Be the cryptid you wish to see in the woods

  • 20170518 Eruption Day – JRO to Loowit Trail, MSHNVM

    20170518 Eruption Day – JRO to Loowit Trail, MSHNVM

    Eruption Day! I hiked up the Loowit Trail to the JRO.

  • 20170316 Hummocks Trail to Johnston Ridge, MSHNVM

    20170316 Hummocks Trail to Johnston Ridge, MSHNVM

    What an unexpectedly awesome birthday! I had a little party – just me, a shy coyote, a not so shy raven, and Loowit, in all of her steaming, snow-mantled, sun-dappled glory. Clouds larger than even mountains drifted across a sunny sky, warming the cliff-side meadows of Johnston Ridge, overlooking the lunar-fractal landscape of the Pumice…

  • 20170515 Upper Coldwater Lake MSHNVM

    20170515 Upper Coldwater Lake MSHNVM

    A day hike up the Coldwater Lake Trail, MSHNVM as spring is getting underway.

  • 20170416 South Coldwater Ridge Trail & Sediment Retention Dam

    20170416 South Coldwater Ridge Trail & Sediment Retention Dam

    This day was cold and windy, snow still capping the ridges, the sky dim, even though the clouds were not thick.  I hiked up the South Coldwater Ridge trail, parking at The Hummocks and walking to the trail head. The trail climbs up the ridgeline, with a few switchbacks to gain elevation. Mostly, though, it…

  • 20170409 Ohanapecosh Canyon & Big Bottom

    20170409 Ohanapecosh Canyon & Big Bottom

    I spent a day exploring the lower reaches of Ohanapecosh Canyon at Lawiswis, then drove across the river for a very short ramble about the mouth of Stevens Canyon. Twice I was left yearning to follow the trail further. Biking down the road to the campground at Lawiswis was fun. Up again, not so much. Rambling…

  • 20170319 Lakes Trail #211, Coldwater Creek, MSHNVM

    20170319 Lakes Trail #211, Coldwater Creek, MSHNVM

    The last day of winter found me hiking the Lakes Trail #211 alongside Coldwater Lake and Coldwater Creek, encountering a trail increasingly full of sloppy, soft cascadian concrete by the end. It was almost tough enough to hold me up, but then, not quite. Similarly, my shins were almost tough enough to withstand the ice…

  • 20161219 Fairfax Trail

    20161219 Fairfax Trail

    Had a great day exploring the Upper Foothills Trail (aka Fairfax Trail) in Pierce County – old bridges, ghost towns and lonely trails, oh my!

  • 20161120 Willapa Hills Trail, Lewis County

    20161120 Willapa Hills Trail, Lewis County

    The Willapa Hills trail is a great trail, albeit not quite finished.  There are a few exciting trestles to cross, and lots of deep gravel.  One sure does get to see a great slice of countryside, tho.  My favorite area was the Rock Creek area between McCormick and Walville Creeks. Something about that tight little…

  • 20161010 Glacier View Wilderness, GPNF

    20161010 Glacier View Wilderness, GPNF

    The views from Glacier View Wilderness are, understandably, amazing. It was a bit chilly this day, but that only added to the beauty. October is a fantastic time to be in the mountains – the air is clearer, the bugs are gone, the people are gone, and the drama is out in full force.

  • 20160924 Sunday Lunch at Upper Duck, ONP

    20160924 Sunday Lunch at Upper Duck, ONP

    Hiked in to the Upper Duckabush via Home Sweet Home. Can’t remember many details about this hike, tho. Stayed the two nights at Nine Stream.