Hike-A-Thon Fundraising Totals:
Miles: 150.25
Dollars: 915
Thanks to everyone who supported Washington Trails Associating by sponsoring my Hike-A-Thon campaign!
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| This year's top contributor (again) is Angela! |
Thursday, September 12, 2013
The Results Are In!
Although Hike-A-Thon 2013 officially ended on August 31st, the final results have now been tabulated and confirmed.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
August 31 - Wallace Lake
With Hike-A-Thon 2013 drawing to a close, I needed just 12 more miles to reach my goal of hiking 150 miles in August. I found myself perplexed about where to go to hike these 12 miles. It is a Saturday after all, and a holiday weekend no less. Everyone knows how I feel about hiking on weekends.
So where did I decide to go? Wallace Falls State Park, an area that's typically crowded even on weekdays. I knew the park would be overrun with people, but I also knew that 95% of visitors go just to the falls. I plotted a course to take a seldom-used trail up to Wallace Lake and then another seldom-used trail down the falls. From the falls, I would take the main trail back to the car, so I would only be bombarded by people for a couple miles.
I made it all the way to lake and only passed two people! From there, I carried on to the falls. Well, I attempted to carry on to the falls. Somewhere along the way I missed a turn and ended up right back at the junction to the lake. Not wanting to backtrack, I just kept on going back toward the trailhead; even the trail I was on, which usually sees very little use, was starting to get quite populated.
Before reaching the parking area, I made a quick pit-stop at the Small Falls Interpretive Trail.
The falls here were completely dried up, so this short loop trail was a bit of a dud. But a local Boy Scout Troop has added signs along the loop that tell a Native American folk tale, The Grandmother Cedar Tree. I took a picture of each sign so I can share the story with my class when we learn about Washington's Native Americans.
When I returned to the parking area, I felt like I was at the outlets with people circling like vultures in their cars waiting to nab my spot.
Because of my wrong turn on the trail, I missed out on a couple of miles, so I headed to a nearby park to finish up my last two miles on the Forest Loop Trail.
Hike-A-Thon Fundraising Goals:
Miles to go: 0
Dollars to go: 325
There's still time! Donations will be accepted until September 9th!
So where did I decide to go? Wallace Falls State Park, an area that's typically crowded even on weekdays. I knew the park would be overrun with people, but I also knew that 95% of visitors go just to the falls. I plotted a course to take a seldom-used trail up to Wallace Lake and then another seldom-used trail down the falls. From the falls, I would take the main trail back to the car, so I would only be bombarded by people for a couple miles.
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| Wallace Lake |
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| Wallace River |
Before reaching the parking area, I made a quick pit-stop at the Small Falls Interpretive Trail.
The falls here were completely dried up, so this short loop trail was a bit of a dud. But a local Boy Scout Troop has added signs along the loop that tell a Native American folk tale, The Grandmother Cedar Tree. I took a picture of each sign so I can share the story with my class when we learn about Washington's Native Americans.
When I returned to the parking area, I felt like I was at the outlets with people circling like vultures in their cars waiting to nab my spot.
Because of my wrong turn on the trail, I missed out on a couple of miles, so I headed to a nearby park to finish up my last two miles on the Forest Loop Trail.
Hike-A-Thon Fundraising Goals:
Miles to go: 0
Dollars to go: 325
There's still time! Donations will be accepted until September 9th!
Friday, August 30, 2013
August 30 - Old Sauk, Beaver Lake, and Lookout Tree
Today I hiked a collection of three trails along the Mountain Loop Highway outside of Darrington. Combined, the three trails totaled 11 miles.
First on the agenda for the day was the Old Sauk Trail. This trail parallels the Sauk River for several miles. I hiked this trail years ago with my sister who held out a pocket knife the whole time to defend herself against cougar attacks. Even though I didn't protect myself with a pocket knife, I managed to avoid any cougar confrontations.
We've had such a dry summer that all the rivers have been running surprisingly low. After the thunderstorm we had yesterday, I was curious to see how high the river would be running. I don't think I've ever seen this river running so high or so fast in the summer.
Aside from the river views, this trail travels through lush, mossy forest with fungi galore.
After finishing up at the Old Sauk Trail, I drove a few miles further down the Mountain Loop Highway to the Beaver Lake Trail.
I had also hiked this trail years ago but couldn't remember too much about the trail itself, just the viewpoint at the end. After hiking the trail again today, it makes sense why I didn't remember much about the trail. It's pretty unimpressive. Even "Beaver Lake" was pretty unimpressive. I did, however, scare a heron who flew away before I could snap a picture.
The trail ends shortly after passing the beaver pond at an area where the trail was washed away by the river. The trail used to continue another mile or so beyond the washout.
