Be the cryptid you wish to see in the woods
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20210703 Boundary Trail #1 to Snagtooth Peak Trail
Boundary Trail #1 – a historic, rugged trail traversing the wilderness between Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams along the watershed boundary between the Cispus and Lewis Rivers. A largely dry trail with some expansive views, it was my destination for a 5-day backpack over the Independence Day holiday weekend. I start out by leaving…
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20210621 Clear Fork Cowlitz to Tieton Pass
Summer is finally here, the snow is melting, and the insects are not yet awake. I’ve got some new gear, and it’s time to get hiking! This weekend, I took a 3-day backpack trip up the Clear Fork Cowlitz trail to Tieton Pass on the PCT. Arriving at the trail head a bit later than…
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20210518 Trout Creek Mountains
Having visited Willow Creek Hot Springs a few times, I am always left with the desire to explore those mountains the creek drains down from. For this trip, I chose to backpack from a point upstream of the hot spring to which I had hiked previously, then follow a loop up to the summit along…
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20201214 Kaiser Woods
A visit to the Oak and Madrona grove at Kaiser Woods, Olympia WA
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20210313-19 Willow Creek Hot Springs Campout
Back to the hot spring at Willow Creek for a birthday bike-n-hike-n-soak retreat. I spent Saturday thru Friday alternately soaking in the hot spring, biking up BLM roads, or hiking up roads, trails and x-country in an exploration of Willow Creek and Whitehorse Butte. Highlights include snow, wind, rain, sun, wind, flying alkali grit, amazing…
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20210119 Summit Creek Campout, GPNF
More of a laze-about than an adventure… I drove up to the valley with no real destination in mind. I travelled up William Creek (USFS 47 Rd) with an eye to finding some area to hike about and camp overnight, and maybe do a bit of snowshoeing, but turned about and headed up the highway to Cortright Creek…
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20201019-21 PCT – White Pass to Clear Fork Cowlitz
Winter is coming! Understandably, I am anxious to make one last trip up into the Goat Rocks – I had not quite gotten to all the places this summer I had wanted. The weather forecast offers the possibility of some mild weather after a weather system moves thru over the weekend. Not expecting the best,…
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20200927-30 PCT – Walupt to Old Snowy, GPNF GRW
DAY 1 I took a long weekend to go hike the Goat Rocks Wilderness. I got turned around a bit sooner than I had hoped – the trail over The Knife looked sketchy after the season’s first snow, and I was not feeling like taking a risk. Regardless, it was a gorgeous hike. I parked…
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20200920 PCT – Tipsoo Lake to Bumping River, WOD, GPNF OWNF
Autumn is here! I spent two days hiking the PCT from Tipsoo Lake, MRNP to the Bumping River at Fish Lake, GRW, and then back again via Swamp and American Lakes. Lots of elk bugling, a few hunters and a few hikers out.
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20200916 PCT – Tipsoo Lake to Bear Gap, OWNF
Smoke continues to fill the air this weekend as I set off on a hike from Tipsoo Lake to Bear Gap along the PCT in the Okanagon-Wenatchee National Forest, north of SR 410, outside MRNP. With SR 410 closed at Enumclaw, and SR 12 closed at White Pass, I thought perhaps this out-of-the-way corner of…