Thirst for Adventure

Island Peak - 251 Days to Departure - Silver Peak

2012-02-06T21:59:00.000-08:00

There is a first for everything, and the first scramble in Washington State for me was Silver Peak off I-90. It was on a windy October day in 2006 when we dashed to Annette Lake and after a short break of its shore, where most hikers find their final destination, our group of five adventurers continued up on a steep talus field, hopping from rock to rock towards the blue sky of the beautiful day.

The lake below us seemed to shrink as we gained elevation and I remember thinking that the great view was an adequate reward for the burning legs and sweat dripping down our foreheads.

Then we made the final step and gained the ridge. Rainier greeted us from the South and the rest of the views were pretty cool too. Only a short distance stood between us and out destination, and as we run the ridge towards the peak, I knew deep in my heart I was hooked on scrambling.

Few years later Silver Peak came back to my mind. This time it was the winter route promising and interesting ridge run and good photo opportunities that caught my eye.

On Saturday morning on 1/28/2012 we were headed to give it a try. We were able to drive only as far as the first intersection after leaving I-90. From there we made the half mile or so to the trailhead on foot. The snow was packed letting us maintain a swift pace, and the conditions remained good on the actual trail too where a narrow path was broken in, hard enough that we could proceed without need for our snowshoes all the way to the last switchback where according to our decision to avoid potential avalanche danger further along the route we said good bye to the trail, and accepted the challenge of the steep forested slope and deeper snow.

Once we emerged from the forest several hundred feet higher, the ridge stood in front of us, long, proud, and full of obstacles we were yet to overcome.

It was an interesting run indeed. Not the easiest one to navigate - corniced, cliffy, ice mixed with sections of deep powder.... but despite the challenges and no view of Rainier, it was just as rewarding as I remembered from my first visit up there few years ago.

RT: 7.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 3840 ft
Time: 8 hrs 35 minutes

Island Peak - 264 Days to Departure - Mt. Teneriffe

2012-01-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

In the summertime when you climb nearly 4000 ft and you find yourself atop a mountain with all the views hiding in clouds, it can be a little disappointing. In the winter it is a different game altogether. The light snowflakes gently falling from the overcast sky, blanketing everything with fresh powder that then transforms the trail into a winter wonderland and crunches under one's feet, that can be a fully satisfying experience on its own.

There was a light dusting of snow on the trail when we arrived to Mt. Teneriffe trailhead around 9:00 a.m. Strapping snowshoes on our backpacks, we headed up. With the first part being an easy walk up the road, nearly flat and with good traction, we arrived to the intersection with Kamikaze Route in no time. As planned we took the more challenging (= more rewarding) route and continued on yet another old logging road.

With the distance we covered already, we started to wonder about the nearly 4000 feet of elevation gain this train promised. And the further we walked on the beautifully snow dusted yet only very gently rising road, the more obvious it was that there is a real challenge awaiting us ahead.

We arrived at our second intersection. A sign posted here directed us to Kamikaze Falls. Finally we left the road and started gaining elevation. Just as expected the gain was rather serious and it continued all the way to the summit.

About a mile after leaving the road we passed semi frozen Kamikaze Falls and while taking photographs, we witnessed a large piece of the ice tearing from its base, and with a crushing thump plummeting down the face of the waterfall. From a safe distance it was a impressive thing to watch.

The trail got more snow cover with elevation we gained and in around 3000 feet the conditions were good. The trail was covered with a layer of fresh gripping powder, as we proceeded up the ridge towards the summit... and then, all of a sudden, our ice axes slipped through the fresh layer to an abrupt stop. It was about 800 feet below the summit where an icy crust hiding below the layer of fresh snow provided us with an extra challenge.

It was slow going from there. Parts of the trail were OK, part, even with microspikes rather slippery. Exercising extreme caution, and taking few slips, we safely made it to the very cold summit with no views where we spent whopping 5 minutes, and headed back down.

After the initial 800 feet of descend, things went pretty well. There was about 3 inches of very fresh snow on the trail making it look completely different that when we were huffing and puffing our way up earlier that day, and the amount of new snow kept consistent all the way back to the trailhead with plenty more coming down.

Seems like the winter is finally here this year!

RT: 6.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 3,860 feet

Island Peak - 272 Days to Departure - Arrowhead Mt.

2012-01-08T19:57:00.000-08:00

The best gym is the one that is not enclosed in 4 walls, it's the one where a line of treadmills is replaced by a path along a bubbly creek and where instead of going from nowhere to nowhere on stair climber, after few mile of a workout one arrives at a vista with beautiful views.

The best training for a climbing expedition is to go out and hike, and scramble, and have fun while doing so.

Arrowhead Mountain offered both a good workout and an amazing day outside playing in the snow. We worked first, climbing steeply though a forest, and then, when we arrived at the ridge, the fun part started. Still uphill but now in a winter wonderland surrounded by frosted trees we made our way up in the fresh powdery snow.

The sun peeked at us for a brief moment and then soft snowflakes brought back the nice atmosphere of a winter day.

The summit was calm, with just an occasional breeze skimming by. We enjoyed a cup of a hot beverage and the partly clouded views before heading down.

Plunge-stepping in fresh snow and taking a slightly different, more scrambly, route made the descent nearly as interesting as the ascend, and was surely just as good of a workout.

Island Peak - 278 Days to Departure - New Year Day

2012-01-04T17:49:00.000-08:00

After the forecast threatened with rain, the first day of the year turned out to be a gorgeous day here in Seattle.

And with the blue sky and sunshine out there it would be shame to stay at home, so today we opted for a walk and stair training.

The little over 500 stairs of Galer Street Staircase definitely warmed us up!

Island Peak - 287 Days to Departure

2011-12-23T09:37:00.001-08:00

Back to hard work - half hour on treadmill alternating between fast running with incline 2 and slower walk/run with incline 15.

Island Peak - 288 Days to Departure

2011-12-23T09:30:00.001-08:00

Capturing moments and creating memories is an essential part of any adventure so today we took off to the pre-Christmas city to practice night photography.

Island Peak - 289 Days to Departure

2011-12-21T16:38:00.000-08:00

After a long weekend of sweet laziness – yeah pub hopping does not count as exercise, and nor does ascending mountains in gondola or chilling in hot tub – it’s back to training.

It is always tough to bite through the initial resistance, the urge to procrastinate just a day longer, when your body is still in a vacation mood but the treadmill won in the end and off I went for another intensity session – 15 minutes at speed 6.5 for warm up, then 4 minutes of 20 on 10 off intervals at speed 9 and after that 2 minutes of 15 on 15 off intervals at speed 11.

Pretty decent kick back into the training mode.

Island Peak - 294 Days to Departure

2011-12-16T10:50:00.000-08:00

One positive thing about the treadmill is that it has a small TV attached to it so that I can watch the news while running for which I would not have time otherwise.

10 minutes warm up at 6.5 speed followed by 5 minutes of interval training at 9.0 speed. My legs could definitely feel that.

Shorter but intense training day – one day down, 293 to go...

Island Peak - 295 Days to Departure

2011-12-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

Rest day - after Vesper Peak attempt, two 5k runs and another day of running in between, it was nice to take one. And considering that Feathered Friends store held a presentation by David Gottlieb and Chad Kellogg featuring their ascend of Pangbuk Ri, 6716m, never before climbed peak in Nepal, the rest day could not come timed any better.

What can be more inspiring for hard training than a great story and a slide show full of amazing photos!

Island Peak - 296 Days to Departure

2011-12-14T16:40:00.000-08:00

I never liked running, especially running in circles - imagine school yard tracks - or running from nowhere to nowhere like on a treadmill. As a matter of fact I dislike running so much, I would often pretend I was being sick to avoid the compulsory 1 mile run we have to undergo twice a year while in elementary school.

Running; however proofed to be the the most effective way for me to deal with high altitude. I remember clearly my first hike to Camp Muir in 2008 when after reaching the elevation of 9000 ft the air seemed to disappear and I had to work extremely hard to make any progress. And I remember just as clearly how much different my experience was during my second hike to Muir, or the climb of Mt. Adams - after I implemented little bit of running and interval training in my workouts.

With our upcoming Nepal trip in mind, I knew I will have to find way to embrace this dreadful activity. I started with short, 10-15 minutes sessions of jogging, and slowly increased the time and speed over the last few weeks. Then at the very end of last week, I tried something I'd never thought I would have the slightest desire to ever do - running little longer distance - and I finished my 1st 5k run. And Just two days later, I did it again with a time of 30 minutes 45 sec.

Note: I still can't say I like running, but for the sake of training I can definitely tolerate it.

Island Peak 2012

2011-12-14T13:19:00.000-08:00

Ever since I remember I had a photo of Mt. Everest sitting by my bed and every night I would fall asleep imagining that one day I will fly to Asia to see it on my own eyes. I carried that dream in my heart for years, and kept it alive through times when for various reasons such adventure seemed beyond the bounds of all possibility.

Then year 2011 came and as the calendar pages rotated toward the second half of the year, the door opened for me to start considering a trek to the Everest Base Camp more seriously than ever before.

Embracing the newly born opportunity I dove into the bottomless world of internet and with a help of Google navigated through it until I had the most useful pieces of information on hand. I always liked this part of a trip planning, the initial research, during which a tiny piece of information can mean a huge turn in the original plan.

And that’s what happened when I curiously clicked on a link “Climbing Expeditions below 7000 m” on one of the trekking agency web sites. Among many other options featured there, Everest Base Camp trek combined with Island Peak climb immediately caught my eye. Unlike the other also amazingly sounding choices, this one claimed to be accomplishable in only 22 days (conditions permitting) which I could see fitting into my vacation schedule.

I e-mailed Dave to let him know that my ambitions shifted from a relatively simple trek to an actual climb that would bring us above 20,000 ft. He eagerly accepted the challenge and it did not take long to get things rolling.

So now here we are, 297 days away from our departure, ready to train hard to make our Island Peak 2012 Expedition a success and a lot of fun.

Mt. St. Helens Winter Ascend

2011-12-14T12:57:00.000-08:00

When I first came to Washington State from Czech Republic, a small country in the heart of Europe, the concept of living in such proximity of volcanoes was new to me. I was instantly dazzled by the beauty of their snow blanketed ridges, their perfect shape towering above their territory like sentinels of the time witnessing centuries of changes.

Curiously I searched the internet and found myself immersed in articles about the first known ascend of Mt. Rainier by Hazard Stevens and P.B. Van Trump in 1852, the Native American tale suggesting that Mt. Hood (Wy'east) and Mt. Adams (Pahto) were sons of the Great Spirit competing for love of beautiful La-wa-la-clough (Mt. St. Helens), and many others fascinating stories.

Mt. St. Helens later became the first of the volcanoes I came in closer encounter with. It was back in 2003 when the drive up to Johnson Ridge observatory left me in awe of the power this mountain demonstrated during its eruption in 1980 that still was profoundly evident some 23 years later. Later when I stood on the terrace of the Johnston Ridge Observatory, surveying the barren area leading towards the jagged ridge line of the crater, I overheard somebody saying: “And can you imagine the crazy people who climb to the top?” I instantly knew I wanted to be one of them.

So I put a group together and we planned, and trained, and finally set our feet on the mountain on August 26, 2007. We summited in high winds, freezing, and having the volcanic ashes blasted in our eyes. The visibility dropped to about 2 feet so we only snapped a quick summit shot and retreated to lower, more pleasant elevation. But despite the gnarly conditions it was a unique experience to climb this living mountain and we knew we will return, which we did a year later on much nicer day, and from there it was just a matter of time before I started contemplating a winter ascend.

* * *

On Monday November 28 the forecast suggested it might be a sunny weekend so with fingers crossed I waited for the week to flow by, thinking about how cool it would be to finally pay Mt. St. Helens a visit during winter time, and then when the sun still shined from the NOAA web site, and avalanche conditions were favorable, I decided to give it a go and started planning. Looked for recent trail report, put a group together, called Lone Fir Resort....

Initially I considered climbing part of the route on Saturday, camping somewhere below the timber line, and then attempting the summit on Sunday, but not having any previous snow camping experience, in the end I opted to spend the night in a comfort of a warm cabin.

Then Friday came, and after what seemed a never-ending day at work, we set up on our journey. The drive to Cougar was, except for fighting Seattle's Friday night traffic, rather uneventful, and we arrived at Lone Fir around 9:30 p.m.

The only recent report written in the log book at the climber's register was from earlier that day and suggested that that particular group of 2 had to abandon the climb after they were unable to reach Marble Mount Snow Park due to large amount of snow on the road approximately 2 miles from the snow park.

Not too encouraging but hoping the road got plowed later in the day or will be plowed before the morning, we lay down to get some rest before out climb.

* * *

The road from Cougar was in a good shape as we sliced through the darkness of the frosty Saturday morning witnessing the awakening of the new day. Mist skimmed the surface of Swift Reservoir, silhouettes of hills stood against the pre-dawn blue, then soft colors of sunrise stroke across the sky.

We arrived to Marble Mount shortly after 7:00 a.m. The road was not plowed but there was hardly any snow on it. The group from yesterday must have accidentally turned on a wrong road (perhaps the one to Climber's Bivouac).

Quick gear up and we were on our way. We started on snow right from the trailhead but with several groups ahead of us, the trail was packed and had good traction.

The first part of the winter route leading on gentle ski trails was a nice warm up. Once we broke from the tree, that’s where the work started. Luckily there were good steps kicked in making the steepest part much easier.

Admiring the beauty of the snow capped mountain, we proceeded up in a steady moderate pace with occasional breaks for photo ops and hydration.

Most of the route was in a great condition with no traction needed to about 6200 ft. That's where the slope got wind blasted and at spots covered with a sheet of ice on which the rays of sunshine reflected and sparkled.

The ice became more serious as we climbed higher, and majority of the upper 800 feet was covered by it. The summit could safely and easily gained with crampons and ice axe, the sound of the ice layer crushing under our feel was a sweet music to our ears.

