Last week we hiked up to a peak. This week we decided to hit another hike on Bobby’s bucket list, Blanca Lake. It’s a tough trek with over 3000 feet of elevation gain but the spectacular setting you find yourself in after a lot of hard work makes the difficult hike well worth it! We headed out Saturday morning with our friends, Jason and Stacey. The drive to the trailhead from Seattle is a 2+ hour journey. The access to the trailhead includes a half an hour on gravel roads that were fairly potholed so be sure to keep that…
Granite Mountain
After my two week absence I was finally back in Washington and ready to go hiking and be welcomed home by the mountains I love so much. Bobby had been wanting to hike to the summit of Granite Mountain all summer. Due to it’s popularity we had been putting it off, however we decided it was high time we braved the crowds and headed up. We arrived at the trailhead at half past nine and were glad to see that there were still some spots left in the parking lot. This trail’s popularity causes the lot to overflow quickly. We…
Snow Lake and Gem Lake
The rainy season in Seattle has begun. After days of being trapped inside because of the rain I was getting pretty antsy so I decided to go out and face the monsoons head on. Latigo was dragged along as well, but I promise he had a good time playing in the rain and snow! Last year, Maura and I snowshoed to Snow Lake near Snoqualmie Pass. There are a number of lakes that you can continue onto from Snow Lake and I wanted to check them out. My original goal for the day was to visit Snow Lake, Gem Lake,…
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…
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…
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…
Pete’s Creek – Colonel Bob Peak
This weekend was all about winging it. We decided to go camping at 7:30 in the morning on Saturday and spent about 5 minutes deciding where to go, with very little information. Sometimes the most haphazardly planned mini vacations are the best there are! On Sunday morning we awoke to a glorious day in the Olympic National Forest, having camped in Campbell Tree Grove Campground. We had the whole day to do with whatever we liked! We had noticed a trailhead on the dirt road we took to get to the Campground the day before and decided to give it…
Monte Cristo Ghost Town
We’d been back in the United States for five days after our whirlwind adventure in Ireland and it was time for another outing in the beautiful Cascade Mountains. Saturday, June 8th was National Get Outdoors Day. Many agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service were allowing access without passes. According to the National Get Outdoors Day website it is a day that occurs annually to encourage healthy, active outdoor fun. Our bodies were still recovering from the 108 miles, primarily my sore ankles, so we decided to look for a low impact and fun hike. Bobby has had his eye on the…
Bandera Mountain and Mason Lake
3:00 pm “This doesn’t look familiar at all,” I thought as I stumbled along an ever steepening trail. Latigo was pulling hard on his leash as we careened over rocks and roots. “Stop pulling!” I shouted, “You’re going to kill me!” I swore that he was going to pull me right over and I’d smash head first into a boulder. We were 6 miles and almost 4,000 vertical feet into our day hike. I was tired, hungry and severely sunburned. Oh, and we were lost. I mean I had a map and I was following a trail on said map,…