Washington Day Hikes

2007-09-22 Mt. St. Helens

2007-09-23T16:51:00.002-07:00

10 mile round trip
Elevation gain: 4,500 ft.
Max elevation: 8,363 ft.
Hike time: up ↑ 3:30; break ↔ 0:50; down ↓ 2:35; Total ⇅ 6:55
Effort: Uneven - Some of us found the rocks difficult, others the ash
Trail difficulty: Most Difficult

I climbed a freakin' active volcano! All summer I have been building up to this hike. John, Jason, and I met up at Jack's Restaurant where our permits were waiting for us at 9:00am. We got to the trail head by 10:30am to get our early (?) start.

At 8,300 feet, this is by far the highest peak that I've climbed. Given the stats of the hike I didn't expect it to be very difficult; at 5 miles one way, 4,500 feet of ascent, it's not too much more difficult than Granite Mountain at 4 miles and 4,000 feet. However, I learned that this hike is a different beast. There isn't really any trail, just a set of pylons to sight and follow, and the hike gets steeper every step you take. By the top it is very nearly as steep as Mailbox Peak (2.25 miles, 4,000 feet,) but it is all fine ash. Hiking in ash, my friends, is not fun. Try walking up a 25' sand dune 50 times to see what I'm talking about.

The weather was very accommodating considering that initial reports indicated significant likelihood of rain. We didn't see a drop of the stuff. When we got to the top, there were heavy clouds to the North and East. There were less heavy clouds to the South and low clouds to the West. This meant that pictures taken westward show some incredible above the clouds views. Unfortunately, the crater was mostly obscured by the Northward clouds. We did get a brief cloud break to the North allowing us to see the top of Mt. Rainier; brief as it was, it informed me that the heavy clouds to the North were only those held up by the mountain, otherwise we had an over the clouds view to the North too. All in all, I was not disappointed, but I do have a reason to try the climb again.

John and I took a healthy number of pictures. Having combined the sets, you'll actually see a number of pictures of me this time. Enjoy!

Getting ready at the car. Look at that smile!

Early on in the trail, we thought the group of birds that this Grey Jay was with may just eat us. There were just too many of them! This bird is interesting as you only see it at altitude. Closer to home, I've seen them at Tiger Mountain.

2 miles in at the tree line and 4,800ft. From here on you need a permit. I'm apparently proud of mine.

Jason inspecting our progress so far through the clouds.

Climb to the next pylon onward and most decidedly upward.

We got a tip from another hiker that there were high winds once we cleared the boulder scramble, so we stopped to have lunch. Only I forgot mine the car. But fear not! I had Combos to cheese my hunger away.

Jason enjoys a cold beer and some jerky.

See that tree over there?

Silly look on my face, but this picture does a good job of showing you what the boulder scramble is like. It really is that steep.

The slog through the sand-dune like last 1200 vertical feet.

A wisp of a cloud caught in a thermal. We watched these clouds roll in and out in the wind right in front of us. It was really quite spectacular.

To your right, ash-dune. To you left, abyss. Welcome to the top!

Along the crater, I'm trying to find John. Turns out he was 3 hills away. The crater is really uneven and every time you ascend a hill along it you feel like you've now found the actual peak. We're not even sure which the actual peak was.

Ah, there he is! Must have been hiding in the clouds. Here he is walking over to one of the "actual peaks."

Three of the supposed peaks.

Lots of great views of the clouds up here.

Another crater view among the clouds.

The clouds broke for long enough to see the lava dome. On the left is the crater nearish where we are; in the center you can make out the crater glacier; and on the right is the lava dome; the mountain within the mountain.

Trying to be artistic.

The large party in front of us descending. We'll pass them shortly on the way down.

Here's a shot of the lava dome where you can actually see the vents and the steam they're spewing. It smells like sulfur up here!

Another of the lava dome.

A glacier.

The same glacier close up. Incredible.

These next few shots are why I carried the heavy lens. :-)

You can see sulfur around the vent.

On the way down. From the rocks to the tree line below.

Descending the rocks.

Still descending the rocks.

From the tree line back up to the mountain.

Now that we're all the way down. It's a beautiful day. What a hike!