Needless to say it was scary to see people tiptoeing their way up in Yak Trax supporting themselves by ski poles.

As usually the summit was windy, and man, when the wind picked up, it was strong but despite the wind it was by far the best conditions I ever experienced on this mountain. Unlike the other times I was up here, this time the wind would take an occasional break, and even when wheezing by, it did not blast the typical sandy ash grains into our faces which was very nice and gave us an opportunity to stay at the summit for decent amount of time.

The snow was much softer on our way down. We chose not to glissade considering the icy sections, and when we got lower, we postholed our way the last mile or so of the ridge back to the ski trails. From there it was a long, but easy stretch back to the snow park.

GPS stats: 10.4 miles, 5746 ft el. gain

What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger - Muir 5/15/2010

2010-05-17T07:49:00.000-07:00

With our Mt. Rainier's climb attempt possibly only 6 weeks away, we headed to Camp Muir to check what condition we're in.

We started from Paradise under sunny sky and very thankful for bringing T-shirts. It was balmy 60 degrees there and the sun reflecting of the snow made it feel even warmer.

The first challenge came after about 1/2 hour of hiking when we found ourselves facing the steep slope leading to Panorama Point. Step after step we started to climb up. My legs were little sore on Friday after my interval training and I was very sure I will feel some pain on this part of the trail. To my surprise the pain never came and once I stood atop Panorama Point enjoying the views, I actually felt pretty good.

From there the trail led steadily uphill but on much gentler grade. There was a good crowd heading to the same destination today. Hikers, mountaineers, skiers, snowboarders. People of all ages, from kids to a 88 year old lady, wanted to enjoy the gorgeous day here on the mountain. And with so many people ahead of us, the steps were kicked in solid which made our ascend much easier.

My next challenge came at 9000 feet. I've been kind of slacking lately, doing more leisurely hikes, not really running yet this year.... so I expected to feel the curse of the 9000 ft this time to its full extend. Yet my personal death zone did not kick in this time. I continued in a slower but pretty steady pace to about 9600. That's where I developed dry throat and every breath I took was kind of choking me. It was not only annoying but it instantly drew all my energy.

The last 400 feet were never-ending. I was not making much progress. I was not even able to get from one flag marking the route to the other without stopping. With few members of our team who needed to be back in Seattle for their evening commitment, we were also running out of time. The camp was just above me now. The idea of having to turn so close to the destination made me push through the last 100 feet or so. I have to admit, I was rather exhausted when I reached the camp though and I had no desire to make another step up. I definitely have some serious training ahead of me if I want to stand a chance to stand atop of the mountain in six weeks.

Better go get started!

Welcoming Spring on Red Mountain - 3/20/2010

2010-03-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

After an easier stroll on Rampart Ridge last weekend, we were bound to do something more challenging and with weather being on our side, we decided to give Red Mountain a try.

The snow was packed hard all the way through Commonwealth Basin where we started our adventure. The basin was very pretty with a creek peacefully bubbling through, waterfall crushing down the rocks on the side, and many beautiful snow formation. The route gave us plenty of time to warm up on an easy (but rather slippery) terrain before we started to gain noticeable elevation.

Once we reached the ridge at the end of the basin, the workout started. It was uphill from there all the way to the top. There was a sign of a trail for a while but whoever left the footprints gave up pretty soon and from there we followed the ridge up breaking trail and some sweat.

Some parts of the route were softer than others but luckily we did not run into any serious postholing and rather comfortably booted our whole way up. (It's kind of interesting to see how crampons are getting so much use this season while the snowshoes could as well be in hybernation).

Once we broke from the more heavily forested part of the ridge, with the more open area came the views. First it was Mt. Rainier that popped into view and watched our back as we proceeded further up. Than all the other surrounding mountains showed their winter beauty and the higher we were, the more breathtaking the views became.

The day could not turn out better. The sky was clear blue, the air was filled with hot rays of the sun making it trully feel like the first day of spring.... and it felt so incredibly good to march up just in our base layers feeling the hot breeze touching our skin.

Then we found ourselves facing the last challenge of the ascend. From down below, it was a horrifying view. The slope was mostly open but due to a low avalanche danger safe to climb today so this was just a little concern. What made us go: "Hmmmmmmmmmm" was the angle in which the route led up. Hesitantly we summened our energy and set out to conquer the last part of the trip. The slope was trully steep but in the end kicking steps surrounded by all the amazing views did not seem that bad at all.

Finally we reached the summit which offered not only some more stunning views but also pretty neat lunch spot... if only it was not for the surprisingly cold wind that blew up there reminding us that despite balmy hot weather most of the time, it is still winter time here in the mountains.

Wintertime at Mt. Pilchuck 2/28/2010

2010-03-01T10:08:00.000-08:00

Heading to Mt. Pilchuck in February? Unheard of unless you are an experienced winter scrambler willing to take the 11 mile route from Pinnacle Lake.

Most of the years snowshoeing Pilchuck means starting from the bottom and heading up the snowed in road to the summer trailhead. Not this year. This year is so much different from all the previous 5 seasons I've actively hiked/snowhoed in Washington State.

As incredible as it sounds, we were able to drive hubby's 2WD Toyota all the way to the summer trailhead, and hike nearly 1000 ft from there to reach the snow. And so were many others.

Mt. Pilchuck is one of the most visited trails in western WA. Gaining about 2500 ft in 3 miles, it is a pretty decent hike, yet hundreds of people attempt to reach the lookout at it's summit every weekend, no matter what the weather.

It was the very first mountain I climbed in WA state and I returned several more times, sometimes the views were spectacular, sometimes we could not see a stretched arm distance, yet every time the trailhead was packed and we met many people along the trail. It's simply one of the places you can't expect solitude, and every time you hike it, you meet somebody you know.

Today turned out great. It was only me and hubs, and we had a later start since I did 3800 ft hike yesterday and wanted to enjoy sleeping in (if alarm buzzing at 7:30 a.m. counts as sleeping in anyway).

It was somewhat foggy in the morning hours but soon after we broke from the forest, the sun got out and created amazing window for us to enjoy all the views, the summits, and even get a tiny bit of vitamin D.

The trail was well defined but rather slippery and we opted to use crampons for added traction. Yak Traks would be just fine but since I let them rest in the trunk of our vehicle, the crampons did the trick.... and we were jealously looked at by many of other visitors who did not bring any traction device whatsoever.

We enjoyed about 30 minutes at the summit before heading down.

I always wanted to get up there in the wintertime and the scenery did not disappoint. I will definitely do another winter ascent of Pilchuck in the future.

Granite Mountain Winter Scramble 2/27/2010

2010-03-01T09:58:00.000-08:00

Let's admit it. When you sit in your car and the rain pounds on your windshield, the idea of spending next 7 hours outdoors climbing a mountain is not quite appealing. But knowing you REALLY need to get in shape after a lazy month, you drive to the trailhead anyway.... thinking "I really wish I wasn't hiking today".

Then as the miles go, the clouds become scarce and suddenly even some blu sky appears... and after few more miles you are driving in a beautiful sunny winter day thinking "This can't be true!" and suddenly you're shivering with excitement to hit the trail. This is exactly what happened today and I must say it was the best treat the nature had in store for us in a very long time.

Our today's outing took us to Granite Mountain. 3800 ft elevaton gain in about 4.5 miles makes it a very decent winter scramble. I've been on this mountain numerous times now and every time, there seems to be a great adventure awaiting for us along the trail. Today was no different.

We covered the first snow-free portion of the trail in very good time. Once we hit the snow, we decided to leave the official trail and scouted for a possible route until we found very straight forward, incredibly steep slope to climb. This shortcut made us gain hundreds of feet of elevation incredibly fast. This shortcut also made us sweat incredibly lot. As I said, I've been on this mountain few times before, including an August berry picking trip but today was by far the hottest day I've ever experienced here. Here we were in Pacific NW in February, hiking stripped down to the very last layers we had.

The weather window we hit was absolutely spectacular. Perfectly blue sky in front of us, and some worse weather coming from behind which provided some incredibly dramatic clouds and made the views 100 times more enjoyable.

After breaking some serious sweat, the lookout came to view. The terrain got little milder and with most of the elevation done, we enjoyed the last few hundred vertical feet of this winter wonderland.

Just as we approached the lookout, the weather caught to us. Most of the views dissapeared... but it remained very warm and windless with just a few drops of rain which considering the forecast was pretty remarkable.

Yet the nature had one more surprise in store for us. We descended using the very same route we took up, and just as we were passing few rocks sticking from the snow, well away from the edge of the ridge, there was this sudden dull noise of breaking snow, and in the next second, two members of our expedition were being swept down the hill on a mini avalanche created by a triggered cornice.

Fortunately the runoff was very short and there were no hazardous obstacles in the path that could cause serious injuried. Even more fortunatelly they managed to stay atop the flowing snow (purely by luck) so once the movement stopped and they shook off their initial shock, they walked out of there unharmed, with a very valuable lesson learned - no matter how far from the edge you are, if there's more space away from it, use it.

Mailbox Peak Conquered 2/17/2010

2010-02-18T08:51:00.000-08:00

Tad bit of sunshine in February is always much appreciated here in Pacific Northwest so when the nature decided to cut us a little break from its usual rainfest, I knew I had to hit the trail.

But which one? So many great choices around here for a sunny day that it can make ones head spinning. Do I want to drive further North for the grand views of Mt. Baker's Artist Point or perhaps visit the ultimate winter playground of Mt. Rainier's Paradise?

Even though both options presented great temptation, Mailbox Peak, a mountain much closer to home, came to my mind.

First time I climbed the steep trail climbing 4000 ft of elevation in 2.5 miles, the mountain was not too keen on us. The sky was gray, no sign of views anywhere, and as soon as we reached the top and sit down for few minutes of well deserved rest, it started hailing.

Second time was not much different. It was not hailing, fortunatelly, yet this time the mountain had a freezing cold winds blasting all around us at the top, and once more, no views.

Third time a charm! I e-mail my friend Martha, who mentioned a desire to give Mailbox a try, and 10 minutes later we had a plan.

The day started quite usually, with lots of heavy fog lingering in the valleys but before we reached the trailhead, we were on our way to one of the most beautiful winter days one can ever wish for.

The sky was completely blue, sunshine filtered through the crowns of aged trees accompanied our way. The absence of snow in lower elevation and unusual warmth of the rising sun made it feel more like spring, or even summer, and soon we were hiking up just in out T-shirts.

I love the challenge the trail offers. It's steep, unmaintained with roots and rock in the way. The trees closely surrounding some of the steepest areas are barkless and polished smooth as hundreds of hand used them for support.

It's honestly the longest 2.5 miles I can think of. Many times along the way, one thinks "Why am I doing this?" And then the trail emerges from the forest, and the view of Mt. Rainier welcomes all the sweaty adventurers who did not give up... and the views get even better higher up when Mt. Baker, Glacier Peak and tons of other peaks close and far appear in the view.

Huffing and puffing we gained the last slope and stood atop of the peak enjoying the beauty around us. I can now say with certainty that there are views on mailbox Peak indeed.

I felt really proud of Martha. It's been by far the hardest, most chalenging hike she's ever been on. I think at times I had more faith in her ability to complete the trip than she had in herself. The look on her face once she reached the top was priceless.

Windy Pass - Mt. Catherine Attempt 01/10/2010

2010-01-12T08:36:00.001-08:00

Despite the fact the forecast called for gray cloudy day and showers later in the afternoon I was really excited about heading to the mountains. I still have few Christmas pounds to loose after all.

The trip to Windy Pass turned out to be a good one. Not many views but the winter had many nice surprises in a form of beautiful frozen formations waiting for us along the trail. And the weather held up - not a single drop of precip during the whole trip.

Unfortunatelly once we left the groomed trail and started heading up the ridge towards the summit of Mt. Catherine, we found ourselves dealing with thick layer of ice covering the slope. I don't think I ever saw a crust so icy.

Snowshoes would break through so we gave it a go, but soon the slope gained on steepness and was not safe to navigate through without ice axe and crampons so.

We had to say good bye for this time but will come back to conquer the mountain better prepared in the future.

Enchantments Traverse 10/10/2009

2009-11-21T22:52:00.000-08:00

Between being extremely busy at work, writing articles for Treking.cz, working on my book, preparing for vacation, and trying to get out to the mountains as much as I can, I left a pretty large gap opened in my trip reports.

Finally weekend came when the weather is not tempting me to get out and get soaked and few hours in front of my computer with a cup of Elderflower tea looking back at some of the great trips I did in a last month sound so much more appealing.

Probably every hiker and every climber near and far I met would brag about the Enchantments, series of lakes of pristine beauty nested in high country near Leavenworth, WA. Obviously the area got my attention and climbed to the top of my list of places to visit very fast; however most people take several days to enjoy and explore the trail, which was not an option for me. Sadly, for a long time the only way I could admire its beauty was through photos of my more fortunate friends.

Then Aaron came with an idea of trying to complete the trip as a one day traverse. It's 18 miles shuttle and several thousands feet elevation gain... but it was done before. The seed of this idea was planted and within next few month we fed it by planning more details for this epic adventure and let it grow to eventually become reality.

The date was set for October for two reasons. First and foremost, October is the season of the larches and what could be better time to visit this larch-friendly region then when the trees are in the peak of their festive show... and secondly, there is still reasonable amount of daylight in October.

As it often happens with our group, the early start we planned did not happen to be so early. After a morning coffee stop and excruciatingly long wait for a breakfast sandwich, we were lucky to get to the trailhead at about 7:00 a.m. We found it packed, not surprisingly condidering the rather positive weather forecast for the weekend.

Soon we were marching up the shallow grade in the beginning of the trail towards the first lake of the day - Colchuck Lake - some 5 miles from where we started. Not part of the Enchantments this lake still makes pretty rewarding destination for a day trip. This is where most people call it a day and turn.

