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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.

I did a pretty easy 5-miler today. It was drizzly and there was a lot of very slick snow on the ground just a few feet above the PTC Trail so I just went east to the start of the Olallie Trail (discovering a small side trail along the way that bears more investigation), turned around, did the Christmas Lake Trail, then wandered over to Rattlesnake Lake and then back to the car.

I snapped the photo above on the north side of Christmas Lake, looking south rather than my usual spot on the west side of the lake looking east.

I love this rock, which looks like it would be a challenge for the rock climbers:

I think I only saw four or five people all day, it was just drizzly and cool and slick. But still fun, and much better than just hanging out indoors. Also, I was energized today because I got my first Covid vaccine yesterday. Progress!

I couldn’t stand not hiking so I went out today, in spite of a nasty forecast. “Heavy rain” followed by thunderstorms. But tough. My commitment was rewarded when the forecast turned out to be bogus. It did not rain at all. I made it to Stan’s safe and dry.

However, I did get to appreciate the fact that when I hike I always pack my micro-spikes. Today they were needed. The last .75 mile or so was hard-packed snow, slippery and not easy to navigate. When I put on the spikes, no prob.

Stan’s is not a huge deal but it does have a bench and a picnic table, neither very inviting today.

For the first time ever, mine was the only car in the parking lot as I left the lot and started on the trail:

I need to pick up the pace and not let the weather deter me. My plan to do Sourdough Mountain in August is going to require some training and the sooner I get serious about it the better.

Not sure if what I did today – I walked the Sammamish River Trail from Bothell Landing to the top of Heart Attack Hill on the Tolt Pipeline Trail (and back) a total of about 10 miles. With one butt-kicking hill. But no forest. Is that a hike?

I am hoping for a hike tomorrow, weather permitting.

I did a quick Stan’s Overlook hike this morning. I took a slightly different route going back down and the total mileage was about 4.05 miles. Plenty of snow, it was really nice.

One of the benefits of living near both ocean and mountains is that the climate is fairly benign but in the winter you can drive to the mountains and enjoy all the snow you want. Without having to drive in it.

However, we may get some lowland snow in the next few days. The problem with lots of snow is not hiking (or snowshoeing) but getting to the hikes. We do not have a great infrastructure for dealing with snowy streets around here.

Anyway, a decent workout, and a fun time.

As always my lack of camera skills and a great camera mean that the pictures I take are very pale imitations of nature. The stump in this pic was really attractive. I was thinking of one of those paint-by-number oil painting kits. A real colorist would be able to identify all the different shades of green but on the trail I was only able to distinguish maybe five different hues. The wood was several different but similar colors, and the little fungus was a nice off-white. Very nice.

My hike was from E. Sunset lot to Adventure Trail, up Section Line, down Nook, etc. This bridge is about 3/4 way up the Section Line trail. On the way down, I was on the Bus Trail, figuring to do my usual Wetlands route but there were a lot of people (and I am not vaccinated yet) on the Bus Trail so I detoured down the Around The Lake Trail back to Puget Power Trail. That means I got to see Tradition Lake:

A decent workout, nice way to start a Sunday.

It has been rainy all week but today I couldn’t take it any longer and I decided to head out to Rattlesnake Mountain. The best news about hiking on a rainy day is that you have the trail almost to yourself. I saw maybe 4 people the entire time, including a guy with his pooch when I got to Stan’s.

This side of the mountain is full of bike trails:

And there are plenty of reminders of the long history of logging. This used to be an old, old tree:

Just under 4 miles, a decent workout, I will see how it goes this weekend but I am hoping to get out on Sunday.