2007-09-03 Mailbox Peak Reprise

2007-09-23T16:51:00.001-07:00

More to come.

2007-08-23 Cape Alba

2007-09-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

More to come.

2007-08-04 Mt. Teneriffe

2007-08-06T18:28:00.000-07:00

14 mile round trip
Elevation gain: 4,000 ft.
Max elevation: 4,787 ft.
Hike time: up ↑ 3:40; break ↔ 0:40; down ↓ 2:15; Total ⇅ 6:35
Effort: Steady
Trail difficulty: Most Difficult

Mt. Teneriffe has been on my "to do" list for a long time. It gets pretty poor reviews due to the fact that the majority of the climb is along a logging road. Having exhausted the majority of the hikes on my list, John and I decided that this would be a good one to try out.

I don't think this is a hike I'll be repeating for a while. The logging road wasn't too bad. What other hike reviews I read failed to mention, however, was that this hike is not 4,000 feet of elevation gain over 7 miles. It is 4,000 feet of elevation gain over 3 miles with 4 miles of flat road. I'm not sure why, but I find this kind of terrain very difficult.

Upon the road ending we found it difficult to find the trail (if there was one,) but we proceeded to the top anyhow. I'm really glad we did too. Not just because it would be a shame to miss the summit after all that work, but also because we saw some guests. Wild mountain goats! There were two of them on an adjacent mountain. John got a couple of great pictures. I, alas, was without my zoom lens.

All in all, it was worth it. A pretty tough hike. Next time I do it I will be running the gauntlet through the alternate route. That route's trail head starts at the top of Mt. Si!

Without further ado, here are the pictures (captions to come):

2007-07-21 Mt. Pilchuck

2007-07-23T21:46:00.000-07:00

6 mile round trip
Map offline: Green Trails Maps™ No TBD
Map online: TerraServer USA
Elevation gain: 2,200 ft.
Max elevation: Lat: 48.05810, Long: 121.7956; Alt: 5,324 ft.
Hike time: up ↑ 2:40; break ↔ 0:20; down ↓ 2:00; Total ⇅ 5:00
Effort: Slow and Steady
Trail difficulty: Moderate

Time for a little break. I decided to do an old stand by this week and it did not disappoint. Mount Pilchuck is in the North Cascades, a little more off the beaten path than the North Bend and Snoqualamie Pass areas that we have been doing. However, what it lacks in proximity to my house it makes up for in grandiose views with relatively little effort.

The trail starts at about 3,1000 ft (you drive up from ~1,000 ft.) If you climb anytime other than June-August you'll encounter snow. We timed it for a snow free climb, however, I do highly recommend an off season ascent as you're much more likely to get a clear view. The area is really susceptible to fog in the summer.

This is the third hike this year where bugs were a serious problem. Luckily it started raining a little bit on the way down which cleared the bugs. What is going on with the Washington weather this year?

We met a couple of Michiganders at the top and had some good conversation. It's amazing how many of them there are out here.

Notice the fog/clouds in the pictures. I love this stuff!

Matt and Christina at the start of the hike.

Look! We're at the top already!

Matt glancing at the view before the ~30 foot scramble.

Climbing the rocks. This is kind of like Granite Mountain, only on Granite there is about 1000 feet of this. :-)

Puget Sound, including Everett if you look closely

The clouds wafting up along the edge of Mount Pilchuck

Mount Pilchuck stopping the clouds

There it is again! Why did I pick the same picture twice?

The trail on the way down

2007-07-15 McClellan Butte

2007-07-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

9.2 mile round trip
Map offline: Green Trails Maps™ No 206S
Map online: TerraServer USA
Trailhead coordinate: Lat: 47.4113690, Long: -121.586766; Alt: 1580 ft.
Elevation gain: 3,582 ft.
Max elevation: Lat: 47.406869, Long: -121.622176; Alt: 5,162 ft.
Hike time: up ↑ 3:00; break ↔ 0:10; down ↓ 2:00; Total ⇅ 5:10
Effort: Steady
Trail difficulty: Most Difficult

Forest Service Link

This time, I took out you and your Butte McClellan! So it was a lot easier when there wasn't any snow... Linda and I got our start at 10:00am sharp; others take note :-) The hike was pretty easy. No stops, just a steady pace.

