La Conner Day Trip

Casey and I took a little day trip to the quaint town of La Conner, Washington. We woke early and drove north taking the scenic route, past family farms and beautiful bluffs. We spent the morning enjoying a delicious breakfast and then took a slow walk through the town, taking in the scenery and local shops. I can see the appeal of living there, but city life is still the life I enjoy most. Looking forward to our next trip.

Camping Weekend

The weekend finally arrived where we went camping. It is rather surprising that this is my first camping trip of the year, and will likely to be my last for winter is approaching fast. Typically, I camp several times a year up and around the Mt Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest.

Angela found Money Creek Campground, just off of highway 2. The sites sit along the side of the rapid Skykomish River making for a pleasant white noise background as you lay inside your tent late at night.

The four of us arrived Friday evening, set up camp and almost instantly felt relax and excited about the next days ahead of us. While sitting in front of the fire under a canopy of old growth trees, we talked about many things, including what hike we should do on Saturday. Did we want to see an old fire lookout, a waterfall, or a serene lake. After the votes were cast, serenity won out and Barclay Lake was where we were heading.

Saturday came quickly and after a great, hearty breakfast of pancakes with walnuts and bananas cooked inside, we packed lunches and made our way to the trail head. Just off of highway 2, and about 5 miles from our campsite, you reach the tiny town of Baring and also the turnoff. You then begin a 4 mile uphill climb in your car, which cuts into the side of Baring Mountain. The trail is short and sweet, taking you through an enchanted-like forest which my guidebook accurately describes as gnome-like. Around every corner, it felt like you should see fairies and gnomes, and maybe even a troll or two.

You eventually see the lake, which is located directly under Baring Mountain, an imposing peak reminding me of Half-Dome in Yosemite. The peak is over 6,000 ft high and sitting at the base of it makes you feel miniscule. Sadly, the lake itself is muddy and not ideal for swimming, though still stunning. You can sit peacefully on the sandy shores of the lake and look at the grandeur of the peak that looms over you.

After our hike we then found a peaceful spot along the Skykomish River to play along, where we were skipping and stacking rocks. A salmon fisherman and his son were also sharing this part of the river with us and watching the two of them was very picturesque.

The rest of the trip was just as relaxing and wonderful. We made great food and we had great company. It is trips like these that makes me love living in the Pacific Northwest, where nature is so close to home and yet a world away.

Here are some photos of the hike up to Barclay Lake and Baring Mountain.

Granite Mountain Lookout

Well, another day off so another adventure. I feel like I must say that often. This morning when I awoke, I knew I wanted to go somewhere but I just wasn't sure where. After packing up my gear, getting some food and filling my car with gas, I headed East on I-90. Depending on the weather would determine my route, either Mt. Si or Pratt Lake or maybe a climb up Granite Mountain.

As I approached North Bend, I saw that it was going to be a clear and gorgeous sunny day, so heading up to the top of a mountain and having lunch at an old fire lookout sounded wonderful. Granite Mountain Lookout, I was on my way.

You find the Granite Mountain trail by first starting at the Pratt Lake trail head. About 1 mile in, you hit a fork on the trail, a point of divergence for if you go straight you hit a chain of lakes at the base of the mountains (Talapus, Ollallie, Pratt Lakes et. cetera), but if you turn up, a great ascent is ahead of you. When you start climbing you start climbing rapidly, about a 4,000 foot climb in around 3 miles. I'll admit it...it even kicked my ass.

After you make your way through the old growth and ferns, you break over the ridge into a large glen of wild blueberries that were absolutely delicious. As far as the eye could see were blueberry bushes. I spent the greater part of the trail run grabbing handfuls of berries and shoving them in my mouth.

As you make your way past the glen you walk along the ridge for a bit, jumping along big boulders, where remnant of snow linger in the shade. It was strange to still see snow in the end of September, but that is just proof of how bad our winter was this year.

Once you crest and can't possibly go any higher, you can see the old fire lookout in the distance. If you turn around, a spectacular view of Mt. Rainier can be seen. If you look straight ahead, a spectacular view of Mt. Baker is off in the distance. You are simply surrounded by beautiful mountains. Looking down over the north side of the trail , you can see lakes at the base of Granite Mountain, lakes that I believe you can access from the Pratt Lake trail.

Once I made my way up to the lookout, I sat down and had my lunch. The wind was cool but felt good against my sweaty back. It was great taking in all the scenery and it is amazing just how much beauty is so close to home.

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.

Heather Lake

Brian and I took a day hike to Heather Lake, a place I like to trail run. The snow is still lingering in the mountains, especially higher up where I would have liked to take him. Since Heather Lake is a little lower elevation, it seemed like our best bet, plus he had never been to it and it is rather gorgeous anyway.

