Can I have a Christmas Tree?

View toward Granite Mountain

I cannot believe I set out for a hike in early December.  I intended to try the Ida Springs trail, which leads to Mason Lake, knowing that I wasn't going to make it all the way because of snow.  I didn't expect to get turned back at the beginning of road but it was unplowed and folks were heading strapping on their snowshoes a good three miles short of the trailhead.  Since I had neither snowshoes nor interest in walking on a road, I got back on I-90, with the intention of going to Annette Lake.  As I approached a tee in the road, planning to turn left I came upon a cluster of cars and trucks in various states of disarray. One car was stopped in the middle of the road to install chains and it seemed fruitless to wait.  I turned right instead, but why? It was uncharted territory and didn't go anywhere that I wanted to go.  Argh! There were cars and trucks stuck all over the place and while I wasn't concerned about getting stuck by losing traction, I was worried about getting high-centered or stuck without an easy way out.  After a mile or two on a narrow, slippery, heavily rutted road I came to a tee in the road where I turned around to look for a better alternative. 

I found it on the north side of I-90 at the Granite Mountain trailhead.  This is a tough slog any time of year.

Near the end of the trail

Looking south, across the valley

Self portraits are tricky!

The first mile of the trail heads toward  Pratt Lake up to a sign pointing right, and up to Granite Mountain. The next mile of the trail was quite a bit steeper but still in the forest.  Finally, the trail reaches a steep clearing, commonly known as an avalanche chute.  I had checked the snow conditions on the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC) web site before I left home and the conditions were moderate at all elevations and aspects.  The snow was crusted over and settled confirming the online report.  Half way across the first chute a boot trail headed straight up the fall line, which has to be nearly 40 degrees.  I wasn't up for that level of exertion so I continued on the normal trail, noticing that fewer hikers had traveled before me and the trail was narrower with more "postholes" left by hikers who stepped off the beaten path.

The trail switches up through the trees before entering another avalanche chute.  Again a set of tracks veered straight up the slope and the "primary trail turned to two sets of tracks, one up and one down.  After another 100 feet or so, the person who had been breaking trail turned back, as did I.

All in all it was a great day to be in the mountains. It was sunny, cool,and plenty windy, but it beat lying on the couch.

Is it ski season yet?

I was tempted to go skiing today but I woke up too late and I'm not convinced there is enough snow yet, unless I rent some sacrificial skis.  So, in preparation for an evening of too much turkey and the associated goodies, it was time for Poo Poo Point, in Issaquah. Snow from earlier in the week lingered in the parking lot and on the trail.  The footing was more than a little treacherous, especially on the rocky steps in the lower section.  A passing hiker stopped to alert me to the high south winds in the meadow just short of the summit.  Although I didn't probe him at the time he left we wondering what I should be so worried about.  Was it the wind chill?  Perhaps there was danger that trees would start toppling over. In any case I decided to take my chances, knowing full well I could turn back at any time.


I reached the summit after an hour or so and enjoyed watching clouds blowing by at a fast clip.  Sqauk Mountain was covered in snow and capped in clouds.

I scrambled up about 50 feet higher to inspect the wind socks and other equipment.

The sign forbidding launches with horses present seemed a bit ironic as there was neither a glider nor a horse within miles.  It wasn't as windy as I expected because the trees were blocking the south wind.  I noticed a couple of unusual pieces of equipment. 

The EarthScope project is funded by the National Science Foundation to study plate tectonics, earthquakes, and other geological issues.  It's not exactly clear what equipment is installed on West Tiger Mountain, but it seems to be a highly precise GPS device that measures the location of the sensor over the years and decades.  Geophysicists can look at the movement of these units relatives to one another and make inferences about the movement of plates.

The cross-section below shows the Pacific Plate subducting under the North American Plate, which has given rise (pun intended) to the volcanic peaks in the Cascade Range, including Mount Rainier.  This type of plate boundary is responsible for major earthquakes around the world and if magnitude 8 or 9 tremor hit the Puget Sound region there would be massive damage and loss of life.  But enough happy thoughts for now.