We only stopped here for a brief break. With the most formidable part of the trail just ahead of us, we were soon back on our feet. Aasgard Pass did not look quite as terrifying on an approach as I expected, but as soon as the 2000+ climb in less then a mile started, it quickly bacame obvious that conquering this relentlessly steep slope will not be a piece of cake. And just as we started to warm up to the terrain, the snow and ice came slowing up our progress some more.

We were nearing the top when we came upon a really tricky part. Two ways to go, one more trecherous than the other. We were not the only group trying to deal with this Hillary Step of Aasgard Pass. Two more groups gathered here contemplating which way is the easier/safer one to take. Climbing over an iced up rock where slipping would cause short hard fall and sliding long ways down possibly bumping into many obstacles in one's way, or climbing over a small wall, where wrong step could mean a long fall. After a brief debate we chose the wall as a easier route and safely made it up.

Once we topped the pass, we entered the world of mesmerizing beauty. Consisting mostly of bare rocks, peaks tempting to be climbed, and Isolation Lake peacefully nested in the middle of all this beauty.. This open high country was definitely a place to take one's breath away.

Things got little easier for next few miles as we followed the trail visiting more beautiful lakes and entering the world of golden larches along the way.

It was suprisingly cold. Even after the sun broke free from the clouds, it never warmed up. Definitely the type of day you're so thanksful for gloves and a hat but considering we did not have time for any longer stops and were nearly constantly on a move, the chilliness did not bother us much.

One more tricky spot awaited us around Lake Vivian where we had to descend icy slope. It ate some time but we managed to navigate through this section safely and continue on our journey. The sun started to set at this time and we still had about 10 miles of distance to cover.

The darkness caught us just before we reached Snow Lake and we finished the last 8 miles with our headlamsp ablaze. This part of the trail leads mostly through forest and is not as scenic as the rest of the route. Knowing no amazing vistas are hidden in the darkness and being able to enjoy night sky full of stars and giant moon rising was beautiful experience and a perfect way to finish a agreat day.

18 miles + 5000 ft el. gain = 15 hours of a great adventure. Lets do it again next year!

Maple Pass 10/7/2009

2009-10-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

When you combine great group of people, trail with incredible views, bit of fall colors, first snow of the season, clouds perfectly placed in the sky adding a bit of drama but not obscuring any of the views, plenty of sunshine, and incredible sunset later in the day, it calls for a wonderful adventure. And we had just this perfect combination of elements during our hike to Maple Pass.

Our day started early as we drove long ways through the awakening mountains and small mountain towns towards the trailhead on Hwy 20. I travelled this road few times already this year but today with fog rolling around the road, hugging farmhouses and creeping around the bottom of the mountains, I really enjoyed the 2+ hours drive plus it was also a nice change to continue deeper into the mountains than we usually do.

The trailhead welcomed us with distinctive chill of an October morning. There's no denying that the cold part of the year is knocking on the door. The good thing - there was no wasting time at the trailhead - everybody was ready to move (just to keep warm) pretty fast.

Soon after we left our car, a paved path led us to a junction where we chose the steeper trail as a beginning of our loop. It proved to be a good choice. After about couple miles we emerged from the forest and enteres world of magnificent views. Our pace slowed down considerably, and the sound of our boots marching up the hill was replaced by the sound of our cameras snapping hundreds of photos which did not stop until we dropped back into the forest on the other side of the valley.

Maple Pass is going on "My Favorites" list. I'm definitely going to hike this trail again in the future.

Hidden Lake Peak 9/23/2009

2009-10-11T18:27:00.000-07:00

The weather prevented us from heading up to the lookout twice this year. Rain, t-storms.... conditions you really don't want to experience atop a mountain.

Finally, the forecast got more friendly and promised sunny day for North Cascades so off we went to get Hidden Lake Peak Lookout off our list.

The day turned out awesome. To our surprise we arrived at the trailhead and there was about 6 other vehicles there already. In remore area, on Wednesday early morning. Does anybody work these days?

The hike was amazing. In short - views, more views, even more views... combined with lots of berries and fall colors starting to show.

It was definitely one of those days that make you want to stay up there forever.

Ptarmigan Ridge 9/12-9/13 2009

2009-10-11T16:56:00.000-07:00

Backpacking trip to Yellow Aster Butte was something I was looking forward to since the beginning of the summer but the weather's been very uncooperative lately. Sunny during the week but turning in rainfest as soon as Friday comes. I postponed the trip twice due to stormy forecast. Then finally a sunny weekend came - but all of the people who wanted to go already had different commitments.

With the amount of stress I was dealing with lately (my Mom being very sick) I really needed to get out of the house, enjoy the simplicity of life in wilderness, and let the nature help me to relax a little.

Chad saw how miserable I was in last few weeks and despite his fear of bears suggested that we still go. Now that it was only the two of us, I had to reconsider the logistics of the expedition. Yellow Aster Butte is a spectacular destination with tremendous views, tarns reflection surrounding peaks, and sweet little scramble to the true summit. It is also the only place in Washington State I ever saw a bear and on the top of that the first mile of the trail is rather steep. Not being able to split the weight of group gear among seven people as originally planned, I was worried that Chad's knees would not do well on the steep part.

Than I remembered recent trip to Ptarmigan Ridge and cool little camping spot we saw about 3.5 miles in the hike where my favorite volcano, Mt. Baker makes the primary view. And the new plan was born.

The weekend turned even better than forecast predicted. We hiked in under clear sky with all the views available. And we were not alone. The trail saw hundreds of visitors that weekend. According to the trail register that was only one other group camping who headed ahead of us and their planned camping spot was further than ours, yet there still was this little bity feeling inside me, making me wonder if the spot I had in mind would be open.

Just as we approached the last stream crossing we run into a couple of day hikers who took one nalgene bottle of water between the two of them. At this point they were completely out, and 3.5 miles away from their car. We were about to filter our water for the night anyway so we filled their bottle as well. Hopefully they learned their lesson and won't run into the same problem in the future.

Anyway it was a great feeling when finally after a hot 3.5 miles I peeked over the hillside, and found the area empty. Quickly I descended the last few hundred feet off trail to claim our weekend's living room. About 5 minutes later, another couple of backpackers arrived. They found a nice spot little further on the plateau.

The rest of the trip was filled with surprisingly warm evening, beautiful sunset, star gazing, goats sighting, no bears to be seen, tons and tons of blueberries, and that all in a great company of my husband and amazing majestic mountains.

This adventure trully couldn't turn better.

Sahale Arm 8/30/2009

2009-09-01T17:21:00.000-07:00

North Cascades are undoubtedly the most beautiful part of Washington State. Rugged Peaks, volcanoes, glaciers, wildflowers, blueberry fields... that is just a short list of what this area can offer to those who decide to undergo the grueling 3 hr drive from Seattle and miles of bumpy gravel roads.

One of the most visited trails in the area is one heading gently to Cascade Pass. Hundreds of people hike here every week and for many of them Cascade Pass is the final destination. The trail however does not end here. Cascade Pass is just a gateway to a world of magnificent views and great adventures.

One can take few days to backpack 31 miles to Stehekin, peaceful remote community nested in valley son a shore of Lake Chelan, which is only accessible by 55 mile long boat ride or by crossing the mountain on foot.

Those whose time is limited can take a weekend and climb one of the beautiful peaks located in the immediate area and those who came for one day trip only should at least continue few more miles along Sahale Arm to escape the crowds and enjoy the scenery in little more solitude.
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Heavy clouds hugged the mountain tops tightly as we drove to the trailhead. It was doubtful that we'll be able to enjoy any of the spectacular views this area offers during our hike. I started to think I'll title this blog entry: "The Curse of Cascade Pass". Why?

It was completely socket in during our first visit here in August of 2008. We made it all the way to Sahale Glacier with minimal views, walking in freezing layer of clouds... and as soon as we reached the destination, it started snowing on us.

It was a similar story a year later. It was cold and freezing wind blasting extremely fast chased us of the Pass before we even started to think about heading anywhere further.

And it looked like we're out of luck once again. Even the locals at Marblemount gas station where we stopped to briefly stretch our legs ensured us it's unlikely to clear.

They say 3rd time a charm. And it totally worked for us today. Despite all the odds and low elevation of the trailhead, we drove out of the clouds and started the hike under perfectly blue sky.

The first part to Cascade Pass was easy 3.7 miles with only 1800 ft gained. From there the trail led us steeply uphill. We only came for one day so we passed sign pointing out trail to Stehekin that seemed like a less of a leg burner and continued our way up. Soon more mountains rose from behind the ridge, including Eldorado, one of my goals for next year. The beauty of all the jagged peaks surrounding were breathtaking.

10 miles RT and little over 3000 ft. elevation gain.

Gothic Basin 8/22/2009

2009-08-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

Hiking to Gothic Basin is not a piece of cake. The trail is extremely steep and rocky, crosses several streams, leads through few narrower passages next to sizeable cliffs, makes you scramble over boulders and deal with scree.

It's one of the trails where after first mile of walking through the forest you think: "OK, I don't think I will ever feel a need to come back again."

And then you walk out of the forest and all the views open right in front of you... and suddenly you think: "OK, I'm definitely coming back again."

The views are trully incredible and they get even better once you enter the basin and scramble the last several hundred vertical feet to Foggy Lake nested underneath Del Campo Peak.

Fantastic day in the mountains. The sunshine and blue sky was much appreciated after 2 weeks of hiking in cold foggy weather.

9.5 miles, 3000 ft elevation gain

Skyline Trail MRNP 8/1/2009

2009-08-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

Our original plan for the weekend was to enjoy scenery of North Cascades; however thunderstorms threatening that area quickly changed our mind and reversed directions of travel.

The decision to head down South to Paradise area of Mt. Rainier NP turned out to be a very good one. The flowers were in their peak. Beautifully colorful meadows surrounded the trail we took, creeks were bubbling through them with a sunshine sparking on their surfaces, and of course there was the huge white (or actually grey/white with lots of the snow now melted) "thing" blocking our view to North to admire.

Beautiful day to be outside; however little on the hotter side. Even as high as Paradise, it was baking hot 90 degrees. Most welcomed breeze came when we started climbing to Panorama Point which not only cooled us down but also discouraged the bugs from following us further.

The views got even better once we found ourselves higher, crossing rocky parts of the route. Getting first class view of Nisquilly Glacier, we were able to fully appreciate the rough beauty of this above the tree line landscape.

Afterwards the trail took us down to the meadows again as it looped back to the parking lot which at that point was absolutely packed. The combination of blue sky and wildflowers lured hundreds of people from near and far. Lucky day for mosquitoes!

Some Dreams Do Come True

2009-07-23T23:32:00.000-07:00

It was February 10, 2007 – beautiful sunny Saturday, simply the type of winter day you know you have to spend outside.

Never-ending snow blanketed meadows akin to Sahara desert, just all in white, contrasted with clear blue sky. It was warm for this time of a year. One of the warmest days I ever remember in the mountains in February actually. We were headed up to Artist Point just in our shirts – no puffy jackets, no gloves, no hat… and the touch of the warm breeze kissing our cheeks and gently lifting our hair felt so darn good.

It was the type of winter day when you can actually enjoy lunch break without gust penetrating through every single layer of your clothes and without having your fingers going numb. And needless to say there was much to be enjoyed here in the middle of this winter wonderland, surrounded by peaks of mesmerizing beauty.

Then I saw The Mountain. Despite the fact it is second most active volcano in Washington State, it stood there so unbelievably peaceful. I could not take my eyes off it. I spend most of my life hiking in the mountains but never experienced a moment that would even come close to what I felt when I first saw Baker. The beauty of the mountain left me completely breathless. There was an instant attraction, an instant desire to climb it.

July 18, 2009

It’s another sunny day in the mountains. There’s this indescribable little shiver flowing though my body. Partially, I think, my body screams under the weight of 40 lb pack full of gear I’m carrying up the slope, partially my ecstatic mind is trying to find a way of how to deal with the enormous amount of excitement I’m experiencing. In less than 24 hours we’re going to climb Mt. Baker.

The summer had started in the lower part of the mountains. The trail is surrounded by wildflowers as it leads us gently uphill through the forest. Bees buzz around. Creek bubbles nearby. The atmosphere remains unchanged when we enter open meadows higher up. Blueberry bushes line the trail here. They’re loaded with tiny green berries. It’ll be worth it to return in couple months when they’re ripe.

Lastly the route approaches the volcano through Railroad Grade. The scenery has completely different feel here. The landscape is harsher, mostly consisting of bare rock. Winter still prevails in this area. We’re crossing first snow patch. Solid snow coverage comes shortly afterwards.

The more elevation we gain today, the less we have left for tomorrow. With that in mind we continued past several other teams already camped on exposed rock sites. Our perfect site waits for us at 6200 ft.
It’s been a while since I actually spend a night in the mountains. With the same anticipation I have for tomorrow’s climb, I’m looking forward to the golden glow of sunset touching the peaks and also the magical moment when the sun rises from behind horizon in the wee morning hour just as I remember it from the days of my childhood when I used to spend many summer nights outdoors.

And the mountains don’t disappoint today. The sunset is magical. It fills the valleys below with placid orange hues and the summit area of Mt. Baker above us briefly brightens under the rays of the fading sun. I can’t remember last time I felt more relaxed and in peace.

I’m calling it a night about an hour later. The wind blasts down the mountain now, hitting our tent. It does not bother me though. On the contrary its steady sound helps me to drift into the sweet world of dreams.

July 19, 2009

The alarm clock rings at 2:00 a.m. The wind is gone. It’s rather calm. Milky Way stretches across the sky sprinkled with thousands of stars. It’s so much more different to witness night sky here in the mountains, not spoiled with artificial light of street lamps. I’m enjoying my freeze dried granola breakfast while searching for the Big Dipper and other constellations. Life is good.

