Category: Uncategorized

We didn’t quite make it to East Peak.  We stopped about where I took that picture and doubled back – we had already done almost all of the elevation gain – the conditions were really bad.

Not the weather, that was OK.  We stumbled into some sort of trail running competition.  Literally, every 45 seconds or so we had to step off the trail and wait for trail runners.  Obnoxious.

We (Mark, Ken, David and I) stopped for coffee afterward and we did get a nice workout and here I am, back home, safe and sound.

Solo, I finally made it to Central Peak.  We were on the right track (see GPS at end) but just didn’t push on far enough.  I took the trail to Central Peak and then, just to see how it was, took the road back down.

Not a bad forest hike at all.

https://adventures.garmin.com/en-US/by/djhiker/squak-mountain-central-peak-4-9-2017#.WOp9hU2QxD9

 

Nice rainy day hike today with Ken and Wendy Mallit, Mark, David, and Carl.

This hike is outside our usual Snoqualmie/Issaquah Alps area.  It is farther north and east, off Highway 2, near Gold Bar.

This trail is amazingly popular.  Even today, a totally rainy day, saw tons of people on the first part of the trail, and a full parking lot (and this lot is large) when we got back about 11:30 or so.

Most of the people are going to Wallace Falls.  If you look at the GPS track:

http://adventures.garmin.com/en-US/by/djhiker/wallace-lake-4-1-2017/#.WOASIk2Qypp

You can see that about 1.5 miles from the trail head the trail splits.  We took the Greg Ball Trail and went to the lake.  This trail was almost empty.  But the falls are magnificent and the hike is fairly easy, so there are hundreds of people on the trail.  A nice hike to try on a rainy week day.

Just over 8 miles, 2K elevation gain, 3.5 hours, a good workout to a beautiful sub-alpine lake.

L-R Mike, Greg, Ken, Mark and Carl.

We met at the May Valley Rd trail head today, starting on the trail Carl and I hiked back on 3/1 but this time veering west at 2.3 miles in to visit Debbie’s View (a spot we visited back in December, via the Margaret’s Way trail).  From there we hit the West Peak en route to the Bullitt Fireplace.

We tried to find Central Peak but didn’t quite make it.  Will try again some time in the next few weeks.

My Garmin did not work (I think I fixed it just now) so no track.  About 8 miles, probably 2K gain (several ups and downs and three or four really steep sections).   A fun hike and a nice workout.

Not a scenic hike on Saturday.  This hike is a good workout through a nice forest but we turned around at the Chybinski Point sign so we did not visit any view points.

It was great to get out with Derek and Ryan, who are going to Alaska in April and trying to get in some hiking before they leave.  So we did this hike in spite of the pouring rain.  Spring (or any other season) in the Puget Sound!

Jan, aka Granny, was babysitting Camden while we hiked.  We took the little guy home and he stayed with us overnight.  What a cutie and he is such a sweet guy.

The plan was to meet Carl, Mike, Ken, Mark and Greg in the Poo Poo Point parking lot at 7:30 but I figured since all those guys are faster hikers than me – particularly on a really steep trail like Chirico – I would start a few minutes early.  So I left the lot about 7:10 or so, and I believe they wound up heading up about 7:25.

In either case, I hit the summit and hung out there for a few minutes before they made their way to the top.  Fun outing.  Nice view, as above, and this is where hangliders/paragliders launch when the weather is decent.  There are several launching points:

There is gear up at the top but none of us knows what it is:

I descended with Mike (who shared the happy news that he is retiring in June) who pointed out a cool spiral staircase going up a tree in a nearby back yard:

Nice place to hang out on a sunny day, and a good spot from which to check out the hang gliders gliding by.

Our track:

http://adventures.garmin.com/en-US/by/djhiker/poo-poo-point-3-11-2017/#.WMRWdk2QxD-

 

Nice, vigorous hike today with Mark, Greg and Carl.  We parked by the side of the road just off exit 20 – High Point – and started hiking about 7:30.  By  the time we got back at 10:30 the road was jammed:

There is a Murat Bridge, a memorial to someone who died in 2013 at the age of 33.  I am going to try to figure out who he/she was.  Impressive they inspired such a nice bridge:

We were glad we had our micro-spikes along, it was pretty icy for the last mile or so.  Wintry and snowy on the summit:

And of course on the peaks around here you share the summit with technology:

Nice workout, lots of fun.  We are so lucky to live around here!

The track:

http://adventures.garmin.com/en-US/by/djhiker/west-tiger-2-via-k3/#.WLssx02QxD8

 

Our goal was the central peak on Squak Mountain.  We started at the May Valley Road trail head.  We didn’t quite make it; we went past the Bullitt Fireplace (named for a local rich guy who used to own the mountain; his house burned down a long time ago, leaving only the chimney) looking for the peak.  We turned around when the trail started going down, but looking at the Garmin track:

http://adventures.garmin.com/en-US/by/djhiker/squak-mountain-3-1-2017/#.WLcrgU2QxD8

It looks like we needed to keep going where we turned around.  Live and learn.

Although this hike is not arduous (but in the slushy, slick snow pretty challenging) and there are no terrific views.  However, the woods are beautiful:

And we had a great time and a very nice workout.

I met Carl and Mark this morning at 7:30 at the Exit 27 Rattlesnake Mountain trail head and we hiked the four miles to Grand Prospect.

On the way down we saw an unusual sight: a trail-running couple with a ram on a leash.  By ‘ram’ I mean a huge, goat-like animal with horns.  Running along with them.  On a leash.

I am glad I had witnesses because who would believe me?

We put our spikes on for the descent, as the trail got pretty icy towards Grand Prospect.  Lower down, no snow, then a little snow packed down, then some pretty deep stuff – very beautiful.

I have already mapped this mountain several times so I didn’t bring the Garmin today.  It is about 2K elevation gain, 8 miles round trip.  Lots of fun and a great workout.

I forgot the camera today – too bad, since there is a nice view at the top – but I did bring the Garmin.  Link to the track below.

I met Ken and Carl in the parking lot and the plan was to go to Tiger #1.  I believe they did go on but I turned around at Poo Poo Point.  This hike is a bit steeper than I thought and I want to save my legs for Saturday.

Anyway, a day off from work and a decent workout, it’s all good.

http://adventures.garmin.com/en-US/by/djhiker/chirico-trail-to-poo-poo-point-2-22-2017/#.WK3pLE2Qw5s