Looking North
I got a decent hike in today but it was a strange day for traveling.
My plan was to drive to Carnation and explore the Tolt-McDonald Park. Jan and I were there once, and I was there alone one time, but there are a lot of trails, including some steep ones, and I wanted to check it out in more detail. En route to Carnation, via the Woodinville-Duvall Road, I encountered a totally closed down stretch of the road.
I backtracked and took what I thought would be a decent detour. Alas, this road was also blocked a few miles down. I went farther north, to Avondale, and took that to SR202 and took that to Fall City, and then headed toward the freeway. I stopped for coffee at the coffee shop just off Exit 22 and the barista asked me if I was going west and, if so, good luck, construction. Freeway backed up for miles.
I decided to head east, to Exit 38, to check out the route from the Homestead Valley Parking lot to Deception Crags, a popular rock climbing area with a Porto-San and a picnic table, where I am planning to travel with Jan at midnight on 8/13 to view the Perseids meteor shower.
I went past the picnic table to the Change Creek Trail, just past the large blowdown at about 6 mile up the trail:
Blowdown
I got past if but due to the amazing road adventures I heaeded back down. Too bad; the blowdown can be skirted and it would be nice to travel farther.
On the way back I exited at Exit 22, just as the freeway clogging began. The freeway is down to one lane from Exit 20 to about Exit 11 (roughly) and was backed up two miles east of that. Yikes!
I went back on SR202, to 520, to the 405 freeway and back home. I will not be traveling in that direction again any time soon. Too bad, as that is where most of my hikes are.
Bummer! I will have to head north, I guess, In fact, I might go back to Cascade Pass on Thursday.