Having consumed food before and during this hike, my energy level was a lot higher. Score one for carbs.

We reached the top after about 3 hours. The last 100 feet are a scramble (see picture.) Linda was good to go, but I chickened out. It wasn't even that steep, just exposed. I suppose sometimes you have to save some challenges for later. :-)

Here are the pics:

A view east along I-90 from the top.

A view west from the top. On a clear day, I'll bet you could see Seattle.

The scramble to the top from where we stopped. Actually, I climbed about a 1/3 of the way up this before calling it good.

What awaits if one is to slip from the scramble to the top

Linda. Not getting away without her picture taken; but she doesn't have to be happy about it.

2007-07-01 Granite Moutain

2007-07-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

8.5 mile round trip
Map offline: TBD
Map online: TerraServer USA
Trailhead coordinate: Lat: TBD, Long: TBD; Alt: 1880 ft.
Elevation gain: 3,749 ft.
Max elevation: Lat: TBD, Long: TBD; Alt: 5,629 ft.
Hike time: up ↑ 3:30; break ↔ 0:15; down ↓ 1:45; Total ⇅ 5:30
Effort: Hard
Trail difficulty: Most difficult

I'm more than a little late in updating the blog. But I'm going to make up for it with a lot of pictures! Graham, John, and I met up around 10:00am (read 11:00am) and headed out to the trailhead. Granite mountain was great fun. It had it all: flat dirt trails, steep dirt trails, meadow walks, waterfall crossings, boulder scrambles, and snow traverses. However, I had a really tough time keeping up with Graham and John! Mental note: eat food before a hike like this!

The last section of the hike is a boulder scramble, which was great fun. There, we met another hiker, Linda, who joined our party (not pictured here for fear of reprisal.) At the top we had lunch and good conversation after which we exchanged contact information with Linda so she could join in our future hikes. If you follow this blog, you'll notice that I'm dragging someone new kicking a screaming every week. I'm always happy to have some fresh blood.

Oh yeah, I promised pictures:

Graham caught off guard.

A trail view

John caught not off guard

A meadow scene about 3/4 of the way up.

Mountain views from the top.

Mountain views from the top.

Graham, John, and I from left to right. Thanks for the picture(s) Linda!

A beautiful alpine lake.

The lookout at the top under which lunch was had.

Do you believe John actually drinks the water right out of the falls?

2007-06-16 Mailbox Peak

2007-06-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

4.5 mile round trip
Map offline: TBD
Map online: TerraServer USA
Trailhead coordinate: Lat: TBD, Long: TBD; Alt: 911 ft.
Elevation gain: 3,926 ft.
Max elevation: Lat: TBD, Long: TBD; Alt: 4,837 ft.
Hike time: up ↑ 2:55; break ↔ 0:10; down ↓ 1:45; Total ⇅ 4:50
Effort: Hard
Trail difficulty: Most difficult

While I've really wanted to do this hike for a long time, honestly, I've been avoiding it. But last weekend, I finally did it, along with Jason who graciously came up from Portland. This hike is a 3,926 foot elevation gain over just 2.25 miles! For the mathematically challenged, that is a 33% grade... for the entire hike! This was the most challenging hike I have ever done, hands down. That said, after all the others I've done this year, it wasn't too bad. Hooray for being in shape!

I wish I could convey the slope of this hike, but pictures don't do it justace. Just imagine that you are climbing a 2.25 mile staircase. Got it? Now imagine that there are no steps, but instead you have loose gravel, dirt, mud, rocks, and roots. That's what this is like.

Here you'll see all the real hikers preparing for the larger challenges in the area, such as Mount Rainier. In fact, I bumped into a coleage from work who was training for Mount Rainer. Most hikers here had full hiking packs. This is serious business. Looks like I made it to another league.

As is typical in Washington, here is a beutiful scene under the canopy.

Our first view from along the hike. I'll later realize that I'm looking at a housing development going in on top of a hill that overlooks I-90. That is Rattlesnake Lake in the distance.

Jason doing a slope demo.

Yes, there really is a mailbox at the top of Mailbox Peak. In fact there are two. There're both full of books, letter, and even food.

Here I am with the mailbox.

