Outdoor adventures, mostly gravel rides, but not always
Fall colors, blue tarns, yellow meadow, fiery reds, grey mountains; an ideal fall hike
With the changing fall colors, I wanted to return to Royal Basin to take in the scene. Last time we ran as much as we hiked but this time I went alone and spent a significant amount of time photographing the colors and the abundant small waterfalls and rushing creeks.
A walk back into history among an old mine and the remains of a January 1952 plane crash
The road to the trailhead, FS 2870, received a much needed road grading (in fact, the grader was still operating and let us pass) so the road is in wonderful condition – any vehicle can make it easily.
A tumbling creek, huckleberries, & views - a delightful hike in the woods
The hike to Tunnel Creek showed up in my Strava feed, and with no firm plans for the weekend, off I went. The views looked nice and the hike wasn’t an elevation or distance killer so it wouldn’t consume the entire day. I also really love hiking along creeks & rivers to photograph baby waterfalls.
A spectacular loop hike of two valleys of meadows, lakes, and streams
The smoke cleared so R. and I decided to return to Hurricane Ridge for a full-day loop of the Grand and Badger Valleys. I had last been to the area in 2013 so I was looking forward to a return trip and seeing some trails I had never covered or didn’t see because eight years ago we covered the trail in a complete fog whiteout.
A beautiful alpine meadow filled with wildflowers & views
The upper meadow at Marmot Pass is one of my favorite locations in the Olympics having hiked there a few times. The WTA reports suggested the wildflowers were in bloom – perfect!
A straightforward out-and-back on a steady, but shallow, climb along a roaring river
I rarely ride out-and-backs and when I do it’s usually a hill climb. The ride up Icicle Creek Road isn’t as impressive as Hurricane Ridge or Mt Baker but it offered an exceptional experience on an early morning ride.
A hike through the remains of a forest fire to a picturesque alpine lake
We go to the trail early (7:30 am) mid-week to plenty of parking. The trail to Eightmile Lake starts through a burn from 2017 resulting in little cover from the sun and a lot of shrubby new growth. Fortunately the views along the trail are plentiful from the start and the grade wasn’t too bad for our mixed-skills hiking party.
A short and steep loop to expansive views into the heart of the Olympics
With record breaking heat descending on the PNW, I sought relief in the mountains and took advantage of the snow melt to photograph wildflowers. I really enjoyed this loop and until recently it was not on my radar; nor others apparently because very few trip reports were available at the WTA.
A day hike to the Mt Townsend summit from the Little Quilcene River trailhead
A nice day hike to Mt Townsend from a new-to-me trailhead. The wildflowers are out in force and the trail is in great shape without a single blow down.
A classic Enchantments hike to an alpine lake
With the snow mostly gone, I opted for the classic hike to this gorgeous alpine lake.