For my third hike of the day, I headed a few more miles down the Mountain Loop Highway to hike the remaining portion of the Beaver Lake Trail. Since the Forest Service has no intention of ever repairing the washed out area of the trail and connecting the two sides again, the other section of the trail is now called the Lookout Tree Trail.
The trail descends through the forest passing a giant cedar tree that used to be used as a lookout tower of sorts.
Beyond the tree, the trail continues until the washed out section is reached along the river.
Hike-A-Thon Fundraising Goals:
Miles to go: 11.75
Dollars to go: 690
Only one day of Hike-A-Thon left! Please make a donation today!
First on the agenda for the day was the Old Sauk Trail. This trail parallels the Sauk River for several miles. I hiked this trail years ago with my sister who held out a pocket knife the whole time to defend herself against cougar attacks. Even though I didn't protect myself with a pocket knife, I managed to avoid any cougar confrontations.
We've had such a dry summer that all the rivers have been running surprisingly low. After the thunderstorm we had yesterday, I was curious to see how high the river would be running. I don't think I've ever seen this river running so high or so fast in the summer.
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| Sauk River |
After finishing up at the Old Sauk Trail, I drove a few miles further down the Mountain Loop Highway to the Beaver Lake Trail.
I had also hiked this trail years ago but couldn't remember too much about the trail itself, just the viewpoint at the end. After hiking the trail again today, it makes sense why I didn't remember much about the trail. It's pretty unimpressive. Even "Beaver Lake" was pretty unimpressive. I did, however, scare a heron who flew away before I could snap a picture.
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| Beaver Lake |
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| Sauk River |
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| Lookout Tree Trail |
Beyond the tree, the trail continues until the washed out section is reached along the river.
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| Sauk River |
Hike-A-Thon Fundraising Goals:
Miles to go: 11.75
Dollars to go: 690
Only one day of Hike-A-Thon left! Please make a donation today!
Thursday, August 29, 2013
August 28 - Lake Valhalla
Another soggy day and another hike along a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail.
I was discouraged from the get-go because the weather forecast said there was a 30% chance of rain after 11:30. It was only 8:30 and it was already raining steadily as I headed out from Steven's Pass. The first part of the trail follows the original grade of the Great Northern Railway. This portion was getting quite overgrown.
The leaves on these plants hold lots of raindrops so my pants went from slightly wet to completely soaked. I was contemplating turning back because I didn't know how long the rain would last or how far the overgrown portion of the trail extended, but in the end I pushed on. It's a good thing I did. Shortly after entering the forest, the rain stopped and the sun started to shine through the clouds.
There were many interesting varieties of fungi all along the trail, and blueberries were abundant. I picked enough to make some blueberry scones to take to work.
Soon enough I reached the lake and found a a big rock to spread out all my gear on to dry out in the sun. I enjoyed my lunch in the sun before making my way back.
Hike-A-Thon Fundraising Goals:
Miles to go: 22.75
Dollars to go: 690
Only 3 days left! Please help me make my miles count by donating to WTA!
I was discouraged from the get-go because the weather forecast said there was a 30% chance of rain after 11:30. It was only 8:30 and it was already raining steadily as I headed out from Steven's Pass. The first part of the trail follows the original grade of the Great Northern Railway. This portion was getting quite overgrown.
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| Overgrown plants |
The leaves on these plants hold lots of raindrops so my pants went from slightly wet to completely soaked. I was contemplating turning back because I didn't know how long the rain would last or how far the overgrown portion of the trail extended, but in the end I pushed on. It's a good thing I did. Shortly after entering the forest, the rain stopped and the sun started to shine through the clouds.
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| Lichtenburg Mountain |
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| Nason Ridge |
There were many interesting varieties of fungi all along the trail, and blueberries were abundant. I picked enough to make some blueberry scones to take to work.
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| Fungi |
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| Blueberries |
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| Lake Valhalla |
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| Lake Valhalla |
Miles to go: 22.75
Dollars to go: 690
Only 3 days left! Please help me make my miles count by donating to WTA!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
August 27 - Centennial Trail
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| Replica Railroad Depot |
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| Replica Railroad Depot |
Hike-A-Thon Fundraising Goals:
Miles to go: 33.75
Dollars to go: 890
Please consider making a donation to protect Washington's hiking trails!
August 26 - Monte Cristo
Another camping trip foiled by the weather! I was supposed to camp out Saturday night between my Mountain Stewarding shifts, but the weather was not conducive to that. Since I already had everything packed for camping, I decided to give it another go.
If you have read my Hike-A-Thon blog in previous years, you know that Monte Cristo is one of my favorite places to visit. The townsite is going to be closed soon for clean-up of some of the hazardous mining materials that are still in the area, so this summer will probably be my last chance to hike to the area for at least a couple years. It seemed like the perfect time to go for an overnight trip. With bags packed, we hit the trail!