As you can see, we've climbed up into the clouds. It was really interesting that there were only clouds on one side of the mountain, the other side was completely clear. Also, Jason noticed that there was snow a good 1,000 feet below us under the clouds. Obviously there was some significant temperature variations in the area.

A view of Mount Si and Mount Tenneriffe. The former was already conquered and the later is likely my next challenge. What a welcome break a 9 mile 4,000 foot hike will be.

The GPS tells me that we're at 4,837 feet.

Jason performing another slope demo. On slopes like the one you see here, we felt like it was a break.

Here's a topo map indicating the distance and route of the hike. The creators of this trail didn't want any meandering about. This hike is the business route. Straight up the ridge line.

I hope you enjoyed looking that pictures as much as I enjoyed doing the hike. If you're reading this and you might visit me, be prepared to hike!

2007-06-10 Rattlesnake Mountain

2007-06-10T20:09:00.001-07:00

10.5 miles
Maximum Elevation: 3,522 ft.
Complete stats to come.

Christina, Matt, Jeff, and I decided on this hike as it had a good balance of height and length, and for the novelty of a one-way hike. The hike is 10.5 miles starting up Rattlesnake Ledge (the first 2 miles) followed by 2.4 more miles to East Peak, 1.9 more miles to West Peak, and finally 4.2 more miles to Snoqualmie Point. We, of course, used two cars to pull this off.

This was the longest hike I've ever done. However, with only 2,900 ft. of elevation gain, this one didn't rank high in terms of the highest hikes. However, it was pretty challenging, partially because of the weather. It rained pretty much the entire time. That, combined with the fact that the hike routes along a completely tree covered ridge will explain why I only have these pictures:

The gang at the "top"

Radio tower, not of steel! (inside joke)

And the altitude

2007-06-01 West Tiger 3

2007-06-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

Before I forget the date, I'm creating this place-holder.

Since I was going to be busy on Saturday and Sunday, John, Matt, and I decided to do a hike on Friday after work. We got started around 7:30pm. This is a fairly easy hike, but there were an incredible number of insects on the trail. I guess the recent substantial increase in temperature must have forced them all to hatch. This will go down as one of the more unpleasant hikes I've done. Still, in the name of exercise...

Matt demonstrates his mad skillz

The "veiw" from the top. This is such a dissappointing hike if you're expecting a peak.

Mt. Rainier

John in motion

The altitude as it were

Matt showing how to remove bugs from your face before they fly in your mouth.

2007-05-28 Rattlesnake Ledge

2007-05-29T17:56:00.000-07:00

4.0 mile round trip
Map offline: Green Trails Maps™ No 205S
Map online: TerraServer USA
Trailhead coordinate: Lat: 47.435171, Long: -121.768513; Alt: 920 ft.
Elevation gain: 1,159 ft.
Max elevation: Lat: 47.436111, Long: -121.778734; Alt: 2,079 ft.
Hike time: up ↑ 1:00; break ↔ 0:15; down ↓ 0:40; Total ⇅ 1:55
Effort: Relaxed
Trail difficulty: Easy

Matt, John, and I went on a quick jaunt up Rattlesnake Ledge near the conclusion of the holliday weekend. This trail is an old stand-by, with a well maintained path and excellent views. Here are some shots from the hike:

A small rock. Aren't you glad you weren't there when that came tumbling down the mountain?

The view of Rattlesnake Lake from a lookout on the way up.

Mount Si (and little Si next to it) looms in the distance.

A mountain vista from the Ledge.

It was a party up there! Not the most crowded I've seen it, but close.

John pauses to get his picture taken.

Not framed exactly how I wanted it, but some pretty colors. Notice the shadow of Rattlesnake ledge down onto the lake.

Another mountain vista. Wow, I really got carried away with the pictures today.

Since I brought the big lens... Check out the wakes these swimmers created.

Matt makes secret contact with the man in charge.

I have no idea who this person is, but they appear to be thinking about something important.

The last of the mountain vistas, I promise. Probably the best pic of the bunch too.

Rattlesnake ledge is a really rewarding, and very accessable hike. I highly recommend it!