To get to Heather Lake you just need to get to the Mountain Loop Highway in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, about 1 H 30 M drive. Not bad at all.

The trail takes you through dense wet forests, with ancient cedar stumps that were cut down by loggers in the turn of the 20th century. You can see the notches in them still, where the loggers wedged their boards in to stand on as they cut away at the huge trees.

You climb up and up until you then begin climbing down, down to where the lake is formed, at the based of Mt. Pilchuck. There was snow everywhere and we had to be careful for a lot of it was in the process of melting and it was quite unsteady. We made our way to the lake, with was so clear there were mirror images of the mountains sweeping across it. If only it weren't so cold up there with the snowy air, for there is a wonderful swimming hole on the sound end.

We found a huge boulder, climbed up on it and gawked at the Heather Lake's majesty surrounding us from all sides. We had a little lunch, smoked a cigar, talked about anything and everything, and even listened to some music.

Out of nowhere there was a loud crack, like Thunder and the earth rumbled. An avalanche had begun on Mt. Pilchuck. We were nervous at first because we didn't know where the snow was coming but we ended up being fine for it was on the other side of the mountain. The whole experience was otherworldly, giving me goosebumps for rarely do you experience an avalanche like that. We just sat and listened to it, completely blown away.

Summer

So I am gearing up for yet another marathon (how many is that now??? who cares how many. I just love running.) The air is getting warmer so I am stripping down the layers and am soaking up the sun. I have noticed more people on the trails; it is like the sleepy city of Seattle is waking up after a long, cold winter.

I have been checking out the Evergreen Trail Run Series website hoping there are some dates that work with my calendar, allowing me to participate in some of these events. So far no luck. Either I am working or I already have plans so it is a little frustrating. Luckily, with Pacific Northwest trail running, there are always events to be had. There may be a few dates in August that work for me so in the meantime I will just keep on running.

I am really excited to visit some of my favorite day trail runs that have been closed due to the winter's snow. Come June, most of the trails are starting their annual thawing out process. I desperately want to see Mt. Pilchuck, Heather Lake, and Lake 22 again. My gear is all packed, all I need to do is run to the store, grab some mixed nuts, cheese, salami, baguette, and jump in my car and go.

San Francisco

To write about all the things I did in SF would simply just take way too much of my time, so rather than do that, I will simply list them.
1. Gayngs show at the Independent
2. took a nap in Golden Gate Park
3. walked around Haight/Ashbury
4. Stepped in gum three different times in one day
5. ate amazing pastries at Tartine
6. burrito love at Taqueria Cancun
7. visit to the Mission Branch Library during storytime
8. City Light Books
9. had too much garlic at the Stinking Rose
10. discovered Comstock and the joy of great mixology
11. Communism (inside joke obviously)
12. had fun with Emily and Ross

In the end, SF is a great city. Would I live there? Definitely not!
Would I visit it again? Most definitely.

Leaving

Just one more day until Ross and I leave for San Francisco to see Emily, a friend who used to work at the Triple Door. I am excited to go to a city I once visited as a child and will now be returning to as an adult. I wonder how my perceptions will hold up, for I am no longer a 10 year old boy who once stood in awe of a gigantic red bridge and who was dying to see the Full House house.

I will find out shortly…

Rock Slide

Ok one final video clip from our epic day trip to Mt. Rainier. On parts of the trail there was still some ice packs. Because of this, we had to navigate around the ice since we were pole-less and there were sheer cliffs.
Actually, a ranger we met on the trail ask us if we could get his pole for him. He has two fake knees and can't move very well on unsteady ground. So fetch we did, it was the least we could do.

Below us a few thousand feet you could see all the lava flow from the base of Mt. Rainier. Also, there are beautiful blue-green lakes and we were wondering if it was due to the acidic water or just algae. Still need to find that out.

Ranger Station

This was Brian and I on top of the ranger station at Mt Fremont Lookout. We are about 7,200 feet in the thin thin air.

And so I went hiking...

Mt. Rainier Day Trip. We climbed and then we climbed some more.
After all was said and done we hiked about 10 miles with massive elevation gain. The air was thin but pure. The sun kissed our faces. The view was beyond breathtaking, making picture taking seem a trifle silly.
After zigzagging our way through Mt. Rainier National Park we ascended to Sunrise Lodge, parked the car, grabbed the day packs and off we went.
Here are some video because photos just don't do it justice.

Note to self: Next time bring poles. It makes trudging through the snow on the sides of mountains a lot easier.