It's a four mile trek to the campground, but most of that follows the old road that led to the townsite before the bridge across the river washed out 30 years ago so it's not a strenuous four miles. About a mile in, just after crossing the river on a huge log, the rain started. I could tell it wouldn't last long, and it didn't. Pretty soon the sun was shining again.
The clouds were starting to roll in again as we reached the campground.
The rain held off until the tent was set up, firewood was gathered, and cooking supplies were spread out on the picnic table. Then the thunder began to rumble and the rain began to fall. (In my defense, the weather forecast only called for a 30% chance of showers and never mentioned thunderstorms. I would never plan a camping trip during a thunderstorm.)
As luck would have it, someone long ago dragged this old wood-burning stove up to the campground from one of the buildings that used to be at the townsite during the mining town's heyday, so a roaring fire was possible despite the rain.
The rain didn't let up. When I went inside the tent I discovered there was a leak and my sleeping bag was holding a small puddle of water. It was about 5:15 at this point. Not knowing if the rain would stop, it seemed best to head out while there was still enough daylight left. So everything quickly got packed back up, soaking wet and covered in pine needles.
We re-traced our steps four miles back to the car, and by that time the rain had stopped.
Hike-A-Thon Fundraising Goals:
Miles to go: 43.25
Dollars to go: 890
Five days left! Make a donation today!
If you have read my Hike-A-Thon blog in previous years, you know that Monte Cristo is one of my favorite places to visit. The townsite is going to be closed soon for clean-up of some of the hazardous mining materials that are still in the area, so this summer will probably be my last chance to hike to the area for at least a couple years. It seemed like the perfect time to go for an overnight trip. With bags packed, we hit the trail!
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| Happy Campers |
It's a four mile trek to the campground, but most of that follows the old road that led to the townsite before the bridge across the river washed out 30 years ago so it's not a strenuous four miles. About a mile in, just after crossing the river on a huge log, the rain started. I could tell it wouldn't last long, and it didn't. Pretty soon the sun was shining again.
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| Monte Cristo Peaks |
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| Aster |
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| Swift moving clouds |
The clouds were starting to roll in again as we reached the campground.
As luck would have it, someone long ago dragged this old wood-burning stove up to the campground from one of the buildings that used to be at the townsite during the mining town's heyday, so a roaring fire was possible despite the rain.
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| Woodburning stove with raindrops reflected in the camera flash |
We re-traced our steps four miles back to the car, and by that time the rain had stopped.
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| Stillaguamish River |
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| This only shows one-way. I didn't think to turn the GPS back on for the return trip. |
Hike-A-Thon Fundraising Goals:
Miles to go: 43.25
Dollars to go: 890
Five days left! Make a donation today!
Sunday, August 25, 2013
August 25 - Park Butte and Railroad Grade Trail
This was my last shift as a volunteer Mountain Steward for the summer, and boy was it a doozie!
The other Mountain Steward who was supposed to be volunteering today cancelled at the last minute, which was fine because I like hiking alone and I figured I would get in more miles for Hike-A-Thon if I was solo. But then I got to the trail and realized my radio wasn't working properly, meaning I had no way to contact the ranger station. The folks at the ranger station start panicking if they don't hear from you and then they call your emergency contact (my sister) and make them panic, too.
I started hiking anyway. I figured I would head up the trail toward the climbing route and run into the climbing rangers who could help me with the radio. The views were quite impressive along the way.
Well, I made it all the way to the climber's camp and never saw the climbing rangers. However, I did get cell signal just long enough to get a text message to my sister asking her to call the ranger station and let them know I was OK. That message went through, but no others would go out or come in. Little did I know she was getting bounced around from phone number to phone number trying to get a hold of someone who knew who I was and understood what was going on.
I didn't know if my sister had gotten through to the ranger station and I thought people might be worrying about me due to my lack of radio contact, so I decided to turn around and head back to the car even though I wanted to get some more hiking in. When I was about a quarter-mile from the trailhead, the climbing rangers came up behind me. They were able to help me with my radio, I made contact with the ranger station, and all was well.
Since I was now officially accounted for I decided to linger a while and pick some blueberries before driving home.
Hike-A-Thon Fundraising Goals:
Miles to go: 51.25
Dollars to go: 890
Please help me reach my goals and support WTA! Make a donation today!
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| Twin Sisters Mountain |
The other Mountain Steward who was supposed to be volunteering today cancelled at the last minute, which was fine because I like hiking alone and I figured I would get in more miles for Hike-A-Thon if I was solo. But then I got to the trail and realized my radio wasn't working properly, meaning I had no way to contact the ranger station. The folks at the ranger station start panicking if they don't hear from you and then they call your emergency contact (my sister) and make them panic, too.