City of Bellingham is fast asleep in the valley below us. It’s quite a different story up here. Soft breeze carries quiet voices of other rope teams getting ready for the summit push. Headlamps appear and disappear in the darkness. The day had started for us climbers.

Geared up and ready to stretch our legs on the slope by 3:00 a.m. We’re crossing snow field by our camp site and connecting to route on Easton Glacier. This is my very first glacier climb. Surprisingly I’m not nervous. Not even after we come across a first crevasse we have to step over. For few seconds I’m thinking “What if there are huge scary ones higher up?” But the serenity of the morning quickly dissolves such thoughts and lets me enjoy the journey.

At first the grade is shallow. Our pace is good, despite frequent short breaks we take as we zigzag along the route accompanied by several other teams. Silhouettes of surrounding peaks reveal more details as darkness slowly lifts chased away by the powerful beauty of the sunrise. The morning light is soft, soothing for the soul.

The crater comes in a view. Steam rising out of it is noticeable against the sun lit rock. Strong smell of sulfur fills the air giving it a stench of rotting eggs. We’re leaving the route for a 10-minute break at the crater rim. It’s a neat experience to witness volcano, alive and rumbling, from such a close distance.

The most dreaded part of the route is just ahead of us. The Roman Wall - relentlessly steep, leg burning, pace killer slope…. Are we ready for the challenge? It turns out not to be nearly as hard or frightening as we expected. Under today’s good conditions and with steps firmly kicked in, we slowly, yet rather easily gain the slope.

A paradise opens ahead of us. White plateau to roam around, overlooking what seems to be the whole entire world. The only thing we have left to do is to cross the field and climb the last few feet to the summit. There’s nothing between us and the sky. It really feels like we’re on the top of the world. It feels nearly surreal to be here.

So I’m standing here; looking down to Artist Point where couple of years ago this dream began, feeling stronger than ever. It was not an easy journey for me. I had to overcome quite a few obstacles from total absence of climbing skills, to my husband who believes that everybody who climbs glaciated mountains certainly has a dead wish and thought I was absolutely out of my mind when I first mentioned the idea.

A smile crosses my face. Once again I feel this indescribable little shiver flowing though my body as I’m thinking of all the other goals I have set for myself for near future. Climbing this mountain is not the end, it’s merely a beginning. Nothing is impossible. Where there is a will, there is a way!

Training for Mt. Baker Climb 7/11/2009

2009-07-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

Burroughs Mountain is without question one of my favorite areas in Mt. Rainier NP. Ever since the first time I followed the trail to Second Burroughs few years ago, engulfed in fog with no views of Rainier whatsoever, there was something about this rocky, windswept route that stayed deeply etched in my heart.

Perhaps it was the feel of being able to escape far away from the rushed city life that this trail conveys so beautifully despite the fact the parking loot is only 3 miles away, perhaps it was beauty of tiny wildflowers scattered among the stone, trying to survive in this harsh environment, or perhaps it was something completely different that made me feel so strongly about this place but from the very first moment I knew I will return here often.

When our Mt. Baker climb got postponed due forecasted T-storms, we hardly could find better alternative destination for the day.

We started from Sunrise Trailhead at around 10:00 a.m. The sun was out, air carried scent of blooming wildflowers, and Rainier, majestically sited in front of us, watched over every step we took.

It did not take long before the trail led us between first and second Burroughs. From there we followed the rocky winding path as it rolled down some 400 ft, passed intersection with Glacier Basin trail, and than regained all the elevation on approach to the third Burroughs.

We arrived just in time for lunch. And what better lunch spot could we find than one that provides first class seats to a view of a giant volcano;so beautiful, so powerful, so mesmerizing.

From this spot we could clearly follow the Emmons Glacier climbing Route from Camp Shurman to the top, and looking really closely, we could even spot few climbers on their way down which reminded us of the purpose of today’s outing, which was to do some self arrest practice and glacier crevasse rescue training, including Z-Pulley.

We must have had a good time practising. Before we knew it, 7 hours flew by. The sun started to set and filled the air with a magical golden glow. The park got quiet as most of the visitors were gone for the day. The resident mountain goats roamed the meadows, enjoying the solitude as much as we did. Amazing day outside!

In a hope of views... Pilchuck 7/5/2009

2009-07-13T21:40:00.000-07:00

It was a sunny 3 day weekend and it would be a shame to waste it. I'm usually a fan of early starts; however after a crazy firework show out street puts on every year for 4th of July, I decided for a shorter trail close by which would allow us to start later.

With a promise of possible views I opted for Mt. Pilchuck. I can't remember last time I had a view from up there – every time I attempted the mountain in past couple years, it was misty, socked in and we only could see few feet around the trail.

As always on a day like this (and even the more crappy days), Mt. Pilchuck trail was packed with variety of people, many of them rather obviously not having a clue what they're doing. It never cease to amaze me how many people you meet up there in jeans, tennis shoes, carrying not much more than tiny water bottle.

We started hiking around 1:00 p.m. and kept a nice slower but steady pace with few water stops and few more photo stops.

There is still decent amount of snow at the upper part of the trail and the snow melt created variety of waterfalls and little streams along the way, many of which flown down the actual trail. I was very thankful for my Gore Tex boots as we hiked up the wet trail sometimes feeling we're hiking right in the middle of a creek.

We encountered snow coverage about half way up the trail. Few people seemed to turn here but many continued to the lookout. There was a nice well defined path there yesterday to follow; otherwise some areas could be tricky for route finding, especially for those who are not familiar with the area. There were few shorter melted sections at the upper part of the trail but snow continued nearly to the summit.

It got hazy later in the day and the best views were gone before we reached the lookout but still the scenery along the trail was very interesting and we saw enough from the top to leave us satisfied.

Descend through the snow was rather slippery and slower going but not trecherous. Back at the car at 5:30 p.m. It was a good day in the mountains.

Stats: 6 miles RT, 2400 ft elevation gain

Mt. Adams Climb 6/28/2009

2009-07-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

Mount Adams is potentially active stratovolcano and standing 12,281 ft (3,743 m) tall, it is also the second highest mountain of Washington State. The massive of this impressive mountain is formed by several overlaping cones that together form an 18-mile (29 km) diameter base.

After we climbed neighboring St. Helens last year, Adams with its non technical route was the natural choice for this year. Most people attempting to summit take 2 days for the climb, camping at Lunch Counter at about 9500 ft; however we decided to conquer the mountain in just 1 day.

The drive down was long but fortunately very pleasurable, especially after we left the grey I-5 corridor and continued on smaller highway along Columbia River where greenery and blooming pink flowers lines the road and slopes around us.

During a mandatory stop at the Ranger Station in small town of Trout Lake, we learned that over 400 climbing permits were sold this weekend already, the Cold Springs campground at the trailhead is packed, and there is no solitude to be expected on the mountain.

So we quickly grabbed our permits and blue bags and drove off to see if we can get spots at Morrison Creek Campground located just about 3 miles from the trailhead which was our backup plan anyway since we kinda sorta knew if won’t be easy to get the rock star trailhead campsites. We found Morrison Creek semi-taken and easily fit the 9 of us in.

Few of us spend the evening training for upcoming Baker climb which is technical and knowledge of crevasse rescue is essential. While we played with Z-Pulley assembly and simulating fall into a crevasse by tying a rope to a horizontal post of a shed nearby, the other members of the trip chilled out by fire where we later on joined them. It was close to 10:30 p.m. when we finally drifted into our sleeping bags.

It was not too much fun when my alarm clock went off at 3:00 a.m. but knowing we all are in the same boat, I got up and joined the rest of our climbing team at the breakfast table. Everything went according to our plan – we left the campground at 4:00 a.m. and started our climb at 4:45 a.m.

It was amazing to see the mountains awakening into a new day when the first rays of sun rose from the horizon and filled the air with soft warm light.

The route took us above tree line fast. Soon we started making our way up through talus and scree slopes. With elevation gained glimpses of surrounding volcanoes came in view. First Mt. Hood, then Mt. St. Helens and the spectacular views stayed with us the whole way.

At around 9:30 a.m. we arrived to Lunch Counter, the place where most people spend the night before their climb. Here the snow started. We took few minutes to gear up and with help of our cramp-ons and ice axes started to earn our way up the relentlessly steep slope. Step after step the slope seemed to be getting steeper and our pace was slowing down equally to that. It’s always good to exchange few words with fellow climbers, especially on a steep slope in elevation, so we took couple breaks to do just that. There were plenty of climbers around who just like us appreciated the few moments to pause and catch their breath.

The excitement really started to show once we got closer to Pikers Peak, the false summit. We knew it’s only about 600 more feet from there and all imagined this nice little walk up to the true summit. Then the mountain threw us a surprise… As soon as we peeked over Pikers Peak, we stood frozen by a sight of a giant mass of a mountain in front of us. It was the most intimidating 600 ft I’ve ever seen in my life.

Once again step by step we proceeded up hill. The wind picked up and it started to get chilly but not to the point it would be bothersome. Exhausted but extremely happy we reached the summit at 12:30 p.m.

It was a very interesting experience. It didn’t feel like a top of a high volcano – it reminded me more of a very busy marketplace. We took our summit shots, looked around and then the chilly wind chased us down.

The great thing about climbing Mt. Adams at this time of the year is that there is still enough snow for glissading down and we took our full advantage of it. All together we descended about 3000 feet this sliding down with the longest slide being 10 minutes long. How much more fun can one have in the mountains!

It was easier to take the summer route down which was under snow nearly to the last mile, making for an easier descend than going down the talus field we used on our way up plus this route provided few more sliding opportunities.

We arrived back at the car at 5:00 p.m. – tired but at this point not all that exhausted anymore and excited to have summited.

One volcano of the list – now we only have 3 left in WA state!

Granite Mountain 6/20/2009

2009-06-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

The snow is melting fast from the mountains. Majority of the trail to Granite Mountain lookout was snow free and most of the parts that were still snow covered were accompanied with option to scramble on rocks around them.

The hike turned out great. Way better that we expected actually. We left the trailhead with all the surrounding mountains socked in and no views available but instead the gorgeous views the trail let us admire little things along the way such as neat rock formations, blueberry bushes loaded with tiny tiny berries(can't wait to come back during fall), stream bubbling through meadow, and hundreds of sweet smelling bear grass blooms.

Once we got higher and were close to reaching the top, the weather changed a bit - to our advantage. The clouds rolled around us, revealing little views here and there. It was like looking through a window kinda.

Progressively the clouds got lighter and offered more views. It was not the grand views this place holds on a clear sunny day, but still it was decent show. Combined with the soft clouds appearing and dissapearing at various spots the scenery was beautiful.

The weather cooperated really well. It was warm the whole time and not a single drop of rain hit the ground while we were on the trail.

Another good day to be in the mountains!

Exploring East Side of the Mountains 6/14/2009

2009-06-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

The clouds lined our way as we headed to our Eastern Washington Adventure. At one point the fog was so thick we could have never guessed we are driving through the mountains if we didn't know the area.

Then we drove over Snoqualmie Pass and about 3 minutes later, the clouds started to break. Few more minutes later we saw little bit of blue color in the sky and after several more miles we drove into a reasonably nice day.

Our first stop was a Petrified Forest Interpretative trail near vantage. Whole 200 ft of elevation in about 3 miles with variety of caged petrified trees on display along the trail. It was a neat thing to see; however there was no reason to linger in the area too long as except for the trees which despite the nice variety of species looked one quite like the other in their petrified form, there was not much more to see and soon after we finished our loop, we headed few miles east to where our second trail started.

The beginning of this trail was promising. Nice path leading along Columbia River, offering beautiful views, going to backcountry of the state park. There were not many cars at the trailhead and it seemed we'll have this peaceful area to ourselves. Why there weren't many hikers around, we figured our relatively soon.

The nice path turned into a narrow trail shortly after we started which led us onto a cliffy bluff where it narrowed some more and offered little to hold on to. I was quite surprised I found this trail in regular hiking book. We decided to turn at a point where we only had about 3 feet wide path full of loose rock and roots to walk on and long way down if we slipped.

It was still rather early when we finished this unexpected scramble and decision was quickly made to head for Ancient Lakes. We stopped at a local restaurant for lunch and then were on our way to our next adventure.

I really like area of Ancient Lakes. It seems there's always something new to do every time I visit. This time we not only reached the waterfall, we also scrambled little scree slope to get to above it. From this top part the views were amazing and we spend long time chilling out before the though of the long drive home made us head back

Big Craggy Peak 6/7/2009

2009-06-09T21:52:00.001-07:00

Recent nice weather really made me want to go explore. Originally the idea was to climb Mt. Adams but with the trailhead still few feet under snow we could not complete the climb in 1 day as was planned so we decided to postpone the Adams trip. We all were in a mood for an exciting adventure somewhere further away though. New location was quickly established and we set up for our journey to the Craggies on Saturday morning.

The trip turned out pretty good. We all enjoyed the drive. Even though little bit longer, it led us through the beautiful scenery of North Cascades as we followed Hwy 20 to Winthrop where we stopped to refuel our cars and tummies.

From there it was just several miles up very nice mostly paved road to Honeymoon Campground which is the closest one to the trailhead and sits in a forest with a creek bubbling in a background. We set up our camp and spent the evening by fire, sharing stories and enormous amount of snacks and beer everybody brought.

We planned for an early start on Sunday morning but in the end we did not hit the trail until 8:00 a.m. The forecast was for mostly sunny day and the sun was trying to break from the clouds as we proceeded up the trail.

The first obstacle we encountered was a remnant of an old bridge, its wreckage tilted across swiftly going creek. It was a slippery crossing but we all managed to get over dry. We followed the trail for a while longer, passing around a cool mine and crossing a meadow full of spring flowers with a very nice view of surrounding peaks. Soon after that we left the trail behind and made our way through the forest towards Big Craggy Peak. We expected to be dealing with lots more snow but ended up climbing only one snow field on the way up, approximately 250 vertical feet. Rest was on talus and scree.

