The Wet Beach

Cape Disappointment, Spring Road Trip, 3/22/08

Olympia & I arrived at Cape Disappointment State Park just as the clouds started covering the sky from the horizon. I had been hoping to catch the last rays of day on the North Head Lighthouse. Tonight, that would not be. So upon arriving at the park I searched first for a suitable campsite and prepared for the possible precipitation.

Finding the perfect tent site was a bit tough - the stakes refused to go into the ground in my original spot so I instead moved the tent in between some trees. I might also be able to get a little extra protection from rain tucked in the trees as I was. But the tent was up and it was time to explore the beach.

Olympia's second favorite substance to run in is sand and she pulled against her leash as we made our way through the driftwood and dune grass. The beach was almost empty, so I let Olympia go to allow her the joy of running along in the sand. We made our way to the north end of the beach just below the lighthouse before heading back to camp, quietly rounding out our day.

The rain held off until after we were nicely tucked away in the tent. Although after a night of rain the trees didn't offer too much protection, my original tent placement would have placed me right in the middle of a puddle.

Spring to Winter to Spring Again

Mt St Helens - Road Trip, Spring 2008, 3/23/08

Of all the times I have gone to Mt St Helens, stopping to walk along the lake trail at Silver Lake along the Mt St Helens highway seemed to be put off for another day. Since I had 9 days and a free schedule, why not make today the day to walk along the nature trail at the Silver Lake Visitor Center.

The sun filtered through the clouds as Olympia started out along the boardwalk leading out into the lake. Purple leaves of waterlilies were just beginning to spread out on the lake's surface, they will turn a yellow-green by the end of spring when the blooms speckle the lake. A few ducks drifted along beyond the rushes. Fishermen, too, drifted in their boat. Ever present was Mt St Helens on the horizon.

I was informed by the staff that the road was now open all the way to Coldwater. We drove back through the seasons our way up - from early spring and sprouting foliage around Silver Lake to winter and several feet of snow around Coldwater Lake. Olympia was thrilled to see the snow. She rooted and rolled in the snow, a smile stretching from ear to ear. Anyone who believes that dogs can't smile has never seen Olympia playing in the snow.

On the way back down the mountain, we stopped by the the Forest Learning Center to look down into the Toutle River Valley and the resident elk herd. I could see the elk, small tan ovals the size of grains of rice against the chartreuse lichen, far below. Olympia did her own type of seeing - with her nose. She pressed her nose firmly against the fence, nostrils wiggling, sniffing the breezes for a hint of just where these fantastic beasts were hiding.

Our day was far from over, but our adventure up Mt St Helens was over for today.

Spring Road Trip 2008

Another Spring and another road trip. I had planned to return to the Southwest and backpack through Bryce Canyon. But plans have a way of changing, so then came plans of exploring the Oregon Coast. But weather has a way of changing plans also. What I decided finally was a visit to some old Washington & Oregon favorites and few new sites as well. The best of the final plan was that I'd be able to travel with Olympia, my Yellow Lab mix who has been my companion for the past eight years - longer than my husband.

I started out at Mt St Helens then went to Cape Disappointment. From there, I traveled up the Columbia River Gorge for waterfalls and flowers. After a few days there, I continued east to the fabled Wallowa Mountains and the Zumwault Prairie. It was up to Palouse falls before heading home with one tired dog and several stories to tell. Tune in later for those fantastic stories and images.

Totally Tubular

Snoqualmie Pass Tubing Center

Sometimes you just gotta slide down a hill. But when you're as graceful as I am on skis, the next best thing would be to grab a round inflated tube of rubber and go for a ride.

We had been planning for years to head up to the Snoqualmie Tubing Center with friends for some fun in the snow. Finally, our schedules meshed and it didn't more than a second to schedule our laughter and glee.

There really is no better thing to share a laugh with friends.

Issaquah Alps

De Leo Wall, 2/23/08, 6 miles

Simply said, a bright sunny winter day needs to be hiked. I joined with the Mountaineers for a hike in the Issaquah Alps to DeLeo Wall on Cougar Mountain. The sun shone brightly and warmed the air slightly of the deepest of winter chills. Spring proved to be close as we passed shrubs with buds creating a golden green aura in the sunlight.

The Issaquah Alps encircle Issaquah on the southside of town. So close to Seattle and generally snowfree during the winter, they are a wonderful destination for early season hikes. There are 100's of miles of trails in the Alps that contain 3 mountains: Tiger, Squawk, and Cougar.

The trail starts at the Red Town Trailhead and follows through the rolling forest to climb up to a viewpoint overlooking the valley below from Mt Rainier to Seattle. On this day the view was stunning - Mt Rainier shone brightly in the distance and our group pointed out landmarks and details of the valley below.

We had a leisurely lunch in the sun-dappled woods before turning back along the lollipop loop to our cars.

One Beauty of a Day

Mt Rainier, 4 miles, 2/17/08

Cloudless sky, virgin snow, and fog-filled valleys - what could be better? Not much I would think. That was how a recent Sunday greeted us as we snowshoed through the meadows above Paradise. We had no destination in mind, just the exploration of freshly laid snow and to see how far we could go.

It was a fresh clear day after several days of rain in Seattle and snow in the mountains, so the fresh snow beckoned to us as we drove to Mt Rainier. The parking lot near the Jackson Visitor Center was buzzing with activity as people prepared for their day's adventure. Several groups looked to make the summit their adventure's destination while others looked as though a day playing in the snow would not be considered a wasted day. But it didn't take us long before we were enfolded in the muffled world of a winter wonderland.

Snow, frozen on trees glistened against the white hillsides rolling up to the ever present mountain set against the blue sky. Not wanting to destroy the pristine layer of snow, we followed a trail tramped in the snow by those ahead of us to just below the hill leading to Panorama Point. Here we finally broke our own trail to a hill over-looking the valley for a snack break and marveled at the skill of a couple of telemark skiers as they carved their way down the slope.

We soon followed them down the hill then back to the Paradise Inn and the snow play area. Kids were laughing and screaming as they careened down the hill and bounced off the snow banks. It looked like such fun and although the sun was still high in the sky, our day was done.

A little rain must fall

Denny Creek, 6 miles, 2/16/08

I had heard that Franklin Falls below Snoqualmie Pass can be enchanting in the wintertime - with ice covered canyon walls from the spray of the waterfall. This is a sweet little hike during the warmer months that has in the past been an easy stretch of the legs on a sunny afternoon. This would be my 1st trip in the heart of winter when the snows lay deep on the forest floor. My sister tagged along with me hoping for a relaxing day in the trees and snow.

A forest sure can look different between the seasons - dense undergrowth is covered by snow creating a deceptively open environment to explore. But after a while all the trees can look startlingly similar and someone not watching their direction could easily get turned around and lost. Branches that stretch out far above your head will often wetly smack a person in the face as they're weaving through the trunks. And so it went as we left the snow-covered road to tromp to the canyon and waterfall - weave through trees, dodge the snow and rain laden branches.

We paused several times to watch as the creek rushed past us seemingly bouncing off rocks and fallen logs. Icicles formed on the canyon walls as the upper part of the creek cut through the hill. We reached the spot where the trail normally heads down into the canyon to the base of the waterfall, however, we found that at this time of year the way is too steep to safely descend so after a little deliberation, we turned around to find a spot for our snacks and warming hot apple cider.

Even under the canopy of trees, we were not protected against the lightly falling rain and soon resumed our journey back to the car. We met a few other people along the way, but generally enjoyed the solitude a rainy day can give you. The only sounds were the muffled engines from nearby I-90 as skiers raced off the the pass and our sniffling noses.