Month: March 2021

I did my typical Tiger Mountain conditioning hike. Up Section Line, down Nook, Bus and Wetlands trails, etc. No big deal but I am looking to ramp up to 3 hikes a week and this morning counts as this week’s #1.

My big hiking plans kind of fizzled yesterday. I brought my snowshoes and rain pants and was all ready to head up the NF9021 service road into the deep snow and enjoy the solitude. I parked along SE Homestead Valley Rd (right off Exit 38) and hiked up the mostly snow-free start of the road. When I got to Garcia there was plenty of snow but it was useless: slushy, and not suitable for spikes or snow shoes.

Were it a weekday I would have turned around and gone back to the car and driven up the road to the Dirty Harry’s trail head but it was a Saturday and I knew it would be packed. At one point along the PTC I could look north across the freeway to the area of that lot and I could see the cars were parked way down the road. So I headed west on the PTC, made it to Hall Creek bridge (where the Zig Zag Trail starts) and turned around.

It turned out to be 6 miles. The first mile is semi-steep so I cannot say I was a total laggard yesterday, but it really wasn’t a tough one at all.

When I finished I headed down Highway 18 to Maple Valley where I picked up the grand kids, Cam and Fin. They stayed overnight, we had a great time (Derek came and got them today; the four of us went to the local mall, whereas Jan and Brittany drove south to the Southcenter Mall) and that was the big thrill of this weekend.

Forecast for next week is pretty good and I am thinking of heading up Margaret’s Way tomorrow and who knows? on Wednesday. Lots of choices – soon I will be checking out Mount Washington and I will ramp up my Sourdough training.

The PTC may not be very challenging but it is a nice place to visit:

North

I was going to go to Grand Prospect today but I didn’t quite make it. Even with the spikes trudging uphill on icy snow is a bit wearing. I will try again next week. Either the conditions will be more favorable or I will be just a bit stronger.

As always, what I see is not well represented by what I can capture with the camera but I was really interested in the beauty of the trail, with the snow and the little pieces of fir tree:

And also as always, I just love the forest above Stan’s:

I am definitely psyched about the fact that spring, and then summer, are just around the corner. Better hikes will soon be available (as the avalanche danger recedes) and I will be training in earnest for Sourdough Mountain. Onward!

I did a nice 5.5 miler this morning. I took Section Line, Talus Rocks etc. but this time, instead of going back via Bus Trail and Wetlands Trail I did the Swamp Trail and the Big Tree Trail to Puget Power and then down.

There is a new sign for the Swamp Trail:

The signs along the trail tell the story of Zoe the raccoon and her adventures daring the “Swamp Monster” (spoiler: it’s a frog with a loud croak). And the swamp? Right here:

Anyway, nice hike. It was supposed to be partly cloudy but in fact it was partly rainy but that’s OK. March in the PNW.