August 30th - Monte Cristo and Big 4 Ice Caves

For my final Hike-a-Thonning day, I headed out to the old mining town of Monte Cristo and to the Big 4 Ice Caves. It is always interesting to see the old, rusty mining relics at the Monte Cristo townsite. Today was the perfect day for this trip since the partly cloudy skies and slight breeze kept things cool. The sun peeked through just enough to give some good views of the surrounding mountains.

After visiting the townsite, I stopped by the Big 4 Ice Caves on my way home. There were two ice caves that had formed; one of them was the largest cave I have seen at this site. (I've been there three times now.) Despite the warning signs and the recent death at the Ice Caves, several people were inside the mouth of the cave throwing rocks at the ceiling of the cave.

August 28th - Park Butte Trail and Railroad Grade Trail

My 3rd trip as a Mountain Steward started out with sunny, cloudless skies. As the day wore on, the clouds started to roll in, and just as I returned to my car, the downpour started. Schreiber's Meadow was full of ripe blueberries, and there were several people picking them along the trail.

Since I was last on this trail at the end of July, all of the snow has melted and some trail maintenance work has been done. There is a temporary bridge in place over Rocky Creek, which makes the crossing much easier.

August 25th - Snow Lake

It was a busy day on the trail with lots of people heading to Snow Lake. The trip up got pretty warm as quite a bit of the trail switchbacks across rocky avalanche chutes which provide no shade. The last half mile down to the lake was mostly shaded though, and once in a while a nice breeze would blow through. The lake itself was a very deep blue, and there were many places along its shore to enjoy the scenery and some lunch. And, in case you're wondering, there wasn't any snow at Snow Lake.

August 21st - Ptarmigan Trail/Monitor Ridge to Summit of Mount Saint Helens

I climbed to the crater rim on Mount Saint Helens with a guided group from the Mount Saint Helens Insitute. Although it was a somewhat cloudy day, there were great views of Mount Hood and Mount Adams all along the route. At the monitoring station along the ridge, there were some scientists checking things out. I got a video of their helicopter taking off. Once at the rim, there were clear views down into the crater which had some steam coming out. Spirit Lake and Mount Ranier were also in view. I got a few scrapes and bruises climbing through the boulder fields, but all in all, the trip was well worth the effort.

August 17th - Heather Meadows and Artist Point Trails

I took my parents up to the Mount Baker area to visit Heather Meadows and Artist Point. We started out at the Heather Meadow's Visitor Center and then took a leisurely stroll along the Fire and Ice Trail. After that, we drove up to Artist Point and walked along the Artist Ridge Trail, which had stunning views of both Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan, along with lots of other peaks. On the way back down the mountain, we stopped at Picture Lake, and I was able to get a shot of Mount Shuksan reflected in the lake with very little rippling. Our last stop of the day was to see Nooksack Falls.

Please note: At my dad's request, I will not be posting any pictures of him on this blog. Aren't I a wonderful daughter?

August 16th - Mount Dickerman

I made the trek to Mt. Dickerman's summit (5,723 feet) on one of the hottest days of the year. I was certainly sweating by the time I reached the top since the last third of the trail is out in open meadows with only the tiniest bits of shade to provide some relief along the way.

The views of Glacier Peak, Mount Baker, and countless others were wonderful from the summit, though. Lots of wildflowers were blooming in the meadows, and just when the heat got to be unbearable, a nice cooling breeze would come along.

August 14th - Heliotrope Ridge

This was my second day volunteering with the Mountain Stewards program. I talked to about 50 people on the trail, answering their questions and helping them with a tricky stream crossing.

August 12th - Mount Pilchuck

I hiked up to the old fire lookout on Mount Pilchuck today. The views were minimal because fog kept rolling through. However, I was on Mount Pilchuck just a few weeks ago on a bright, sunny day with great views, so it was kind of interesting to see everything shrouded in fog. I also always enjoy looking at the historic photos on display inside the lookout.

August 10th - Lund's Gulch

When the sun finally came out this afternoon, I decided to make a quick trip to Meadowdale Beach. The Lund's Gulch Trail follows along Lund's Creek, crosses underneath the railroad tracks, and ends where the creek meets the Sound. I just happened to get to the beach during low tide and stumbled across an 18-armed star fish, a few jellyfish, and a heron who got quite angry with me for getting too close while trying to take pictures.

August 7th - Yellow Aster Butte

It was raining pretty heavily as I drove to the trail, but by the time I reached the trailhead the rain seemed to be letting up and the clouds seemed to be diminishing. I was hopeful that the weather would clear up by the time I reached Yellow Aster Butte so I would have good views of Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan, but no such luck. In fact, the fog rolled in so thickly that after crossing a snow-filled basin, I had to turn back because I couldn't find where the trail picked up again. Even without the views, it was still a nice hike with lots of different wildflowers blooming in the meadows along the trail.

August 5th - Johnson Ridge

Today's hike took me along Johnson Ridge to the summits of both Sunrise Mountain (5050 feet) and Scorpion Mountain (5540 feet). Well, almost to the summit of Scorpion Mountain. Right before reaching the peak, I noticed a black bear feeding in the meadow just below me. After snapping a few pictures of him, I decided to be safe and turn back. The trail is VERY steep in sections, but well worth the effort. The wildflowers were beginning to bloom in the meadows along the trail, and there were some good views of a slightly clouded-in Glacier Peak, as well as many other surrounding peaks.

August 3rd - Goat Lake

I took a 10-mile round trip journey to visit Goat Lake, the former site of a mining operation. On the way to the lake, I took the upper trail, which follows an old logging road. Before reaching the lake, I spent some time at McIntosh Falls, which was a much larger waterfall than I expected. I sat watching the fish jumping in the lake while I ate my lunch. I took the lower trail as I headed back. The lower trail follows Elliot Creek. Just as I reached the trailhead, the thunder started, so I guess I got back just in time!

August 1st - Bridal Veil Falls

I started the Hike-a-Thon off with a trip to Bridal Veil Falls. It was overcast and foggy, so the views of the Skykomish Valley were nonexistent. However, the falls were running nicely and creating quite a bit of mist.