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.

Zion

3/30/07-3/31/07

I arrived at Zion just as the sun was setting. I knew I would need to get to the campground as soon as possible - this is where I planned to stay but Zion fills up rather quickly on the weekends. And sure enough, I backed into one of the last two campsites available - handicapped. Hey! The campground host said I could. My plan was to take a few little day hikes then start my long journey home. The ranger at the visitor's center gave me a few ideas including Emerald Pools, Weeping Wall, and the River Walk to get a good feel of the park.

I visited the park on a Saturday, the last day before Zion went into their busy season. I would hate to tell them this but if their busy season starts on April 1st and April 1st is a Sunday, they had better darn well fire up the shuttle buses the day before the busy season. By 10 in the morning, cars were lining the road at the trail heads - not a parking spot was found. I was able to slip into the Emerald Pools and the Weeping Wall, but there was no way I could get into the River Walk - there were just too many people, too many cars.

However, the beauty of Zion is remarkable. I found the scenery more of a reflection of what I had seen before in New Mexico and dry high mountain areas. Unlike Capitol Reef and Bryce, where I gazed in wonder at the desert and sandstone formations, I admired Zion for its comforting trees and high valley walls.

As I left Zion (past a line of cars at the fee station a 1/2 mile long), I realized I would need to plan vacations for the next 10 years to fully explore just the places I had seen on this 1 trip.

Springtime Snow

Rattlesnake Ridge 4/15/07 8 miles

Continuing on our conditioning for climbing Mt St Helens, Michael & I decided to traverse Rattlesnake Ridge near North Bend. This hike is 11 miles from start to finish - from the east end of the mountain to the west with a 2000 foot elevation gain. Not the conditioning hike Mt Si can be, but a good stamina booster. However, we didn't expect the late season snowfall that would contribute to our turning around.

Our plan was to start at the Rattlesnake Ledge trail head and continue to the other end at Snoqualmie Point. The last time we hiked the trail all the way through, the WTA had still been working on it. I was interested in seeing what they had done. We saw the dusting of snow atop Rattlesnake and the other mountains surrounding North Bend as we drove to the trail head. I thought this might make for an interesting hike.

Our initial climb to the ledge went smoothly, fog had settled in around the lake which gave the new green of the forest a soft quality. A few birds could be heard calling back to one another, possibly catching up on overnight happenings. The view that greeted us from the rocky ledge was partially obscured as the clouds drifted about the mountains - Mt Si and the other mountains across the valley played peek-a-boo with us.

We continued up the mountain. It wasn't too long before we reached the snow we had seen from the highway. Already the glimpses of sun had started melting what snow rested in the branches overhead. The resulting melt felt as if we were hiking in the rain - big heavy drops splashed on our packs, arms and hats. Every now and then a small frigid clump of wet soggy snow would let loose invariably hitting my neck or ear.

But that wasn't the worst of it. When we had hiked Mt Si the week before, there was no snow at the top. Mt Si is higher than Rattlesnake. We didn't envision the amount of snow we would run into on the trail. Approximately two feet of snow still lay in wide trail that once was a road. We were not prepared for this. On top of the snow on the ground, more snow had begun to fall around us. After a brief discussion, we decided not to chance it and turned around to head back to Rattlesnake Ledge and the lake below. Our day of happy springtime hiking cut short by snowfall.