Outdoor adventures, mostly gravel rides, but not always
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.
A mixed surface trail run through the Olympics
We wanted a bit of an adventure run without a lot of running through snow and this route was nearly perfect.
A loop trail over Mt Townsend with a stop along the way at Silver Lakes
Mt Townsend is an extremely popular hike in the Olympics appearing in all the popular day hike books. This route built on the standard hike by adding an extension to make a loop via a short jaunt on FR 2870 and the Silver Lakes Way Trail.
One of the more beautiful hikes in the Olympics, especially for visiting high alpine lakes
I hadn’t been to Royal Lake since a backpacking trip in July 2011. At the time we were unable to make it to the upper basin because of a late melting snow pack. I was excited to explore the upper basin on this trip as over the last few years I had become pretty familiar with the region from prior rides and hikes.
Steep climbing to an alpine lake, then a more climbing to a ridge with expansive views of the Olympics
My fifth trip up to Lake Angeles, but first time in the summer, did not disappoint. A beautiful lake view rewards this steep Olympics climb. Unlike my typical winter foray we left the lake behind us and climbed the Klahhane Ridge Trail to an exceptional lunch spot with clear views to Mt Olympus and its glaciers.
A long, hard hike rewarded with great river and mountain views
Hiked the loop clockwise through the woods and down to the impressive, fast moving Gray Wolf. The trail is in great shape and the numerous river and creek crossings were made uneventful by the bridges. There were a few blow downs but nothing requiring significant effort.
The kind of hike where the effort is the reward, especially on a socked in winter day
The trail is as advertised, steep and with little in the way of scenery. This is the kind of hike where the effort is the reward, especially on a socked in winter day. It was also eerily quiet as I was the only person around until I arrived within a quarter mile of the trailhead on my return. All said however it was what I wanted, a short hike with lots of effort close to home.
One of the classic loops in the Olympic Mountains
A steep climb to stunning views awash in fall colors
Enjoyable hike in perfect fall conditions. Started hiking around 10am with air temperature just above freezing so dress appropriately. The trail is in good condition but lacks any signage so be sure to follow the directions, particularly bearing to the right at the T. Arrived at the ridge around noon.
