Cleaning Up

Earth Day, April 21, 2007

Every year for Earth Day, I head out to the Washington Coast to help clean up the beaches. It's an event organized by lovers of the Washington Coast since 2000. I've taken part in the endeavor for 5 years now. I first went out by myself but gradually friends and family joined me (even a friend from Oklahoma joined us one year) and we've made it our "first" camping trip and good deed of the year. We've found that cleaning up the winter debris is a way for us to get a fresh start on our year.

I was joined this year by Michael & my sister as we once again picked our way through the beaches at Kalaloch in the Olympic National Park. However, there isn't a stretch of waterfront during this weekend that by now doesn't have a cleaning crew scouring over the drift logs and rocks. We spent a drizzly morning picking up rope, plastic, shoes, and bottles - we even found an industrial crab pot to drag off the beach (those things are damn heavy). In the afternoon we joined other volunteers for a BBQ at the campground. By now the drizzle had become more serious and it didn't take us too long to decide that heading home would be much warmer and drier.

You could be asking why it took so long to write this entry. I wanted to wait for the weekend's stats from the organizers. And here they are: 806 registered volunteers pulled 23 tons of debris off the Washington beaches. Among the debris were 14 crab pots and 2 refrigerators as well as tires, nets, buoys and 55 gallon drums. That's a lot of garbage, not easy to haul off the beaches. The volunteers, all of them - even the unregistered ones - deserve a standing ovation for their hard work.

It's a never ending job, cleaning Washington's beaches. Every year storms deposit more trash. Every weekend tourists leave something behind. I will be there next year. Will you join me?

A Grand Opening

Mount Rainier National Park, May 5, 2007

I could feel the anticipation from the crowd, the excitement of the park staff, the satisfaction from the mountain. May 5th started out a warm, brilliant day filled with hope and joy. As we drove to the Nisqually entrance of Mt Rainier National Park, Michael & I noted that the mountain must have known what was about to transpire - she was gleaming in the morning sun, happy to welcome visitors back onto her flanks.

Of course being Adventure Girl, I couldn't let this auspicious occasion pass without my presence. I had already missed one re-opening this spring - that of the Hoh River Road in the Olympic National Park just days before. This event had to be attended.

Now for those of you who haven't been paying attention, the Northwest was devastated by a series of winter storms this past November & December. For the past 6 months the Hoh River Rd and the entirety of Mt Rainier National Park have been closed due to the damage. Damage seems such a mild word for what took place. It was a complete reshaping of the landscape. In just a few days time river carved new paths wiping out roads, trails, bridges and campgrounds. Hardly a park or forest between northern Oregon and southern British Columbia remained unscathed. And there lies even more damage as the snow melts and reveals what has been hidden beneath for the past 6 months.

But today we were celebrating. Celebrating the hard work and efforts of park staff, government agencies, and the all powerful volunteer. We heard stories of the dedicated crews working 10-12 hour shifts for days on end; having to be shooed away by the superintendent on Easter Sunday. But they refused to give up - it was more important for them to give Washington's crown jewel back to her people.

I thank you all. But more work needs to be done, not only in Mt Rainier and Olympic but in all the forests of our beautiful Cascades and Olympics. Lets get together this summer and help rebuild a trail.

An Early Season Hike

Barclay Lake 4/29/07 4 miles

To round out my weekend of hikes, I took my friend M.M. on a short but sweet hike to Barclay Lake. Only a scant 2 miles in to the lake with a minimal elevation gain it's a wonderful way to spend a quiet Sunday afternoon. Barclay Lake is overlooked in many hiking guides, but it's not to be missed.

I first discovered this little alpine gem nestled in thick forest when my father died. After a week of funeral preparations and mourning, I was ready for a hike. However Michael, worried about my physical endurance after such an ordeal, limited our outing to no more than 5 miles round trip and as flat as possible. I stumbled across Barclay Lake on the forest service website and thought it fit the bill perfectly. And in more than one way it did.

My father was one of my greatest inspirations when it came to both my love of photography and my love of the outdoors. A hike to a little lake nestled amongst the trees at the base of towering monoliths of the proposed Wild Sky Wilderness Area gave me time to reflect on what all dad had left me with. I left there with a renewed sense of where I wanted to be in life and the desire to accomplish my goals.

As M.M. is one of my best friends, I wanted to share this special hike with her on this April Sunday afternoon. We meandered through the woods, over and past blow-downs from the previous winter's storms, stopping to examine a few wildflowers and admire the lush greenery around us. After crossing Barclay Creek, it's only a short climb to the lake shore, almost hidden in the thick greenery. Snow lingered here still, but we made our way to a little log that over looked the lake. The clouds were lying low on the mountains so we weren't able to gaze on immense Barclay Mountain. But that didn't matter to us - we quietly sat on our log, eating cheese and crackers admiring the view, the silence, and each other's company. It wasn't until a few raindrops splattered on our faces that we packed up and head back out to the trail head.

