakes. Bays Lake was awesome. Fall color in the Park is starting nicely but the best will likely be next weekend. In some places it was loads of huc...
September 13, 2014 6.77 miles 1,000 feet gained
Fall colors (red huckleberry leaves) are near their peak now in Indian Heaven, loads of berries but they're falling off already, probably will last one more week. Zero mosquitoes, warm lakes - best time to visit the area.
September 6 to September 8, 2014 17.5 miles 4,750 feet gained 2 nights
More fun times in my "summer home". Hiked in on Saturday and spent the night in high valley at 7400', just below Ives Peak summit. Awesome views all around - Mt. Adams, sharp-towered castle of Big and Little Big Horn, and of course the Ives. The moon was super-bright, didn't even need my flashlight. On Sunday morning went to the summit with my dog Pepper. Th...
August 23 to August 26, 2014 24.7 miles 5,000 feet gained 3 nights
Wow, what a hike! Got drenched in a thunderstorm, ran into a bear, got chased by a bull (well, at low speed), but on top of that made the best climb I've ever done, and also found one of the neatest alpine areas in the Goat Rocks. I didn't find any maps for climbing Gilbert Peak from east side prior to this trip, so it was mostly a guess work, but could see ...
August 16 to August 17, 2014 15 miles 1,750 feet gained 1 night
14 lakes/tarns in 15 miles (and that with some backtracking!). Was planning to camp at Chenamus but mosquitoes were bad so I just went back to Placid Lake, next morning the water was so good it was hard to start a hike! TONS of berries at Chenamus, very nice but shallow lake, probably not swimmable (pic #2-4, 7). Made the loop as described (@ the link) by Po...
August 11 to August 13, 2014 24.6 miles 5,000 feet gained 2 nights
Camped first night on Friday at Horseshoe Meadows (the flowers are great right now), planned to hike offtrail to Crystal Lake for the second night via The Bumper - the hill/rock roughly 100 feet high with the first row view of the mountain. From The Bumper though, the terrain looked pretty easy and I thought I had still a lot of time, why not check the two m...
August 2 to August 3, 2014 17.5 miles 4,000 feet gained 1 night
Nice area, although the bugs were pretty bad (didn't go down to the lake for this reason). All of the trails there are open to motor cycles & some for ATV's, but most of my hike was on Sunday and it's been perfectly quiet... When I go there again, will camp on the east side of Bishop Ridge (it's gorgeous!) & do whatever number of scrambles I'll have time for...
July 25 to July 27, 2014 18.5 miles 5,500 feet gained 2 nights
July 20, 2014 6.5 miles 2,000 feet gained
It's got to be one of the best sub-alpine hikes I've ever done. (alpine hikes are in their own category of course) You visit 2 mountains on this loop - Iron Mt. and Cone Peak, see old growth forests, dry and wet meadows filled with flowers, interesting geology. If not the clouds, we'd see most of major Cascade volcanoes, but even the views we got were great ...
July 14 to July 16, 2014 17.5 miles 4,250 feet gained 2 nights
Time off away from heat wave. Did the classic GR loop clockwise, with ridge walk to Hawkeye Point. Snow is mostly gone off Goat Ridge (just one basin @ 6300' still has significant snow), but east half of the loop mostly snow covered above 6000 (steep hillsides are snow free, flat bottoms snow covered - easy combination), for about 3.5 miles. Trails will be m...
July 4 to July 6, 2014 21.5 miles 4,500 feet gained 2 nights
Mix of bushwhacking, hiking on trails, and logging roads. This area has some true jewels, but also some overgrowing-clearcut-like terrain to hike through, to get to the best places. A lot of variety, some places completely destroyed by 1980 eruption, other places mostly intact, sometimes just yards apart. Was surprised how little used these trails are, even ...
July 3 to July 4, 2014 1 miles 0 feet gained 1 night
Camping at awesome wild beach, not far from the road, but far from campgrounds. Probably the shortest overnight hike I've ever done.
June 29, 2014 6.34 miles 1,750 feet gained
Silver Star north trailhead always poses a dilemma, either: a) this hike makes the drive almost worth it; or b) this hike is so good I am willing to sacrifice my car for it. But today's hike was exceptional. First, found a shortcut trail for the summit. From the trail that goes east to Baldy Mtn., unsigned trail juts off uphill where main trail stops climbin...
June 24, 2014 3 miles 250 feet gained
June 20 to June 22, 2014 16 miles 4,500 feet gained 2 nights
Spent first night camping on a cliff top overlooking Salmon River Canyon, then solstice night at the lookout tower. Awesome trip, a bit more elevation gain I am comfortable with but great training. My dog Pepper is back on the trails!
June 14, 2014 4.5 miles 2,000 feet gained
Green Canyon trail with a little OT near viewpoint. Didn't spend much time at viewpoint because it was COLD, probably in the upper 30's. Nice rhodies. Decided to come back a week later for a more extended trip. The rain started the moment I got into the car.
June 8, 2014 7.41 miles 2,250 feet gained
Forgot my camera, but luckily didn't forget the GPS (the track @ the link). Indian Heaven is still covered in snow, but the melt seems a bit early this year with most of S side and some of W side ridges of Bird Mt. already melted out. 5-7 feet drifts on the east slope, was fun with the crampons. The lakes just start to thaw. Mosquitoes are bad for the first ...
June 1, 2014 10 miles 2,250 feet gained
Hiked with my dad from the Hummocks to Johnston Ridge Observatory. Everything is so green right now, lots of flowers and ripe strawberries (& much more to come). Aside from JRO and another roadside viewpoint, saw only once couple on the trail, being parallel to the road it gets completely overlooked. We got our wrist bands (required there) at Coldwater Ridge...
May 24 to May 26, 2014 17.5 miles 1,750 feet gained 2 nights
May 11, 2014 7 miles 1,500 feet gained
May 6, 2014 6.5 miles 500 feet gained
May 3, 2014 2.5 miles 0 feet gained
April 12, 2014 2.5 miles 0 feet gained
April 7 to April 8, 2014 9 miles 1,500 feet gained 1 night
April 6, 2014 4.5 miles 250 feet gained
I go to Downtown so infrequently I think it qualifies for a trip report
March 22, 2014 5 miles 1,500 feet gained
March 16, 2014 4.5 miles 1,500 feet gained
March 15, 2014 7 miles 500 feet gained
March 9, 2014 6.5 miles 2,250 feet gained
February 22, 2014 8 miles 2,250 feet gained
February 1, 2014 7 miles 2,500 feet gained