2007-05-26 McClellan Butte

2007-05-28T23:22:00.000-07:00

9.2 mile round trip (7.5 miles completed)
Map offline: Green Trails Maps™ No 206S
Map online: TerraServer USA
Trailhead coordinate: Lat: 47.4113690, Long: -121.586766; Alt: 1580 ft.
Elevation gain: 3,582 ft. (2,620 ft. completed)
Max elevation: Lat: 47.406869, Long: -121.622176; Alt: 5,162 ft. (4,200 ft. reached)
Hike time: up ↑ 2:45; break ↔ 0:30; down ↓ 2:00; Total ⇅ 5:15
Effort: Steady
Trail difficulty: Most Difficult

Forest Service Link

John and I set out to do McClellan Butte this Saturday. It turned about a bit ambitious, as we were not able to summit.

To start off the hike, we headed down I-90 with only an exit number (42.) Turns out you just turn right and follow the signs. Another thing you need to know is that McClellan Butte requires a "Northwest Forest Pass". We did not realize this in advance, and so had to take our chances.

The weather was terrific (70 degrees in the sun, even at altitude.) That, however, was some of the problem. With the melting snow, we had a hard time finding enough tracks to follow the trail. On top of that, I was concerned about avalanche. Above about 3,000 feet, there was snow the whole way. After feeling like we had lost the trail since we had had gone straight for a very long time (no switch backs) we decided to turn around. We made it to 4,200 feet according to GPS, and by that time, there was about 10 feet of snow!

After the hike, we went to REI to pick up a Northwest Forest Pass ($30 annual.) We also found some up to date info on the state of various climbs. For McClellan Butte, "Extreme Avalanche Danger" was written in bold red print. Well, all is well that ends well, but next time, I'm bringing a shovel!

We'll certainly do this one again when it is either colder or warmer.

A rocky path on the way up. John and I suppose these small rocks were created by glaciers. What do you think?

At the top of the picture you can see the summit. In the middle is a waterfall, and at the bottom is where we're standing. Read: Avalanche danger.

John standing on a snow field to get a GPS reading while I stand safely (?) by the trees. This shot gives you a nice perspective on how steep this climb was in many places. Also, though John is in shorts, we were quite warm. It was nearing 70 degrees when we were in the sun.

Ye olde GPS. Tells us we made it to 4191. The longer we looked at it the higher we got. Leading to the famous statement, "Well hell, if we just stand here, we'll make it all the way to the top."

One of the Vistas from a snow field.

Here you can see the aftermath of prior avalanche. We are standing well uphill of this site, and we didn't see it happen.
Another waterfall in an avalanche gully. Here you have a very clear view of the summit.

John photographs the waterfall.

Yikes! And we just walked on top of that! To underscore the melting snow point, here is the rushing water visible through an ~8 foot hole in the snow.

2007-05-19 Mt. Si (Old Big Si Trail)

2007-05-22T23:30:00.000-07:00

7.0 mile round trip (Old Big Si Trail 2.4 mi via Little Si Trail 0.5 mi and Boulder Garden Loop Trail 0.6 mi)
Map offline: Green Trails Maps™ No 206S
Map online: TerraServer USA
Trailhead coordinate: Lat: 47.486962, Long: -121.754866; Alt: 500 ft.
Elevation gain: 3,667 ft.
Max elevation: Lat: 47.507778, Long: -121.738889; Alt: 4,167 ft.
Hike time: up ↑ 3:00; break ↔ 0:05; down ↓ 1:40; Total ⇅ 4:45
Effort: Hard
Trail difficulty: Difficult

A work associate of mine, Andrei, told me about the Mt. Si old trail. It's steeper than the main trail but ends up at the same place. Jon P and I completed the whole hike in 4:45. It took us 3 hours to get up and the remainder down. Pretty good time for me!

USGS map.

The Snoqualamie river bends around Mt Si.

North bend. Clearer this time than last.

Consider it conquered!

John reflects on North Bend, life.