 

Source:  http://www.earthscope.org/science/convergent_margins

Lake Olallie in the Snow

The weather yesterday was immeasurably better than a week ago and in fact it was better than forecasted.  Although there were a few clouds, the sun was poking out and it was around 40 degrees at the trailhead.  An industrious couple was bucking a blown down tree, loading rounds into the back of their truck.  I compared notes with a young hiker named Albert who was planning to scale Granite Mountain for the first time.  I suggested he watch for signs of avalanches danger as he crossed the steep shoots half way up.  We walked together to the trail junction where he turned sharply up and to the right while I continued on west toward Lake Olallie and Pratt Lake.  I passed a few hikers on the way up but it was, for the most part, quiet and peaceful.  The trail was muddy, especially at the beginning, but as the trail gained elevation, the mud gave way to snow- first a dusting and 6 inches and then a foot.

Snow dusting on the trail with the sun peaking through.

The trail crosses several small streams that were especially pretty in the snow.

Snow covered log draped across a stream.

 There was a couple on snowshoes at the Lake Olallie junction.  They hadn't been to the lake and seemed skeptical that it was passable without snowshoes.  Undaunted, I continued through the forest crossing the outlet stream and turning right at the tee (the trail to the left drops down to Talapus).  At first the trail was a soft and the walking tough but soon I passed two groups of snowshoers heading down and the path was easy cruising to the Lake.  I expected the lake to be clear of ice but I was pleasantly surprised to see that about one half of the surface was covered with ice.

Lake Olallie

Curvy snow patterns on the lake.

Snow covered board walk with well over a foot of snow.

 I continued to the north end of the lake and followed a single set of boot tracks up the slope, off trail.  The tracks were small suggesting a female hiker and as approached the Pratt Lake trail, a woman retracing her tracks confirmed my suspicion.  I intersected the trail at about 4,100 feet where there was up to 18 inches of snow in the clearings.  

I hightailed it to the car to make it back for appetizers and "The Nowhere Boy", a story about John Lennon's teenage years.  I recommend it for those who like independent films.  

Kendall's Katwalk- The snowy approach

Thirty three degrees Fahrenheit and a light rain, is it any wonder the parking lot was deserted?  A family showed up and played in the slush for a bit while I gathered my gear: leaky boots? check.  corroded rain shell? check. inoperative satellite tracker? check.  The last one deserves a little explanation. After months (years?) of hassling me for hiking alone, my wife got me a SPOT for my birthday. I opened the box and discovered a small orange device that sends a signal to satellites that can be used to provide one's location in case of an emergency. I don't know what the SPOT cost but it is $100/year to activate the minimal service and it goes up from there.  I programmed the device online (after firing up my credit card) and checked in on my patio. It worked as advertised and sent an email with my latitude and longitude. The following week I tried it at the trail and it was dead. I figured I had left the power on and drained the batteries, so yesterday I purchased two extra packs of lithium AAA batteries. It's still dead!  I hope their customer service is good because they owe me a new one.

Back to the trail.  Once I was in the woods, the canopy blocked most of the rain and the trail was in decent shape.  The snow was only a couple of inches deep until I popped into the first clearing where it was probably 6 inches deep.  Guye Peak poked through the foggy gloom to the southwest.

There were two sets of boot tracks going up as far as the Commonwealth Basin cutoff, and then there were none.  It was quiet in the snow and fog and just a little spooky as I got a mile or so past the last sign of anyone else.  Soon enough, a younger fitter hiker came up behind me. We chatted for a bit and he told me he was scouting locations for AT skiing in the winter.  I cranked up my speed a bit but I was no match and soon he was out of sight.