"Dry" Run

Mt St Helens 4/28/07 5 miles

In preparation for our climb in May, Michael and I decided to hike as far as we were allowed on Mt St Helens to get a feel of where we'd be heading in a few weeks - it would be our "dry" run. I emphasize dry because within a few yards of the trail head for the winter climbing route we ran into snow. Well, duh, this is the winter climbing route. Normally, people who want to climb to the crater of Mt St Helens head to the climber's bivouac and then the Monitor Ridge route. In the winter, climbers start at the Marble Mountain sno-park trail head and add another mile to their climb each way.

We were a bit apprehensive before climbing out of our car and heading up the trail after the climbers heading to the top. We appraised the climbers' gear - everything from daypacks to skis - and their fitness level - everything from Joe Average to Adonis. OK, we thought, this gives us no idea how other people are preparing for the climb. Sure we had the list from the Forest Service web-site but we wanted to see what people actually brought along with us. As a fall-back we decided to follow the recommended list from the Forest Service for our climb in two weeks. Better to be over-prepared than under, I always say.

We climbed to treeline about 2 1/2 miles in and found a nice perch to sit and have lunch as we watched the climbers make their way up the mountain. The climbing ranger had mentioned it before she skied off down the hill. I thought, skis would be nice to have - too bad I'm such a klutz on them as I watched her gently glide away.

We watched for some time, as the line of ant-like climbers made their way up the snow, the clouds drifting apart every now and then to expose the crater rim. Must have been a beautiful sight from the rim - I could imagine the crater below and stretching off north, the Cascades and Puget Sound and at the center of the scene rose Mt Rainier. I was still somewhat apprehensive, remembering my failed attempt several years ago. But the thought of seeing for myself that fabulous view made me want to try all the more.

Micheal was there to evaluate the trail and happily he came back with a healthy prognosis - we could do this. All we need to do is take our time, play it safe and we'd have one more accomplishment under our belts. Come back in a few weeks to find out how we did.

Springtime Wildflowers

Twin Falls 4/27/07 3 miles

Due to computer maintenance at work, I was able to take an early day on Friday. And what better way to spend a free Friday afternoon than to go on a short little hike? I had recommended Twin Falls near North Bend to a friend who was needing some alone time in the woods - it's an easier hike to a waterfall cascading through a black rock canyon. I however, invited another friend to go with me.

J.H. is from Georgia, she's been here for some time but seeing the northwest woods through her eyes made me appreciate my home all the more. For instance, did you know in Georgia the rivers are brown - not clear as they are here in the northwest? I was also pleased to point out some our woodland wildflowers: trillium, bleeding heart, scouler's corydallis, woodland violet, siberian miner's lettuce.

We ventured along the trail as it rambled next to the river, watching as the spring run-off bounced and tumbled over the rocks. The trail then head's up over a hill to an overlook looking across the canyon to the falls. We sat admiring the horsetail shaped falls before heading down the hill and up the other side to the bridge spanning the river.

We took our time along the trail - admiring all that nature had given us on this day - in true trail turtle mode. We weren't out for any speed records, we were out to enjoy each other's company, nature's brilliance, and a little time off from work.

The Perfect Image

I took this picture while driving through Southern Utah on my solo road-trip of exploration. (Previous blog entries detail my trip - too many to link here) Just south of Cedar City, the snow began to flutter down, at first looking as it was raining but definitely whiter and lighter. I zipped past this old abandoned ranch while looking for a rest area and knew immediately in the split second to see the old cabin in the trees that this was my shot. The perfect image for my trip. I quickly turned around to this spot in the highway, jumped out of my car into the wind and snow while wearing shorts and t-shirt, shot a couple of shots and continued on my way, a smile on my face. This is the image that defined my trip - solitude in the wilderness even close to population, with the weather whipping up its own troubles. I saw myself as that cabin that stood partially hidden in the trees with civilization so close yet with a feeling of being alone in the wilderness. Even with the snow I felt a sense of perfection while on my trip and am reminded of my thoughts as I gaze into this image. For me, this image sums up my trip, standing with the trees even in the snow. I wouldn't trade this image for anything, nor would I trade my experiences on the trip.

The Road Home

3/31/07-4/1/07

When I left Zion and headed north towards home, I was ready to leave. It had been a long week, full of adventure and beautiful sights. I thought I may make a detour or two, but ended up driving straight home - back the way I had come. North through Utah, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. In all I had driven over 3000 miles to see the southwest a glorious wonderland.

But the northwest beckoned and I needed to heed the call. I was going home with stories to tell and pictures to show. I hope you enjoyed the stories and images I have shared. And maybe, you might decide to travel there yourself.