Few more clouds appeared on the sky. By the time we reached the summit, the sky was partially covered by thick layer of dark clouds with more rolling in. It was a very nice thing to watch, giving the area really mysterious feel, so nicely matching the rugged peaks around us, yet the nature did not let us enjoy this show for a long.

Shortly after we finished our lunch a loud roar disturbed the peaceful silence. It was a very alarming sound or approaching lightening storm. We were packed and headed down the mountain in seconds. Even though our descend was followed by few more thunders, the storm fortunately never broke loose.

It started raining however. Few drops first soon turning into a steady rain fall. At least the timing was good. Even though bushwhacking for considerable amount of time in the rain was not much fun, it was easier than dealing with steep slope full of wet slippery rocks.

The rain subsided before we reached the trailhead and first sun rays peaked from between the clouds just as we arrived back to the camp. Classic!

Despite the fact the nature chased us down before we could even attempt neighboring West Craggy Peak, with one summit in, it was a successful and fun trip and I’m already looking forward to coming back next year.

Camp Muir 5/30/2009

2009-06-04T14:07:00.000-07:00

For a long time we were looking forward to Mt. Adams climb originally scheduled for June 7, 2009. From the very first time we started planning for Adams, we all agreed that Camp Muir would make a wonderful training opportunity for the weekend prior the climb since it's one of the rare places that not only challenges you to gain nearly 5000 ft of elevation but it also takes you to top elevation of 10,088 ft - higher than any other easily accessible hikes nearby.

The closer we got, the more obvious it became that we will not be able to climb Adams on the date we originally chose. With 5 ft of snow still covering the campground and trailhead just a week before the climb we estimated we would have to add at least 6 miles RT to this already extremely challenging route and reaching summit would be very questionable. We postponed the climb to the end of the month but with weather being at its best behavior we still decided to head to Muir.

Right from the beginning it was obvious that it was the perfect choice for the day. It was sunny and warm and Rainier welcomed us in its spotless beauty. Not even a cloud around its summit.

It was a long drive and we had a very late start. It was not until 11:00 a.m. when we hit the trail. The snow was softened by the shiny sun rays but with a well established boot track all the way to the camp, we had no problems with postholing on the way up.

We were not the only ones with the idea of visiting Muir on this beautiful clear day. As a matter of fact, it felt like everybody is going to Muir today. Few times I felt more like I got caught in a Thanksgiving Day Sale's line - long and moving very slowly - than being on a mountain trail. Fortunately this was the kind of line where skipping turns is OK if you have the energy to go ahead and pass.

It was truly a gorgeous day. Probably the best I saw on the mountain. We could not only see Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens but also Mt. Hood way in the distance yet so perfectly clear.

We took a short break at around 9000 ft. This elevation was notorious to completely suck my energy and get me out of breath before. Kind of my own personal Dead Zone. Every other time my energy evel dropped drasticaly after that point. Today was different. It seems like al my interval training paid off. I flew up the hill like bener before. Not once i run out of breath, not once I felt a need to take a short break to rest my legs.

In a very good spirit I made it to the camp. Andrew was already there and the rest of our group arrived shortly afterwards. We spend reasonable amount of time up there, chilling out, talking to people who will be making their summit attempts, observing groups training glacier travel.

It was very hard to leave but the clock would not stop ticking and finally we decided to say good bye for this time and head back down. Our descend was equally interesting with the same glorious views and little bit of glissading we had a good time getting back to the car.

Mt. Persis 5/25/2009

2009-05-28T07:52:00.000-07:00

With few of our regular hiking friends being gone backpacking for the weekend Andrew and I decided for a hike close by. We chose Mt. Persis just few miles East of Sultan.

It proved to be a great choice. Great workout on a steep scramble path and amazing views from the top with Mt. Index being so close it seemed we could nearly touch it.

Chad's First Scramble 5/23/2009

2009-05-24T20:50:00.001-07:00

A while ago Chad mentioned he would like to summit Mt. Ellinor. Not that he would suddenly develop desire to climb steep slopes but the photos of mountain goats from my first trip up there a year ago were lingering on his mind and he obviously liked the idea of having similar experience. The thought of being able to glissade down the chute was also tempting.

With the 3 day weekend approaching and most of our group heading to the Enchantments I figured it would be a great opportunity for me to take him out for some glissade and self arrest practise. The bottom part of Ellinor's chute is a great place to do so and that's where we headed.

It was a gorgeous sunny day. We parked at the lower trailhead. We saw some vehices heading further and with the truck we likely could have made it all the way to the upper trailhead but to me it would kind of feel like cheating. The walk through the forest was very pleasurable today. Rays of the bright sun shined through the trees, casting shades on the forest floor, making the forest look nearly magical.

I was surprised how much snow melted in the three weeks since my last visit to the area. The trail was snow free nearly all the way through the forest which made for a reasonably fast progress.

We did not spend as much time practising as I originally planned. The snow was softened by the streak of warm days and the conditions provided for a slow and very controllable glissage so instead of few hours of practise we soon started to head up the chute.

Our pace slowed down considerably. Last time Chad was on a slope of this steepness was likely during his ski years and then it was a lift taking him to the top. Now that he had to do all the hard work himself, he found out what breaking sweat is really about. He huffed and puffed his way up the chute and surely did not like all the false summits along the way.

For a little while I was really concerned that we might not be able to reach the top. During one of our breaks I found a GU gel in my pack - leftover from previous week. It did its work well and shortly after eating on it, Chad regained energy for the summit push.

Once atop the mountain we soaked up the views. We had the summit to ourselves for about 15 minutes before more hikers emerged from the slopes below. There was no goat show off here this time. We only saw one goat along the way but still it was so worthwhile to make our way up here... and the funnest part was still ahead of us.

After about 30 minutes on the summit we decided it was time to head back. On our butts we went and off we were down the hill. It took us 3 hours to climb the chute, it took us about 10 minutes to glissage it down. It was a very fun 10 minutes though.

We'll be back next year.

Yellow Hill & Elbow Peak 5/16/2009

2009-05-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

This trip originally started as a plan to traverse from Teanaway to Salmon la Sac area via Yellow Hill, Elbow Peak, Humerus and Jolly Mountain; however with 6 of us going the shuttle needed for such traverse would not be too efficient and we decided to head towards Jolly Mountain from Teanaway as in/out trip instead.

Rather ambitious I have to say with about 21 miles RT and well over 6000 ft cumulative elevation gain but under good conditions doable.

As expected we started on dirt. It was a hot day and even though the first part of the trail led us up gently, we broke some sweat. Fortunately the trail took us through some forested areas where we found little bit of shadow and cooler breeze. It felt really good. We crossed several areas sprinkled with beautiful yellow avalanche lilies and other spring flowers at the bottom part of the trail. It was like the spring is totally here.

The winter had not given up yet though. We encountered snow patches in shady forest areas first and then solid snow coverage at 4700 ft. On a warm day like today, the mushy snow had no way to hold our weight and our snowshoes went on to prevent postholing a speed up our pace.

The ascend got steeper and we started to gain elevation fast. The higher we went, the more views we were rewarded with. First it was Mt. Rainier surprisingly appearing behind us, watching us huff and puff on this little hill, then views deep into the desert opened, and as soon as we reached top of Yellow Hill, Mt. Stuart with all his companions stood in front of us in their full beauty.

After enjoying some snacks at this first checkpoint, we continued towards the second one – Elbow Peak. The ridge had some ups and downs ready for us here, making sure we’ll get enough exercise for the day. Some parts of the ridge were forested; however there was plenty of open areas and views from them were plentiful.

Elbow Peak was successfully reached and after a short break we were ready to continue towards Humerus and then Jolly Mountain which was still several miles away.

We did not make it far though. A steep narrow corniced part of the ridge that would be quite unsafe to cross under these conditions and especially without ice axes shattered our hopes to reach our goal destination. Even if we made it through this section, the terrain didn’t look any friendlier further on. It would make for a very slow progress and considering the time of the day, we were unlikely to get all the way to Jolly not being able to move full speed. We decided to call it a turning point and sat down for an hour long lunch break. It felt wonderful to be able to take a long lunch without freezing, enjoying our beautiful surroundings, soaking up the sunshine.

So instead of 21 miles we only hiked 12, instead of conquering 4 mountains, we only reached 2, and instead of gaining nearly 7000 ft elevation, we only climbed 4500 ft., yet it was still an awesome trip and a great day in the mountains.

Full set of pics can be seen here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thirstforadventure/sets/72157618266316727/

Sauer's Mountain 5/11/2009

2009-05-13T22:12:00.001-07:00

After a brief rain hit Lake Chelan on Sunday evening, the weather looked pretty good again on Monday and with the blue sky above us, I knew we have to stop for a hike on the way home and get some exercise after the food fest over Mother's Day weekend.

We only had half day for the outing so it had to be somewhat shorter and easier, and preferably somewhere close by the highway. Sauer's mountain near Leavenworth fit the bill.

We arrived at the trailhead at 3:30 p.m and started hiking shortly afterwards. There were 3 couples on their way down we met and after that we had the trail to ourselves... only had to share with the few lizards, bees, and birds. To my liking, we did not see any snakes. Would not mind to keep it that way for the rest of the season.

The trail starts to climb right from the beginning and I can imagine one can really break sweat here on a hot summer day. Fortunately soft breeze that accompanied us for most of the way made our ascend pretty enjoyable.

After about half mile there is an intersection and the trail splits for another half mile or so. We took the longer (left) fork on the way up which offered pretty views of surrounding mountains, including Icicle Ridge and Tumwater Mountain, and higher up we also saw Leavenworth nested in the valley below.

The view of Glacier Peak announced by a nice handmade sign was not available due to dark stormy clouds gathering over the mountain but apart of that we enjoyed variety of great views all along the way.

Balsamroots lined the whole length of the trail. Thousands and thousands of beautiful yellow blooms. Even though little past their peak, they were still spectacular; however if you'd like to experience this magical yellow garden this season, you should not delay more than few days.

With somewhat leisurely pace and frequent stops to enjoy the views (me) and catch breath (Chad) we were back at the trailhead at 7:00 p.m.

Very nice trail. Around 5 miles RT and 1600 ft elevation.

Mt. Ellinor 5/2/2009

2009-05-04T20:12:00.000-07:00

The forecast went from - it'll be quite nice, through it probably won't be so nice to it will for sure be soaking wet - as the week progressed but it did not stop our plan to scramble Mt. Ellinor and enjoy some glissading on the way down.

We started in a rain that did not leave us for most of the approach. Occasionally it would mellow to a drizzle but usually not for too long. Our raingear was put to a great test. We made a reasonably fast progress and soon found ourselves climbing up the best part of the route - the chute, gaining elevation fast.

The summit gave us a little bit of a break. It was windy and rather cold so additional layers went on followed by more additional layers and clouds surrounding us swallowed all the views but at least we could enjoy fast lunch without being poured on.

The conditions made for a very fast glissade down. Bumpy on occasion but lots of fun. Our friend rain returned as soon as we descended into the forest and followed us - gaining on intensity - all the way to the car. I have to say, this must've been fastest packing job we ever done. It was a matter of just few short minutes to throw everything in the trunk, find refuge inside the car, and get the hell out of there.

Despite the weather it was good to be outside though and the glissage definitely made up for the lack of views.

Icicle Ridge 4/25/2009

2009-04-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

Great day over on the East side of the mountains. Despite the forecast threatening with possible snow showers, we found the area under mostly blue sky.

It was nice to hike again and see first wildflowers coloring the slopes, including bright yellow balsamroots and tiny purplish lupines. The air carried a scent of spring and the breeze was nicely warm at the lower part of the trail.

It took us several miles to reach the snow. We found more solid snow coverage at around 4200 ft high and after initial attempt to walk on the snow, snowhoes went on. Cold wind also picked up in the higher elevation, chilling us fast. From T-shirts we bundled in several layers, gloves and hats to enjoy the views.

Nice lunch spot with a view was found at around 5500 ft but the area was little too breezy so our lunch did not last all that long. Soon we were rushing down to the warmer part of the trail.

Around 10 miles and 4300 ft elevation gained today.

Spring in Skagit Valley

2009-04-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

Every April farmlands around little town of Mount Vernon lure thousands of visitors from near and far. Everybody wants to see the hundreds of thousands of tulips, daffodils, irises, hyacints, and other spring flowers blooming on local fields and gardens loudly announcing that spring finaly arrived to Pacific NW.

Despite the fact the weather was not looking friendly on Wednesday morning, we went ahead with our plan to enjoy the fields in their mid-week solitude and to our surprise soon after we left Everett, the sky got lighter and later we entered the perfect spring day.

The fields were shining in bright colors of orange, red, yellow, pink and purplish and presented numerous possibilities for great photos. Between the two major attractions of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival - The Tulip Town and Roozengaarde, we could admire more than 80 diferent varieties of tulips and many more other flowers. It was incredible and I really can't wait to see some of the bulbs I bought for my garden bloom in fall.

Mazama Ridge/Reflection Lake Loop 4/19/2009

2009-04-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

The South side of Mt. Rainier offers such a great winter playground and despite the longer drive it’s a very worthwhile destination. Once again the forecast lured us down there with a promise of a sunny day and spectacular views.

Driving into Paradise was completely different experience from the previous weekend when during our Camp Muir ascend the area swallowed us in a thick never-ending fog completely blocking any possible views in all directions. The weather today was delivered just as promised and except for few very cool looking lenticular clouds, the sky was blue and all mountains were out in their full beauty.

This time we headed towards Mazama Ridge. The trail started nearly flat letting us enjoy the views of Mt. Rainier but the easy part did not last long. Soon we found ourselves climbing our first hill…. and even small hills took some sweat on this hot day. Our effort got rewarded with really good views of Tatoosh Range and other major peaks sitting in distance.

Another hill - steeper and longer – took us atop Mazama Ridge. We followed the ridge for a while; soaking the views and enjoying the nice day; then dropped to Reflection Lake for a lunch break before completing the loop following Paradise Valley Road.