I made it another mile or so before deciding to turn back. I figured I was at about 4,800 feet and the snow in clearings was about a foot deep.  My legs were beat and my energy level was low because I've been fighting a cold.  In any case, it wasn't long before my erstwhile companion passed me on the way down.  Again I tried to stay with him, which was a little easier going down. Still he pulled away.  A few minutes went by and I noticed he was stopped in his tracks looking at something on the trail.  Do you know what kind of tracks these are he asked?  I was pretty sure they were dog tracks but he stuck with me until we came across two other hikers, and their dog.  We passed them together and hit a slight upgrade, which hit me like a log.  I suggested he go ahead, and I slogged back to the car wet and weary, ready for the ski season to hit.

Rock with interesting patterns.

On the Trail Again

Two weeks ago yesterday I rolled my ankle playing basketball, which kept me off the court for two weeks and off the trail for three long weeks.  The swelling went down slowly but decided to give it a shot on an easy one- Rattlesnake Ledge.  I also wanted to experiment with the GPS capabilities of my new DROID 2 phone. I discovered that it doesn't like to be in the woods as much as I do. The location of all of the photos was identical, and wrong by several miles.  Oops!  Although the weather has been rainy of late, it was pretty decent for an early November morning. The temperature was in the low 50s and it stayed dry, if foggy, during the outing. I saw a couple of dozen hearty souls on the trail, which is about 10 percent of the typical traffic on this route.

The understory on the lower section of the trail is covered with moss, as seen on this photo of gracefully curving vine maples.  After a couple of small switchbacks the trail climbs on a gentle grade heading to the southwest.  Finally, with the sound of a small creek ahead, the trail cuts back 180 degrees, avoiding the boundary of the Cedar River Watershed, which is protected for the City of Seattle's water supply.

The trail steepens at this point letting one's legs know that the summit won't be had without a little work.  Two switchbacks later there is a sign pointing right to Rattlesnake Ledge and left to Rattlesnake Ridge, a 12 mile point-to-point hike that I plan to try someday. The view from the summit was obscured by fog, which didn't do much for me, but the trees seemed to enjoy are the moisture.

Test post from Droid

Can it be done? One can only imagine the feeling of frustration that a budding blogger might feel trying to type some pithy words on a tiny keyboard.  Still recovering from a bellyful of beef at the Metropolitan Grill last night. Three generations of Wagoner men reminiscing on days and generations gone by. Everything from Dad's prohibition busting, country club-forming grandfather to Elon's escape from a Canadian boarding school.  Austin learned a lot about the family last night!

Seattle Sunset

Snapped this shot on the way to the Steelhead Diner a few weeks ago. The sun was just about to drop below the Olympic Mountains on a spectacular late fall evening.  We enjoyed a nice meal before heading to the Seattle Center for Part 2 of Book-Its adaptation of Cider House Rules. It was an engaging performance right down to the end, when the cast gave presents to the departing art director who was moving to bigger productions in NYC.

Lake Annette

Only three cars dotted the Annette Lake lot at 8:00 a.m.  The thermometer hovered just above freezing, marking the coolest night of the season.  Annette Lake is the last trail on the south side of I-90 west of Snoqualmie Pass and one of the few lakes on the south side of I-90. Until about 4 years ago, a bridge crossed Humpback Creek adjacent to the parking lot but a large storm washed it out.  Now, the trail starts with a short stretch on the west side of Humpback Creek before crossing over the water on a sturdy new bridge, with lots of clearance.

The trail winds up another 1/2 mile or so, crossing under two sets of powerlines before hitting the John Wayne Trail, a former railroad grade converted for use by bikers and hikers.  The Annette Lake trail continues up though an mixed conifer forest with almost no undergrowth giving the area an open airy feel.  Hugging the south side of the creek valley the trail was shaded all the way to the lake. In one spot, dead ferns were dusted with frost, indicating that winter is just around the corner.  The lake was abandoned when I arrived just after 9:30 and the trail crossing Humpback Creek at the outlet of the lake beckoned.

I hadn't tried to go this direction for years and it seemed that in prior years, the trail stopped at the creek.