2007-05-17 Little Si

2007-05-22T23:29:00.001-07:00

4.2 mile round trip
Map offline: Green Trails Maps™ No 206S
Map online: TerraServer USA
Trailhead coordinate: Lat: 47.486962, Long: -121.754866; Alt: 500 ft.
Elevation gain: 1,076 ft.
Max elevation: Lat: 47.498889, Long: -121.754722; Alt: 1,576 ft.
Hike time: up ↑ x:xx; break ↔ x:xx; down ↓ x:xx; Total ⇅ x:xx
Effort: Relaxed
Trail difficulty: Easy

Matt and I took a stoll up Little Si after work on Thursday last week. After doing Mt. Si the previous weekend, this was an easy one. Here are some shots from along the way:

A rock climber takes it slow up a 90 degree face.

An interesting bush at the top of Little Si.
Little Si's big brother.

View from Little Si. That's Rattlesnake Ledge in the distance. Interestingly, I haven't done that hike yet this year. Consider it reserved for an after work hike like this one.

2007-05-13 Mt. Si

2007-05-22T23:21:00.000-07:00

8.0 mile round trip
Map offline: Green Trails Maps No 206S
Map online: TerraServer USA
Trailhead coordinate: Lat: 47.487194, Long:-121.722250; Alt: 660 ft.
Elevation gain: 3,507 ft.
Max elevation: Lat: 47.507778, Long: -121.738889; Alt: 4,167 ft.
Hike time: up ↑ 4:00; break ↔ 0:45; down ↓ 2:15; Total ⇅ 7:00
Effort: Slow and Steady
Trail difficulty: Difficult

This was my first attempt at Mt. Si for the season. Christina and I did the full climb including the haystack in approximately 7 hours. We were taking it very slow and steady. The weather was very poor until the very end of the hike where the clouds cleared right when we were at the top. Here are some pictures:

The haystack rock at the top! 200 ft. scramble to the top.

Christina rests durring ascent of the haystack

View from the top, looking down on the Snoqualamie river.

View from the top, looking down on North Bend.

From one peak to another.

Me at the top.

Christina at the top.

Mount Si Trail plus Talus Loop Trail

2007-04-18T15:34:00.000-07:00

3.7 mile loop (2.4 mi on Mount Si Trail, 1.3 mi on Talus Loop Trail)
Map offline: Green Trails Maps™ No 206S
Map online: TerraServer USA
Trailhead coordinate: Lat: 47.487194, Long: -121.722250; Alt: 660 ft.
Elevation gain: 1460 ft.
Max elevation: Lat: 47.507817, Long: -121.739877; Alt: 2,120 ft.
Hike time: up ↑ 1:20; break ↔ 0:10; down ↓ 0:40; Total ⇅ 2:20
Effort: Relaxed
Trail difficulty: Moderate

More photographs and hike wrap-up coming later today.

Poo Poo Point (Tiger Mountain)

2007-04-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

5.5* mile round trip (*estimated mileage)
Map offline: Green Trails Maps No 204S
Map online: TerraServer USA
Trailhead coordinate: Lat: 47.519364, Long:-122.029819; Alt: 170 ft.
Elevation gain: 1,650 ft.
Max elevation: Lat: 47.499364, Long: -122.008229; Alt: 1,820 ft.
Hike time: up ↑ x:xx; break ↔ 0:10; down ↓ 1:30; Total⇅ 1:40+up
Effort: Relaxed
Trail difficulty: Moderate

First hike of the season!

Last Sunday, April 15th, John and I did our (my) first hike of the season, Poo Poo Point. Poo Poo Point is on Tiger Mountain in Issaquah, WA. Hangliders and parasailers can commonly be found launching from the point.

The weather was mixed, ranging from 65 and sunny to 40 and freezing rain. Unfortunatey, at the summit it was the later.

Got a few nice pics along the way:

This hike is the season starter, from here its on to bigger and better things.

Directions:

Drive east on I-90 and take the Front St Exit (Exit 17). Make a right at Front St and turn left at Sunset Way. Turn right on 2nd Avenue, drive just past Issaquah High School and find the trailhead parking area on the left, just before the light at 2nd Avenue and Front St. Follow the trail from the parking lot, and as you pass the high school stadium take a trail coming in from the right. When you reach the power lines, you can choose from a trail towards West Tiger 3, or one to Poo Poo Point. The Poo Poo Point trail is on the right. 4 miles or so into the hike, you will see a sign that indicates the Poo Poo Point trail is back the way you came. Don't let this dissuade you, you've only got a quarter mile to go.