With our Ireland trip looming closer, and the anxiety over having to complete 19-20 mile days on the trail while there, we decided to fill our backpacks and head for Icicle Canyon for a weekend of backpacking. We had hopes of avoiding the rain that was forecasted for the western Cascades so we made our way through the pass on Friday evening. We hoped that the 80 degree and sunny weather forecasted for the nearby town of Leavenworth would be our fate in the mountains only 20 miles away. We should have known better… We also should have been more suspicious…
Chatter Creek Campground
Chatter Creek Campground is a very popular campground in the summer months when it’s open. With 12 spacious campsites, mildly good screening between sites, and the chattering creek that ran through our campsite it’s no wonder why. The sites are priced at $15 a night with a $9 charge for any additional vehicles. Because we were camping so early in the season there was no fee. This also meant that the water wasn’t turned on, luckily we had planned ahead for that scenario and had brought plenty of water along. The sites at this campground cannot be reserved and the usage…
Playing the Tourist
We have lived in Seattle for 11 months now and in that time we have had several family members make the journey out here for a visit. Spending time with those closest to us in the state that we now call home has been wonderful. It gives us the opportunity to do all the touristy things we don’t usually do on a day to day basis. My top ten favorite places to show visitors in this rainy city and surrounding areas are as follows. 1. Pike Place Market The iconic bustling market located in the heart of downtown, a stones…
Boulder River
In preparing for our trip to Ireland at the end of May we are loading our backpacks up with gear and headed for day hikes that are flatter but longer. Boulder River proved to be the perfect destination for what we had in mind. At 8.6 miles long with only 700 feet in elevation gain (although our GPS claims it was more than a 1000 feet of elevation gain…) it proved the perfect challenge. The trail conditions were WET! At one point I thought we had strayed off the trail and were accidentally following a creek, but no, that’s just…
Deschutes River
The Kerry Way in Ireland is a long distance walk that circles around County Kerry in southwestern Ireland. At 210 km/130 miles in length it will prove to be both challenging and picturesque. According to the guidebook we purchased, “The Kerry Way” by Sandra Bardwell, the walk takes the traveler through, arguably, some of Ireland’s most scenic landscapes. As Bobby and I began discussions about a summer trip we began researching backpacking trip possibilities. I discovered the Kerry Way after researching airline prices for numerous European destinations and discovered that Ireland might prove to be the cheapest destination available and…
Outdoor Research Crocodile Gaiters
Throughout this winter season in the beautiful Cascade Mountains, venturing out on many hiking/snowshoe outings, it has become clear to us that the most important piece of gear to bring with us are the Outdoor Research Crocodile Gaiters that we purchased at the beginning of the season. While a pricier option than some of the other gaiters out there, we have had no regrets with our decision. We have hiked through the rain, traversed through streams, snowshoed in slush and deep snow and these have proven to be satisfactorily waterproof. It is no surprise to me that this exceptional piece…
Lake Serene/Bridal Veil Falls
After weeks of hitting the slopes at The Summit at Snoqualmie along with a couple of intermittent and non-noteworthy snowshoe treks, we decided this weekend was the time to challenge ourselves with a difficult hike/snowshoe adventure. Our original plan and destination was thwarted by inclement weather along Stevens Pass resulting in chains being a requirement for travel through the pass. Not having chains and already an hour from the city we pulled over and began researching our options. Using the Washington Trails Association (WTA) website we found just the thing for us. the Lake Serene/Bridal Veil Falls Trail. The hike…
Franklin Falls
We have spent the past two Saturdays snowboarding at the Summit at Snoqualmie West Ski and Snowboarding Resort which means that our poor Latigo has been denied an outdoor adventure for far too long. Though a bit sore from our previous day on the slopes we decided we should take our dear doggie out for a romp in the woods. We also realized that with Christmas coming and a trip home to Minnesota on the calendar we won’t be able to have an adventure next week, so why not have a double header weekend to compensate! We got a late…
Gear Pick: Salomon Aura 08 Custom Air Womens Helmet
After my first lesson went so well and I had decided to further my snowboarding education I decided the time had come to provide myself with additional safety equipment. A solid helmet was definitely a necessity in my mind. While learning on the bunny hill, a helmet really didn’t seem necessary. However, during my first outing on a real run I was grateful that I had it. Because I felt more protected, I also felt more confident. Fear can often prevent me from furthering a skill and the addition of my new helmet helped me try new things and take…
Snowboarding Shenanigans
The forecast was calling for rain in Seattle this weekend, which meant the mountains were calling our names. We headed up to the Summit at Snoqulamie West for another round of snowboarding on the mountain. Upon arriving, we were once again greeted with the mild temperature of only 30 degrees along with the stunning scenery that surrounds the ski and snowboard resort. We were grateful that this weekend marked the opening of two other sections of the resort, Central and Alpental, meaning that West was far less busy than it had been the previous weekends. Waits for lifts were minimal…