Pratt Lake and then some

Another day off and so another trail run in the Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest. This time I had Casey choose a run for me out of my 50 Trail Runs in Washington book and this is what she found...run #20 Pratt Lake, a 12 mile out and back. You can add mileage by dipping down to see some of the other lakes in the region, the Alpine Lakes Region, such as Talapus Lake and Olallie Lake. By adding those two, the mileage is upped to about 16.

The run started out wet and rainy, but I liked the cool air. Once I started making my way into the Pratt Lake basin, the sun came out as I made my way across the large scree areas. The screes were some of the most beautiful ones I have seen as of late, with lots of moss and foliage growing in, on, and around a lot of the rock.
Well enjoy the photos...

Baker Lake Trail Run

I had a day off so I decided to take a solo day trip. After flipping through the pages of my book, 50 Trail Runs in Washington, I settled on Baker Lake, a dammed lake. The run is a 26 mile out and back, along the banks of Baker Lake, which is near the base of Mt. Baker. From Seattle, this is a 2 hour 30 minute drive, but I figured I would getting my monies worth with the trail run mileage.

With my bag full of fruit, a few books, my camera,and lots of water, off onto the trail I went.

Turns out there is a 50k Trail Run there soon. Wish I could but I have to work that day for Sherman Alexie will be reading poetry at my branch.

Anyway, here are some photos of my trip.

Mt. Si Day Hike

Well I guess you can't stop me. I decided to take another day hike, but this time up to the top of Mt. Si. For information about Mt. Si, such as elevation gain and mileage, simply click the link here.

I included a slideshow below.

This solo trip was just what I needed. The trail itself was a little crowded, but it was a nice Saturday afternoon after all.

Anyway, enjoy the photos...

Lake 22 and more

Well I did another hike, this time a solo hike to Lake 22. I have included a slideshow of this hike, as well as, my day hike with Brian to Heather Lake.

I started early in the morning, hoping to beat any traffic on the road . I knew if I were able to climb to the lake then I would want to spend a while there, maybe play with some rocks and build something, swim in the lake, and then probably smoke my cigar. It is dependent on whether there was still a lot of snow up there or not. Due to a very harsh winter and a lot of late snowfall, I just wasn't sure.

I had the entire trail to myself all morning and I ran up along the mountainside. The trail was very slick and wet, with a lot of tiny waterfalls pouring down the mountain. It seemed very likely there would still be a lot of snow at the lake.

When I crested and saw the lake for the first time, it took my breath away because of all the ice still in the waters, like little ice cubes in a giant cup of water. I walked to the waters edge and put my fingers in and found it would be too cold for a dip.

I could talk about this trip some more but really the photos are all you need.