Labor Day weekend presents an odd combination of an opportunity and a challenge. On the one hand, we have a long three day weekend to go adventuring in. On the other, so does everybody else. We knew that no matter where we went or what we planned it would be busier than normal. Looking for a hike for the weekend was made easy using Craig Romano’s Backpacking Washington guidebook. This is by far my favorite guidebook we own. It is easily navigable through handy charts at the beginning of the book. One of my favorite places in the world is…
Independence and North Lakes
Not that long ago the road leading to the trailhead of Independence and North Lakes was impassable due to the road being washed out. The road has since been cleared and this picturesque hike is once again accessible. It’s a hard hike with lots of steep elevation gain and loss but the effort you put into it is well worth it once you see the spectacular views on the ridge top and enjoy a quiet moment on the shore of North Lake. The trailhead is located at the end of Forest Road 4060. No privy is available here but at…
Park Butte Lookout
A fellow Washingtonian recommended hiking in the parklands of Mount Baker’s southwest flank to us and we were glad they did! the Park Butte trail provided us with the most spectacular views of Mount Baker we have ever seen. If you’re willing to do the work the reward is well worth it on this incredibly scenic hike. According to the guidebook, 100 Classic Hikes in Washington, this hike is 7 miles, according to the Washington Trails Association the hike is 7.5 miles… According to our GPS app, GAIA, it was more like 8.25 miles. Whatever the mileage if you’re heading…
Park Creek Campground
Knowing that we wanted to hike in the parklands of Mount Baker’s southwest flank we decided to camp on Baker Lake Road (Forest Road #11). There are 7 campgrounds along this road, not to mention several pullout sites along the road. We knew there were campsites at the trailhead of Park Butte Lookout where we would be hiking, but we also knew that that hiking area is popular and assumed they would be taken. We were right. We began our search for a site at the first campground along Baker Lake Road, Horseshoe Cove. The campground has 38 tent/trailer sites and…
Paris Creek
We got a late start on Saturday morning after I inadvertently slept in. We decided to go for a day hike, rather than camp or backpack, seeing as both those activities require a lot of prep work and we were late enough as it was. Bobby had found a hike that was a long drive from home and, despite the 2.5 hours it would take us to get there we decided to go for it. I have always enjoyed long day trips in the car and this would prove to be a fun and lazy day! We had been on…
Noble Knob to Echo Lake to Corral Pass Loop
Backpacking is something we haven’t done a lot of in the past but want to do more of it going forward. Bobby had selected Noble Knob as a possible day hike location, then using our GIS app GAIA he discovered that we could turn the 7 mile day hike into a 21.2 mile loop multi day backpacking trip. The weather looked perfect for the trip that was sure to include incredible views of Mount Rainier and the surrounding Cascade range. I loaded up our packs Friday afternoon for the two night adventure and we set off immediately after Bobby got…
Bear Vault Solo
For our 3 day backpacking trip to the Norse Peak Wilderness at the end of July 2013 we decided it was time to invest in a Bear Vault Solo. On previous multi day trips we had used a stuff sack and some rope to MacGyver a hanging bear bag. We never had much confidence in them and decided that the added weight of the Bear Vault Solo (2 lbs 1 oz) would be worth it. We had read online reviews of the Bear Vault Solo that had complained about how difficult it is to open. The instructions for opening the canister…
Deception Pass State Park
We were privileged enough to be invited to the wedding of two of our favorite people here in Seattle. They were married at Deception Pass State Park and invited guests to camp at Bowman Bay Campground both Friday and Saturday nights. We had never been to this part of the state and probably never would’ve gone, given the size and popularity of the area. We generally look for more privacy and quiet when camping on the weekends. But, this was the perfect campground for a large group. The park is a “4,134-acre marine and camping park with 77,000 feet of saltwater shoreline,…
Hidden Lake Lookout
We finished setting up our campsite in the nearby Mineral Park Campground and it was just noon. Time for a hike! We wouldn’t be able to hike the following day because Bobby had to be at the airport for a business trip to New York. We had passed the Hidden Lake Lookout trailhead on our way into the campground along the Cascade River Road and decided to backtrack and check it out. We followed a 5 mile rough, steep, and switchbacked forest road that took us up to above 3,000 feet to the trailhead. We had looked at the map…
Mineral Park Campground
Last weekend the urge for adventure and the outdoors struck us as we arose early on a beautiful summer day in Seattle. Bobby would be headed for New York on a business trip on Sunday afternoon so we decided not to go backpacking but to once again spend the night car camping. The hardest part of preparing is deciding where to go. The plethora of options for camping in the Cascades is, at times, overwhelming. The Northern Cascades holds a special place in our hearts with its unbelievable glory and beauty so we decided to make the trek North. It…