Camp Muir 4/11/2009

2009-04-16T19:57:00.000-07:00

The plan for the weekend was to head to Camp Muir. As the weekend approached, the forecast did not look all that good with “mostly cloudy” prediction and winds of up to 35 mph at Muir. We decided to still give it a shot with an option we can always turn if we find the conditions too dangerous.

Ready to brave the winter weather, we drove to the south side of Mt. Rainier.
Road to Paradise was clear all the way up. We found the parking lot not overly crowded but still there were quite a few people there.

Soon afterwards we started our trip heading towards Panorama Point. This part was easy and to our surprise we found the area except for few breezy spots rather windless. Once atop we took a short break (no views to enjoy here today) and proceeded further. With not much snow, following the rocky route was reasonably easy and we did not encounter any major route finding issues on the way up but we marked few spots that could be tricky in foul weather on the way down with flags Aaron brought for this purpose.

Our ascend was surprisingly calm. There was nearly no sign of the winds that were supposed to rage in the area and the occasional breezy spots felt actually pretty good on this relatively warm day.

We could not see any of the glorious mountains around. The grand views remained hidden for most of our ascend but on the other hand the conditions made everything close to us even more beautiful making us admire little things like frosted shrubs or ice literary growing from the rocks we passed.

The conditions improved greatly once we approached Muir Snowfield. We walked out of the clouds to a glory of blue sky and perfectly clear summit of Rainier in front of us. It was magical to walk the last 500 vertical feet, but for me also the most difficult part of the trip. The altitude of above 9000 ft once again kicked my butt. I made the last stretch way faster than last time but still nowhere near my desired performance level. With Mt. Adams climb in couple months I have some serious VO2 training to do.

The wind picked up in the camp and we found a refuge inside the climbers building where we met a group from East Coast planning summit climb sometime in next few days if the weather allows.

After a nice lunch break it was time to head down. It felt so good to be here and enjoy the views from above the clouds including Mt. Adams but our watch said firmly we needed to head down. Soon we walked back in the clouds leaving the beauty of gorgeous winter day at Muir behind. The conditions worsened on our descend. The wind arrived, blasting at us at full force. When we walked to the first flag we planted just few hours ago, we found about an inch of rim ice growing on it.

Navigated down was little more difficult than on the way up. We proceeded slowly from one flag to another. Aaron did a magnificent job leading the way. The really tricky part came when we reached Panorama Point and tried to find our way down. We spend a little bit of time here and eventually find the sign pointing towards lower Pam Point and from there the descend was easy and uneventful. Until....

.... we got close to our car and the watch showed little after 8:30 p.m. We quickly realized that the gate at Longmire closes at 9:00 p.m. We rushed the last stretch, threw our gear in the car and down the hill we went. Fortunately the road was clear and mostly dry too so that we could maintain steady speed. At 8:58 p.m. we arrived at the gate… and found it closed and chained up.

We were lucky and after just about a minute of trying to figure out what we can do, a ranger drove by and let us out. It appeared he closed the gate about 15 minutes earlier and made his last round to make sure he did not lock anybody in.

After a long and interesting day in the mountains, we were finally heading home.

High Hut 4/4/2009

2009-04-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

Sunny day on a weekend is something we didn’t see for a while so when the forecast pointed out it will be really friendly to us this time; I started thinking trails with views. High Hut immediately came to mind.

It was on my list for a while. We also needed something little bit easier since my husband was coming, and last but not least after 3 times snowshoeing in Mt. Rainier area in conditions ranging from just cloudy to white outs, we kind of needed little reassurance that the mountain is still there. This trail simply fit the bill.

We arrived to the end of plowed road at the lowest sno-park (C) around 10:15 a.m. and shortly afterwards started heading up the nicely groomed “highway” keeping to the side not to destroy the middle for the skiers. Tell me about lazy outing. No trail breaking. No crazy steep hills. Leisurely (slowpoke) pace.

The spring is here. It announced itself by melting snow of trees, sending snow bombs down at us and around us very frequently. I was very, very happy that we did not choose to go somewhere where travel directly through forest would be required.

When we arrived to the top, High Hut welcomed us with a magnificent view of Mt. Rainier and along the way we also saw Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Adams, and many more smaller mountains, hills, and peaks.

Definitely a great day to get up there!

RT: 8 miles
El. Gain: 2500 ft

Excelsior Pass 3/28/2009

2009-03-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

Even though the forecast made it obvious there will be no spectacular views awaiting hikers and snowshoers in the mountains this weekend, we decided to give Excelsior Pass a go. If nothing else, we knew we'll get a nice workout out of it.

We found the road clear all the way to the trailhead and just a little bit of snow covering the beginning part of the trail. We followed relatively recent snowshoe track for a while, which made the first part very easy and quite fast going.

With elevation gained the snow started to cumulate. It appears the people who left the tracks turned way before they reached the pass and even though we still could see evidence of previous visitors, now we followed way older tracks partially covered by fresh snow and started to dip deeper and deeper. Postholing to our knees was not much fun and snowshoes went on after gaining approximately 2000 feet of elevation.

Soon afterwards we left the original summer trail and continued straight up the hill. For most of the way we were in deep fresh powder and even with snowshoes on we still kept sinking pretty deep. Fortunately short parts of the route were little bit crusty giving our legs some relief but this usually did not last long. There were few steeper parts where we really had to fight with snowdrifts, it was more like snowcrawling than snowshoeing at that point but in a way it was actually really fun and for sure it kept us warm.

With combined effort (Aaron broke probably over half of the trail, the rest of us split the other half) we reached the little view point next to the pass at 3:00 p.m. As expected we did not see far but the winter conditions made the forest around us looked pretty cool and the lack of views did not bothered us
much.

Reflection Lake 3/22/2009

2009-03-29T16:38:00.000-07:00

Area of Reflection Lake is beautiful no matter the weather conditions. If sunny the Mt. Rainier and surrounding peaks provide for spectacular views and on a cloudy day there is plenty of peaceful white winter wonderland to explore.

We started on a gentle uphill that led us to an intersection of several trails. Since the conditions were good, we chose to proceed on fairly leveled grade under an avalanche slope rather than take the detour around it. Once on the other side we took a little side tour down hill where after a while of fighting with annoyingly unsupportive snow we found ourselves at the bottom of a small valley. Most of the beauty above us was hidden behind a thick curtain of clouds but the few brief views we had were pretty impressive.

After taking a little break here we made our way up and once reconnected with the main trail we continued to Reflection Lake and little further until we found a nice lunch spot overlooking Louise Lake where we sat down for a lunch break.

Just like last year the weather started to get better on our way out. It felt so good when the sun got out; but after few minutes we were back in cloudy, snowy conditions which stayed with us for the rest of our trip.

Unfinished Business on Anaconda 3/14/2009

2009-03-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

Seems like there is some kind of drama going on during our trips to Mt. Loop hwy on yearly basis. It started in 2007 when during our Mt. Pilchuck snowshoe one of the drivers made unwise choice and got stacked in deep snow. In an attempt to get un-stacked his wheel sliced through the snow, dug into the wet gravel underneath and shot a geyser of rocks in the air, smashing a side windows of our second vehicle.

In 2008 we enjoyed interesting day snowshoeing directly on the snow bound portion of Mt. Loop hwy where we could hear several avalanches raging down from surrounding peaks which from a safe distance was pretty impressive experience. Once we returned to our cars we saw a couple of young guys who got their passenger car stacked and lacking proper equipment were trying to dig themselves out with tennis rockets. Being nice we offered them help and our shovels and got them out. Well, they didn’t get far.. and neither did we. Just few miles from Deer Creek a cabin was on fire. Fire truck and all their hoses blocked this already quite narrow part of the highway. We went to check things out just to find out they actually run out of water and were just standing there trying to figure out what to do. (Yes, there is a river few feet away). It took them quite a while to realize that if the hoses were cleared from the road, they could actually let cars through.

So we are back on Mt. Loop Hwy, heading to give Anaconda Peak a try. It’s actually my 4th time in this area in 2009 and so far nothing happened so it’s obvious something is about to surprise us soon. First the road is fine, wet but clear. We come across first slushy areas in Verlot Ranger Station area but still it’s not that bad. Couple miles further the snow coverage becomes more solid and just deep enough for my Focus to start loosing traction. Well, that’s what chains are for. So we put the chains on and easily handle the snowy part of the highway… until my car does not want to go any further. Oops the chain fell off. So we retrieve the chains and to our surprise find that they did not really fall off, they broke off. Both of them. Fortunatelly we are about 0.1 mile from the trailead and the Mallardy Ridge road nearly next to us has a pullout plowed where we can park. We know the plow will run through here later during the day and with the steady rain the road we’ll be clear before we return from our adventure so we are not really worried about the drive back. Actually it was a good place to figure out the chains were “made in China”. If we were in an area where we would need them to drive out of, we would be in a deep trouble.

Finally we are heading towards our destination, which is Anaconda Peak. The views from the top are spectacular but today we know there are no views awaiting us. Still with 3700 feet it is a decent workout and training for some of the bigger peaks we plan to bag in next few months, we need it. The road is nicely maintained for few minutes, making for a fast progress. Then we get to the first intersection. The maintained road continues straight. We need to take right. From there it’s an obstacle course. We climb under tree, over trees, around trees. Branches are poking us and grab our feet. It rains steadily so in no time we are drenched. Gore Tex or no Gore Tex, today is the kind of day you know you’ll get wet, there's nothing you can do about it. After all we are in the middle of the Seattle "monsoon" season and the weather was treating us fairly nicely so far.

Finally after a long time of fighting with the overgrown and barricaded abandoned road we are at 2,400 ft where we can turn off the road and start gaining elevation through the forest. It’s not much easier here. The windfall is just as bad and the snow conditions are awful. There is a layer of new snow but not much underneath so our snowshoes don’t really have anything to grab to and we slide badly. It would be so much easier if there was a consolidated layer underneath. It’s still raining, or more sleeting at this point.

Finally we get high enough where the weather improves and throws at us gentle snow shower and even gives us a little break. It’s very peaceful here. The true winter wonderland with beautifully snow covered trees. Unfortunately the time is pushing and after gaining about 3000 ft and reaching Gordon Ridge we make a decision to turn around. We will return to conquer Anaconda next time… hopefully in better weather.

Discovery Park 3/11/2009

2009-03-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

With a day off and sunny weather in the forecast it would be shame to stay at home but later commitments (annoying house work) prevented me from heading to the mountains so I opted to pay Discovery Park a visit. I haven't done too much in Seattle lately so actually it seemed like a nice change. I called couple friends who eagerly agreed to join me. We met at the visitor center at 10:00 a.m. all ready for our adventure to begin.

This parks seems to always surprise me with "discovery" of a new trail and this time was not an exception. We started from the visitor center and headed uphill and through the historical part of Fort Lawton towards the beach. Once we reached the beach access trail, we noticed sandy path leading steeply down disappearing in the woods below.

In adventurous spirit of the gorgoeus day we decided to explore and down we went this slope full of deep sand. Once we descended to the forest floor level, the path took us for a short pleasant stroll between leafless trees before we reached the beach.

From there we could see the lighthouse in the distance and proceeded that direction. The wind picked up here and soon our fingers were freezing but still it was such a nice walk and there was lots to see so we did not let the wind to bother us much. Behind us a silhuette of Mt. Rainier rose, unfortunatelly too hazy for the camera to capture its beauty.

We walked around the lighthouse and from there started to close our loop and head back to the cars. The wind calmed down once we walked into the trees which at that point we trully appreciated.

Teanaway and Tarzan Buttes 2/21/2009

2009-03-04T14:58:00.000-08:00

The drive to 29 Pines on clear road was easy and fast. The walk on hard packed snow to Way Creek trailhead was also easy and fast. Then we started heading up and suddenly it was no longer so easy and fast… but well worth the effort.

When we started it was cloudy and our hopes for views were not quite that high but soon after we left the car, some blue patches appeared above us and before we reached the Way Creek trailhead it was pretty obvious the views are waiting up there. This gave us strong motivation to keep pretty good steady pace all the way up.

The views were fantastic. Perfectly clear into Teanaway and towards Stewart Range and even Mt. Rainier peaked at us from above the inversion layer we could see hanging above Cle Elum area.

We soaked up the views for quite a while before continuing down (it was not as bad as we expected considering the snow conditions) and back uphill to Tarzan Butte. Tarzan Butte does not have any significant views but adds little bit of challenge and holds a flat area on the top hidden in the trees which makes for a nice peaceful place to sit and chill.

Stats: 11 miles loop, 3700 ft elevation gain, appr. 7 hours car to car. Our snowshoes enjoyed a free ride on our packs the whole trip.

Welcome Pass 2/7/2009

2009-02-08T20:15:00.000-08:00

Welcome Pass was on our list for the whole year (since we failed to get to the top last year - not once but twice) and since forecast for Saturday called for a nice sunny day; we decided to give it a try. We met in Everett and headed up North. Even though we drove through some foggy areas reminding us of typical winter day, once we got to the clear parts we could see all the mountains out in their full glory and we knew it’ll be a great day.

Considering current conditions we expected to be dealing with hard packed snow and we weren’t too far from this estimate. What surprised us the most was the amount of snow in the area, or perhaps I should say the lack of snow. The route was snow patched with several completely bare sections all the way to 3800 ft where we finally found more solid snow coverage.

We ascended with no problems. Some of us used Yak Tracks, some chose not to use any traction devices. The snow deepened once we got closer to the pass and on the ridge. We had to do some trail breaking there but the powdery layer was shallow enough that snowshoes were not needed.

Once at the pass we continued to one of the viewing points where we took quick lunch, enjoying fantastic vistas of Baker and Shuksan. Then we explored little bit further where amazing views of Tomyhoi Peak, American Border Peak, Mt. Larabee, Goat mountain and many more opened for us. Amazing day to be up there!