I started hiking anyway. I figured I would head up the trail toward the climbing route and run into the climbing rangers who could help me with the radio. The views were quite impressive along the way.
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| Meadows of wildflowers |
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| Looking back down the trail |
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| A marmot |
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| The Easton Glacier |
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| Sandy Camp |
I didn't know if my sister had gotten through to the ranger station and I thought people might be worrying about me due to my lack of radio contact, so I decided to turn around and head back to the car even though I wanted to get some more hiking in. When I was about a quarter-mile from the trailhead, the climbing rangers came up behind me. They were able to help me with my radio, I made contact with the ranger station, and all was well.
Since I was now officially accounted for I decided to linger a while and pick some blueberries before driving home.
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| Blueberry Fingers |
Miles to go: 51.25
Dollars to go: 890
Please help me reach my goals and support WTA! Make a donation today!
August 24 - Scott Paul Trail
Today was one of my volunteer shifts as a Mountain Steward with the Forest Service. It poured all morning. It was windy. I didn't even take out my camera. Luckily, I hiked this trail about two weeks ago when it was sunny, so you can check out the pictures from the August 13th post.
The most exciting event of the day was the big bee or wasp's nest right on the trail. I heard of several people who had gotten stung, and lots of people were going off-trail to get around it. I just waltzed on by it with no problems. I'm a bee whisperer.
Hike-A-Thon Fundraising Goals:
Miles to go: 59.25
Dollars to go: 890
Only a few days left! Make a donation now!
The most exciting event of the day was the big bee or wasp's nest right on the trail. I heard of several people who had gotten stung, and lots of people were going off-trail to get around it. I just waltzed on by it with no problems. I'm a bee whisperer.
Hike-A-Thon Fundraising Goals:
Miles to go: 59.25
Dollars to go: 890
Only a few days left! Make a donation now!
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
August 21 - Kendall Katwalk/Pacific Crest Trail
Last year I ended the Hike-A-Thon with the hike to Kendall Katwalk (You can read about it here.) I decided to go again this year because it's a long hike (about 12 miles) with a gentle grade and good views.
I don't do many hikes in the Snoqualmie Pass area because they are typically extremely over-populated. On a sunny Wednesday, the trail traffic wasn't too bad. It was definitely less crowded than I expected.
Once the trail breaks out of the woods, the views extend for miles.
Aside from the views, the highlight of the day was my epic victory over an aggressive ladybug. First, the ladybug landed on my sandwich. I swatted it away and continued eating only to feel a sharp pinching sensation in my arm a few seconds later. That ladybug was latched on so tight that it took several strong flicks to knock it off. The ladybug was relentless; next it was on my shirt and then trying to climb in my pack. Finally, the ladybug admitted it had been defeated and laid down on this rock to rest until another opponent came along.
Hike-A-Thon Fundraising Goals
Miles to go: 67.25
Dollars to go: 910
Please make a donation!
I don't do many hikes in the Snoqualmie Pass area because they are typically extremely over-populated. On a sunny Wednesday, the trail traffic wasn't too bad. It was definitely less crowded than I expected.
Once the trail breaks out of the woods, the views extend for miles.
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| Mount Rainier in the hazy distance |
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| The view from the Katwalk |
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| The Katwalk |
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| The defeated ladybug |
Hike-A-Thon Fundraising Goals
Miles to go: 67.25
Dollars to go: 910
Please make a donation!
August 20 - Squire Creek Pass
Today I went on a WTA-sponsored group Hike-A-Thon hike. Our group was small, just me, another Hike-A-thonner, the Communications and Outreach Director for WTA, and a hiking guidebook author.
One of our group members wrote a trip report for the WTA website that sums up the day very well, so I won't add too much more detail, but I will add some pictures.
I brought home some blueberries to make blueberry muffins. I caught a glimpse of what I think was a weasel or a marten, but I didn't have time to get a picture before he (or she) darted away through the rocks. I have no route or elevation profile for this one because the GPS unit sucks the life out of batteries very quickly and it died about 2 miles in.
Hike-A-Thon Fundraising Goals
Miles to go: 79.25
Dollars to go: 910
Donate today!
One of our group members wrote a trip report for the WTA website that sums up the day very well, so I won't add too much more detail, but I will add some pictures.
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| Three Fingers |
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| Three Fingers and Lunch Spot |
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| Picking Blueberries |
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| Three Fingers |
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| Blueberries |
I brought home some blueberries to make blueberry muffins. I caught a glimpse of what I think was a weasel or a marten, but I didn't have time to get a picture before he (or she) darted away through the rocks. I have no route or elevation profile for this one because the GPS unit sucks the life out of batteries very quickly and it died about 2 miles in.
Hike-A-Thon Fundraising Goals
Miles to go: 79.25
Dollars to go: 910
Donate today!
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