Skyline Ridge 2/4/2009

2009-02-08T16:49:00.000-08:00

Sometimes days just turn so good it feels it's too good to be true. Today was one of those days - sunny, blue sky, warm - those are few words that would briefly summarize today. It really felt more like a spring than a winter and it was absolutely awesome.

Rather than sticking to the road on our way in we cut it straight uphill, following trail created there by the weekend crowds (so glad we were able to get there mid-week). Popularity of this area combined with a lack of fresh snow made the trails so hard packed that snowshoes were not necessary. We brought them along in case we encounter deeper powder higher up or in case the snow softens later on being exposed to this extremely warm day but they ended having a fun ride on our packs both ways.

We arrived to the lake in good time and taking advantage of this gorgeous day, we headed for the ridge… and the views. This was by far the most exciting part of the trip. With just little more elevation gained, grand views opened on both sides and the trail here was lined with amazing snow formations.

What a fantastic day to be outside!

Kelcema Lake 1/28/2009

2009-01-29T15:09:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to snowshoe to Kelcema Lake for quite a while. 3 years to be exact. The first time the trip was planned (in 2006), I got sick and spend the day in bed feeling miserable. The second time the trip was planned (in 2007), windstorm came and shattered our hiking plans all together.

When an unexpected opportunity presented itself of having a day off during the week, I knew this will be the perfect trail to go and explore. Third time the charm...Our mid-week trip turned out pretty good. The road was plowed all the was to Deer Creek and Martha's Subaru had no problems getting into a little snowy parking spot.

The trail was on a longer side - 9 miles RT. There was not much fresh snow around but there still was a fair distance of breaking the trail. Most of the trail took us up snow bound forest road and while gaining elevation we encounter several spots where damage to the road likely from recent storms was visible.

The whole route was very interesting but the last 0.4 miles was the most exciting part of the trip. That's where the trail left the road and took us through beautiful wintry forest.

Commonwealth Basin 1/24/2009

2009-01-29T14:26:00.000-08:00

The trip turned out way better than expected. It was cloudy and
freezing when we started but the area of Commonwealth basin
immediately welcomed us with a splendor of frosted trees and calmness
of a stream running along the trail and the lack of sunshine was
quickly forgotten.

The snow was hard packed allowing for a fast progress; however we let
ourselves stop many times to admire beauty of the snow bound forest
and the amazing artful displays of frozen waterfalls and water
running under a thin layer of ice that nature decided to treat us
with along the way.

Then the clouds gave in and first rays of sunshine revealed the
amazing mountains that surrounded us. Kendall Peak shined in its full
beauty standing against now blue sky while Guye Peak maintained its
mystery feel by only partially peeking from still mostly cloudy west
side.

We pushed little bit beyond the Commonwealth basin area and continued
uphill towards Red Mountain. This part was steep and got steeper as
we gained elevation but our effort was rewarded by fantastic views
from above the clouds once we broke from the tight forest into more
open area. We did not intend to summit so that's where we found a
good lunch spot and decided to call it a final destination for the
day.

Lake Walhalla 1/18/2009

2009-01-29T13:45:00.000-08:00

Sunday turned out to be rather cold but pretty good day to be out. The
sky was clear all the way to Stevens Pass and then we drove into a
fog. Usually it's the opposite way but fortunatelly the fog lifted
once we were on the trail letting us enjoy some of the much
appreciated sunshine.

We followed Smithbrook road for a while and then turned to proceed
through the forest. That's where the uphills started... and with them
came the views.

Our route took us to the lake overlook and from there we followed
snowshoe tracks little bit more up McCausland mountain; however it was
pretty windy up there and we did not have enough time to summit so
soon we decided to retreat back to the calmer area.

According to the "Snowshoe Routes in WA" book the trail is about 7.5
miles; however both road signs we saw along the way and GPS reading
Steven gathered suggested that the route was indeed 2 miles longer.

Mount Washington Trail - 01/04/2009

2009-01-07T20:01:00.000-08:00

It was a nice morning and the sunrise was so beautiful when we drove
through the Duvall Valley; however the forecast made it clear the
weather will change to rather bad later during the day and up to 8
inches is expected at the Pass. With that in mind Chad did not feel too comfortable going over the pass and a quick change of plans took place.

We decided to stay closer to North Bend this time and headed for Mt.
Washington trail which turned out to be a great alternative. It was
longer and more demanding that our original destination but the beauty of wintry forest and fun of descending slopes cover in deep powder made for a fun adventure.

We ended up snowshoeing about 10 miles and gained about 2700 ft of
elevation. It was surely another great day in winter wonderland.

Artic Chill - December 2008

2008-12-18T21:28:00.000-08:00

I love winter. And I love snow. I would go to the mountains nearly every weekend to explore the beautiful peaceful winter wonderland, to find the magical beauty of snowbound forest, to enjoy the freedom of dashing through blanketed meadows, to admire snow capped lakes and artfull creations of frozen waterfalls.

I love snow in the mountains. Snow in the cities is a completely diffrent story however. Living in an elevation of mere 114 ft above sea level we are lucky not to see huge amount of snow on roadways too often. Usually we have to deal with couple days of few inches and that’s it.

This year started on a different note. The snow made a late arrival. There was not even 4 inches in the ski resorts the first weekend of December when most years that is the opening weekend. We thought we’re in for a mellow winter – a thought I liked since mellow winter means less avalanche danger and possibility to get to many more places.

Then Mother Nature threw us a surprise and within two days we went from sunny balmy 50 degrees to massive snowstorms and artic chill with temperature dropping in single digits during nighttime. The heavy dark clouds would not stop dumping, soon turning highways in a circus of unskilled drivers negotiation the conditions the best way they can many times by performing stunts ranging from plain stupid to highly dangerous.

When you wake up and your car looks something like this….

... you know it's better to stay at home.

It took us over 2 hours to dig our cars out and clear the driveway. Once we finished the hard work (I don't envy those who live in the more harsh areas of the country and have to make friends with their shovels all winter long), we decided to make the best of the snow day and took our truck for a spin around the town. It's not that often we can go 4 wheeling on our very own street.

The town was full of happy kids hauling their sleds towards the hillside and even happier teens driving trucks, ATVs and snowmobiles. Most of the adults did not show the same enthusiasm as they were shoveling their way out of their houses.

We got 12 inches and they say it's far from over. If we can trust the forecast we can be looking forward for a treat of White Christmas this year. Let it snow!

Lake Susan Jane 12/06/2008

2008-12-09T10:17:00.000-08:00

Every year I organize a snowshoe trip and potluck party afterwards to celebrate my birthday. This year was not different... We had our snowshoes and all winter gear ready for our planned adventure to Lanham Lake. The only thing that was missing was the snow. We started to head up Hwy 2 thinking perhaps we'll just hike the trail but along the way the plan got re-evaluated and we decided to go for a longer trail.

We started at PCT trailhead on South side of Hwy 2 and hiked up following the trail all the way to the top of the hillside, overlooking the nearly snowless ski area. We encountered snow cumulation on the ground and some icy patches on the trail as we were nearing the top.

Once atop we took a short break and then dropped down on the other side. We found more snow here. Not enough to snowshoe or ski but plenty to enjoy the sound of it crushing under our feet and definitely enough to make the area look wintry and peaceful. The trail led us under powerlines, back to the forest, accross some rockslides, and then we finally arived at the lake. Easy outing, all together about 7 miles and about 1500 ft elevation gain.

Artist Point 11/30/2008

2008-12-09T09:43:00.000-08:00

Last season it took 3 tries before we made it to Artist Point. This year we succeeded the first time. The road was clear all the way to the parking lot and since it’s been relatively warm there were no ice patches or other traps waiting for us along the way. We started out on snow. Deep enough to put snowshoes on but it was not necessary for the first part of the trip and few of us decided to boot it up nearly all the way to Artist Point.

We hiked surrounded by clouds with very little visibility but enjoyed strolling in the fresh snow despite the fact that the grand views this area has to offer were hidden behind the nature’s curtain. It felt good to strap snowshoes on again and explore white meadows, ascend snow covered hillsides, and enjoy the freedom of plunge-stepping down the slopes.

We made it to Artist Point in a good time. It was still foggy but it did not stop large part of our group from climbing atop of a peak nearby. At that time the first sign of blue sky appeared above us and partially blinded by the sunshine we got to enjoy the first view of Mt. Baker. Shuksan came out soon afterwards, first mysteriously peaking from the clouds, revealing itself more and more, until it majestically stood in front of us in its full beauty. We went from nearly no views to perfectly clear day in about half hour. It was incredible and made for such a fantastic finish of the trip.

Ingalls Lake 11/09/2008

2008-11-13T10:54:00.000-08:00

We braved our way through a monsoon only western part of Washington State can produce with hope of having better weather luck on the other side of the mountains and once again we succeeded.

There was some snow patches along the the last few miles but the actual road was clear and even though there were several parts significantly etched with potholes of various sizes, our passanger car had no difficulties reaching the trailhead.

The trail was clear nearly all the way to the pass with only occasional patches of snow to cross. The snow coverage became more solid once we crossed the pass and started to descend into the basin where we were surrounded by the beauty of rocky slopes stepping out of clouds and disappearing again as we proceeded further giving the basin amazingly mysterious feel.

We explored the basin throughly in a search of the lake... and finally found it,
mostly because we were lucky to meet a local hiker who pointed us to
the right direction.

Great day to be outside!

Davis Peak 11/02/2008

2008-11-07T15:00:00.000-08:00

When the forecast calls for rain and you still can't wait for the
weekend to come so that you can get out, that's good. When despite
the downpour 4 of your friends feel the same way, that's even better.

We drove through rainstorm from North Bend all the way to Snoqualmie
Pass. The weather didn't change rapidly once we got on the East side
of the mountains but was improving gradually and before we reached
the trailhead, it stopped raining completely.

We only had to deal with occasional drizzle during our ascend and
enjoyed some views along the way. When nearing the summit the
temperature dropped a bit with the elevation we gained allowing for
tiny white snowflakes to sprinkle branches of surrounding trees and
the ground.

The wind picked up at the top but the circle of stones marking the
lookout site provided excellent refuge from this element where we
could sit and enjoy a cup of hot beverage.

Stuart Lake 10/25/2008

2008-10-29T14:55:00.001-07:00

Beautiful day to be outside. The morning was rather chilly but warm layers and the first uphill warmed us up fast and the sun got warmer as the day progressed also.

It was neat to feel the difference between the sunny spots and shady areas. As soon as we sank under the forest canopy the chill started to bite us immediately.

It was an easy relaxed hike with only 1600 ft elevation gain, great views of surrounding mountains, and sweet surprise at Colchuck/Stuart intersection left for us by Andrew’s group heading to the Enchantments.

We tool our time to enjoy both the trail and the lake where we found a nice sunny spot by the shore and took about an hour to chill out and explore.

Hidden Lake Peak Lookout 10/11/2008

2008-10-13T12:38:00.000-07:00

The week was chilly and brought first solid snow cover to the
mountains. It was clear we'll get to enjoy some of it since we were
starting high and gaining 3000 ft.

The recently reopened road to the trailhead was in perfect condition.
Steep in places but as smooth as mountain road can be and my Focus had
no problem making its way up.

The morning was chilly and with the first part of the trail leading
through forest where sunshine could not reach, we started with gloves
and hats on. Soon we reached 4300 ft where we saw first signs of
snow. The snow patches on and around the trail became more frequent
as we gained elevation and the snow cover got solid in about 5000 ft.

There was a section with several icy patches where we had to be
careful not to slip but the further we went the more we felt like
being in a winter wonderland and soon we found ourselves on a fresh
white snow, surrounded by peaceful beauty of the mountains.

Further on the lookout became visible sitting on the top of the peak
but at that point we started to doubt that we'll be able to actually
get up to it. We were in about a foot of snow now.

We could not get so far in without trying though so once we got below
the peak, we went to check out the route up. It didn't look bad but
with snow covering spaces between the rocks, making it very easy to
step on unsupported spot and fall through, we decided it was not safe
enough to proceed.

Instead we found nice sunny spot with a view of the lake where we
enjoyed lunch, delicious brownies (thank you Beth), and some hot tea.

Yellow Aster Butte 9/28/2008

2008-10-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

I left my house at about 6:45 a.m. and drove through a dense morning fog to the meeting location in Everett. The fog lifted somewhat before I got there, and disappeared completely during our drive to Mt. Baker area. When we arrived to the trailhead some 2.5 hours later, we were surrounded by beautiful mountains standing proudly against perfectly blue sky. It was my third time up here but the very first time when the trailhead area was clear of clouds and I could finally enjoy the nice view of Mt. Baker right from where we parked.

We were on the trail soon afterwards and steadily progressed up the meadow, switchback after switchback until the forest swallowed us and in its shadow we found a great refuge from the unexpectedly burning sun. We quickly gained several more hundred feet of elevation and then finally emerged to the open meadows where breeze carried sweet scent of berries and views were plentiful. From there the trail contoured the valley offering more and more views along its way. First we were stunned by unobstructed view of the rugged Mt. Shuksan, soon afterwards we could admire serene beauty of majestic Mt. Baker, and later enormous mass of Tomyhoi Peak arose right in from of us.

We started the climb to the false summit together with many others. It was a beautiful day and it was busy up there. As soon as we walked onto the top Mt. Larabee gave us a warm welcome together with American and Canadian Border Peaks, followed by many more mountains. The views went forever.

We enjoyed a brief lunch break atop of the false summit and then continued towards the true summit. Little bit of easy scrambling spiced up our already wonderful day. We decided not to go back to the false summit and instead dropped down the scree slope and headed for the tarns. The reflections in them were nearly perfect; however the water was not completely calm due to a minor breeze. We were happy to forgive Mother Nature this slight imperfection and enjoyed the tarns anyways.

Needless to say it was very hard to head back.

Spider Meadow 9/20/2008

2008-09-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

After series of several 4000+ ft elevation gain hikes was time for more relaxed adventure. The original plan was to go and check out fall color at Mt. Baker area but with the rain in a forecast I opted for the drier side of the mountains. My plan to escape the rain in Eastern Washington worked well. The heavy fog vanished as soon as we crossed Stevens Pass and the sky looked way less threatening there too.

After long and very slow 25 miles ride on gravel road, we finally reached the trailhead. It was busy but we were able to get the last two available spots at the actual trailhead parking lot.

It was surprisingly warm and clouds were high enough for us to be able to go uuuh aaah over the beauty of all the giants surrounding us. We walked to the forest and followed the path, very gently gaining elevation. I paused at Carne Mountain intersection for a moment, imagining the views, but as soon as I looked back at my wonderful but completely out of shape husband huffing and puffing on this nearly level grade, the thought immediately left my mind. I promised my crew an easy outing today so we continued towards Spider Meadow.

Bubbling of Phelps Creek, and fall colors starting to show made our way through the forest very enjoyable. Then we walked into the meadow, spacious, carpeted by golden grasses with hints of crimson leaves, enclosed by giant mountains. It was a beautiful place to sit down and enjoy lunch… and plan a backpacking trip for next year to explore the area further.

The wind picked up around 2:30-ish and brought this unmistakable feel of a true fall with this nipping chill annoying enough to put a layer on. Few light showers followed and finally just as we walked back to the parking lot, the rain got stronger. It was pouring pretty hard when we hit Hwy 2.

Boston Basin 9/13/2008

2008-09-15T16:09:00.001-07:00

After several weeks of hiking in fog and rain, the weather finally decided to give us a break. Seeing the clear sky right after I left home made my way to the meeting spot filled with immeasurable excitement, especially since I knew we’re heading to one of the most picturesque area here in Pacific NW.

Boston Basin is known mostly to climbers who have several very cool
looking peaks available there. I've heard it was a wonderful place to
hike to, even if not climbing anywhere further on, so I had it on my
list for a while. With clear blue sky, plenty of sunshine, and great
visibility, the day could not be more perfect.

The trail was very easy to follow, however there were few narrow
parts where vegetation (and especially stinking nettles) got little
too close, there were few parts where we had to scramble a bit, there
were quite a few trees across the trail we had to climb over, and
last but not least there were 4 un-bridged creek crossings which at
this time of the year did not pose any problem but earlier with water
level higher might be little tricky. I bet many regular hikers would
consider the trail too treacherous and would probably turn way before
reaching the basin, but for those little more adventurous; the
approach itself brings lots of fun to what without all the obstacles
would be just a walk through a forest.

Once at the bottom of the basin, whole new world opened in front of
us, inviting us to wander further. There were many possibilities to
explore. Most of us decided that the glacier at the very far end of
the basin was way too cool to miss so we rock hopped all the way to
it and spend a long time chilling out, enjoying the awesome
breathtaking scenery. It was quite difficult to get up and head back
leaving all this beauty behind.

Mt. Pugh Scramble - 9/6/2008

2008-09-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

Once again the weather man tricked us into thinking it'll be a gorgeous day and we'll get plenty of sunshine. With vision of all the magnificent views we'll be getting today we arrived at the trailhead and found it partially hidden in the fog.

In was early in the day though and with 5500 ft of elevation we had to gain we figured the sun will have plenty of time to burn the clouds off before we get to our destination.

So we headed up. The first part of the trail took us through the forest where the mist around us made this otherwise regular forest walk more interesting. It was a long walk but the grade was rather gentle. We made a good time to the meadow where we finally got into some steeper terrain and slowed a bit. The flowers were plentiful as
we switchbacked up the hill; however all the views remained hidden behind clouds.

We reached Stujack Pass and took a little break for lunch. With no views, some wind and very light drizzle, there was no reason to hang around there for too long and soon we were back on our feet making our way towards Mt. Pugh summit.

The route got more interesting once we left Stujack Pass and now we were scrambling our way up, getting around rocks, going over few somewhat sketchy exposed part or the trail, but for most of the ascend we had a great time and progressed slowly but surely to the summit.

Once atop of the mountain we took a deep breath and enjoyed the never ending thick layer of clouds everywhere around us. It was pleasurably warm and windless up there. We sat down to make our entries into the summit register and then a little while later we noticed a patch of clear sky revealing little bit of our surrounding. Curiously we watched as it made its way across the sky. The sunshine that came shortly afterwards, making the sky above us bluer and bluer, and it felt unspeakably good too.

It never completely clear but despite the fact we only got tiny glimpse of all the mountains around us, the summit itself held its own beauty making the trip very worthwhile. We stayed up for about an hour before the sun, traveling slowly down towards horizon, reminded us it was a good time to start heading back.

Fall weather preview on Yellow Aster Butte 8/30/2008

2008-09-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

Not everyday is perfect. There are many days when sky is grey and clouds roll across the sky obstructing any possible views. I noticed quite a few of such days occurred on the weekends lately so when I first saw forecast for Labor day weekend promising reasonable weather
I was excited.

Saturday started nicely. We met at designated location and headed north to Hwy 542 with blue sky above us and sun shining brightly. Soon after we left Bellingham, the sun started to disappear. The trailhead welcomed us clouded in familiar overcast.

Fortunately we were on just the perfect type of trail. Yellow Aster Butte offer spectacular views when clear but with so much to see within a close proximity of the trail itself it also makes for
wonderful outing when the clouds are low. With that though we headed up and we were not disappointed.

The trail led us through a variety of terrain – first we started through a forest, then crossed meadows and somewhat rocky parts where several snow patches still could be found. The flowers were out, the berries were sweet, and once we got under the false summit we spotted
a bear roaming on the hillside above us. He wasn't close enough for a good photo but still it was very exciting experience. We watched him for a while before proceeding further.

Once atop of the false summit, the sky partially cleared for a bit making it possible to continue safely to the true summit and back. With nice sense of accomplishement we headed back. The sleet that accompanied us for most of our descend did not bother us too much - that's what rain gear is for, righ?

The weather changed completely on our way back and with clear blue sky all the way from Hwy 542 to Everett I was hopeful that Mt. Pilchuck hike scheduled for Sunday will provide all the cool views that we missed today. That hope disappeared right when I got up in the morning and saw that all the clouds had returned.

Despite the weather the trailhead was busy. Once again we ventured into the fog and once again we enjoyed the mystery feel it gave to the trail as we followed it all the way to the lookout. Few times the sky got brighter but the sun was not strong enough to penetrate the thick clouds today and we got a view of never-ending white mass atop the mountain. Not a single thing to see from the lookout but still very pleasurable outing and it was very nice to see that so many others did not let the weather stop them and made it to the summit like us.

Mt. St. Helens Climb - 8/24/2008

2008-08-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

For some Mt. St. Helens is a cool mountain to look at from a safe distance of the Johnston Ridge Observatory. For those who experienced it’s eruption on May 18, 1980 thismountain represents a cascade of memories. And then there are those who see more than the beauty and uniqueness of this magnificent and powerful mountain - those who look at the treeless steep slopes and see a great challenge, those who look at the talus and scree covered route up and see an adventure….

I decided I wanted to climb Mt. St. Helens during my first visit in the area in 2003; however it wasn’t until August 2007 when I organized the climb. We succeeded but the weather was progressively getting worse with elevation we gained and blasting freezing wind combined with zero visibility made us abandon the summit after few short minutes. I knew I had to return.

Permits for the climb has to be purchased several month in advance (especially if you want to climb during a weekend) so you never know what the weather will be like. As we were approaching our 2008 climbing date I was getting worried we have a same fate ahead of us as last year when we got a great workout but saw nothing… but the morning or August 24 arrived with clear sky assuring us that at least the first half of the day will be nice.

We left the campground in good spirit and started the climb at 8:00 a.m. After 2 miles of pleasant and very easy forest walk we reached the start of the scrambling route at 4800 ft. With blue sky above our heads we started to make our way up, boulder at a time. First views opened shortly after we got above the tree line and as great as they were, we knew it will only get better.

For most of the way up the route consisted of relatively even mix of boulder hopping and scree fighting. Challenging but fun. Then we got to the last part – where we saw people on the summit, so close, yet separated by about 1200 vertical feet of soft sand. One feet up and two feet down. Who doesn’t like sand!

The clouds started to cumulate at that point but fortunately for us they were high not obscuring any of our great views. We also faced strong winds here that had nothing better to do than pick up the sand and blast it right into our faces and eyes.

Stride by stride we slowly advanced to the summit…. and then there was the one final step that brought our sight over the rim where the lava dome was displayed in its full beauty making us pause for a moment and forget the misery of the final part of our journey.

We braved the summit winds for about 30 minutes, exploring views from different parts of the rim, watching Mt. Rainier disappear in clouds as the weather worsened, then retreated to the more pleasant 90% wind-free zone some 1500 ft below.

The rest of our descent was rather uneventful. First rain drops hit us at the lower part of the mountain but fortunately for us the showers never got too strong while we were up there causing only slight inconvenience.

Goats of Mt. Ellinor

2008-06-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

The weather forecast did not look greatest for the weekend. We had Mt. Ellinor planned with a back up of staying along I-90 if we determine the visibility is bad enough and the long drive would not be rewarded with the gorgeous views this area has to offer. As the week progressed the forecast slowly changed to our advantage and we were excited to stick with our original plan and headed to Ellinor.

Even though it never completely clear, the clouds were high letting us enjoy variety of views from different points along the trail. It was my first time up there and despite the fact I’ve seen many pictures, being surrounded by this amazing scenery in person was truly breathtaking.

We decided to take a little break after we conquered the first part of the chute and while scanning the area I noticed this white spot on the rock wall behind us. Mountain Goat! And it had a baby… our short break suddenly turned into about 15 minute photo shoot of those two goats. It was so cool, we thought, and continued our way towards the summit. As soon as we reached the second false summit, there were another two goats (again it was mommy goat and her baby) walking down the trail in our directions. They were way closer that the goats we saw earlier and were not bothered by our presence at all. It was very obvious they will walk just past us… so we got our cameras ready, and snapped tons more pictures. At one point the goats were as close as about 5 feet from us, and even posed for us on rocks close by.

So cool, we though again and now with the true summit in our sight we braved the last part of the trail… just to notice more goats peeking at us from the top. There was a nice family of about 4 of them there, running around, kind of checking us up together with several chipmunks that entertained us by crawling up people’s legs and jumping on people’s shoulders in their attempts to steal our food.

The views were wonderful. We did not see Rainier or the other major peaks very clearly as they were hiding in a mist but there was so much more to look at and with all the wildlife around, we spend good 2 hours up there before we decided it was time to have some fun glissading down the chute.

My Favorite Spring Hike

2008-04-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

Spring has this amazing way how to spread energy around. It’s not only the more sunshine and warmer days; it’s also all the other sign of life… the grass gets fresher, the ground brightens with first blooms of Crocuses, Daffodils, Tulips, Hyacinths and Irises.

The mountains start showing off after the winter when they peacefully rested under the white blanket of snow. The birds chirp happily in the tree branches, squirrels and chipmunks enjoy tree climbing in their beautiful outdoor gym, and many other animals start building their homes and preparing for babies.

I love being outdoors during springtime. I love wondering through the forest where the trees turn greener, where the pine needles smell stronger, where the rivers roar downhill fed by the melting snow in higher elevations, making for some incredible waterfall seeing. My favorite spring hike leads to Lake Serene. To get to this glorious lake resting underneath a face of majestic Mt. Index is not a piece of cake though. The trail starts off on relatively easy note, following old railroad grade for first half mile or so but those who expect an easy ascent soon find themselves on a steep rugged slope and if you go early in the spring, you will usually have to also overcome several obstacles in a form of fallen trees. Just when you think the worst is over, you get to a long never ending staircase made of what seems like hundreds of steps to get even more grueling workout.

What makes this trail special is the fact that it never gets boring. You don’t just climb the hill in a hope to see yet another pretty alpine lake. You don’t ascent through a uniform forest where after few minutes each tree looks like any other. There is so much to see along the way. Soon after you start you find yourself walking along stunning Bridal Weil Falls. The water splashes against a smooth dark wall of granite and the look up takes you breathe away. You also have a choice to take a side trail to the upper falls which means climbing more steps but is so totally worth the effort. Some people make this their final destination for the day but if you have some energy left, don’t give up and continue further for spectacular views of the valley, several more smaller waterfalls, and finally the stunning Lake Serene that will likely still be at least partially frozen with snow patches on its banks. It is breathtaking peacefulness will make you forgot the sweat you broke on your way up in a heartbeat.

When I grow up...

2008-02-29T15:40:00.001-08:00

I was 8 years old when I decided what I wanted to do when I grow up. I had a friend who lived in the same apartment building - it was the most wonderful friendship I experienced in my life – and together we dreamt a lot. We dreamt about places we wanted to visit, about mountains we wanted to climb, we even designed a car that will take us for all those adventures…. and as soon as we learned how to write we started to document those dreams and soon afterwards we found ourselves writing short stories that eventually got longer and longer.

We both fell in love with writing. It gave us wonderful opportunity to unleash our imagination and expand our visions. We couldn’t get enough of planning where will takes our heroes next and what will have them experience. It was truly unforgettable time in my life… until the day my best friend got sick and passed away. She was only 10 years old.

My world crushed down. It was writing once again that helped me overcome this difficult time. I wrote every spare minute I had. I wrote for both of us. It brought much needed relief first and later also great artistic satisfaction. And at that time I decided I wanted to be a writer.

I had my first newspaper article published at the age of 11 and remained writing for papers for 10 following years. Then I returned back to fiction and had several short stories published in various magazines. I also experimented with screenwriting for a while and then at last went back to writing novels. I am currently working on a fairy tale story where my hero has to overcome numerous obstacles to save a “World of Dreams” and hoping to have it published within next year.

As long as I enjoy writing my friend will never be forgotten.