Now, there are a pair of logs making a nice bridge, which provides access to 4 or 5 nice camping spots.


The trail ends at the last spot near the south end of the lake, which signaled time for me to return to the car.

I must have passed 40 people as I headed down, which made me glad to have gotten such an early start.

Trail details can be found here:

Rachel Lake- kinda

I intended to go to Rampart Lakes today but WSDOT had other plans.  About a mile east of the Snoqualmie Pass summit I noticed a trio of WSDOT trucks ahead on the shoulder of the road. Faster than a bunny, they pulled directly in front of me, blocked all three lanes of traffic. While my original plans were grinding to a halt in the name of road widening, a quick exit at Hyak opened other options.  I crossed under I-90 and continued east on the paved frontage road approaching the construction area. The road narrowed, turned to gravel and curved both up and to the north.  After passing the Lake Margret parking lot the road climbed to a pass at about 4,800 feet and while there were several spur roads, none obviously led to a trail.  The road dropped more than 1,500 feet heading toward Lake Kachess. Along the way, I spotted a road to the left and came across three men foraging for chanterelle mushrooms. I chatted with one who explained they picked the tan and white ones and left the "plastic ones with a hole in the center" alone. Although it seemed like good advice, I'll stick with the markets for my fungi unless I have an experienced guide. After driving a couple of miles further I spotted a familiar intersection and turned left toward the Rachel Lake parking area.

For the first time all year the parking lot at the trailhead was completely abandoned. It made sense considering how hard it was raining in Seattle but as luck would have it the skies were holding their water in abeyance, at least for the time being.  The trail was another matter and it must have been raining in the area quite recently.  There was a combination of small torrents flowing right down the trail and many muddy low spots that required nimble feet to have any hope of dry feet.  There were some great views of Box Canyon Creek blasting over boulders and under logs on the way up.

The trail follows Box Canyon Creek along a gentle grade for about two and one half miles before it crosses a side creek and heads steeply up a headwall to reach the lake.  Unfortunately, the creek was high and the stepping stones and rocks were awash with swift water.  I studied the crossing for several minutes weighing my options.  While I was reasonably confident I could make it across on the way up, I was concerned that the heavens might let loose a mighty downpour, which would make the return crossing more treacherous, especially in the late afternoon with failing light.  That, and the lack of company on the hike made the choice easy, if somewhat disappointing, and back to the car I headed.

I drove the same route on the return trip and explored a couple of the side roads near the top of the pass.  This proved nearly as risky as the creek ford.  One stretch of road was rutted at least 1 1/2 feet on a steep grade and it proved necessary to straddle the rut to keep from high-centering the Highlander.  I didn't relish the idea of hiking out if I got the vehicle stuck so I was glad to make it back to the main road safely.

For the traditional route to Rachel Lake, see:  Rachel Lake Trail Description

Foggy at the bottom and foggy at the top

Rattlesnake Ledge is one of the classically easy suburban hikes near Seattle. The trail is incredibly popular, even on a gloomy day like today.  A bank of low clouds hung tightly to the ground at the trailhead and didn't let up for a moment during the trek up.  The trail was in excellent shape following a gentle grade parallel to the shore of Rattlesnake Lake, which is low pending the onset of autumn rains. It was a bit surprising to see joggers on the way down the trail as I worked my way up but it is a testament to the easy access and smooth surface.

I made it to the top in about 50 minutes, spent 3 minutes catching my breathe and headed back to the car so I could rush to Bellevue for a haircut.  The trail has become especially popular with the middle-aged Asian crowd- I suspect a church connection but I don't know for sure.  The fog began to burn off once I dropped back down to lake, promising a pleasant remainder of the day and the possibility of another hike tomorrow.

Lake Olallie

I needed an easy hike last weekend so I selected the family-friendly Lake Talapus / Lake Olallie trail. The forest service road is longer than most of the easy access trailheads along I-90, which explains the easy access to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness; you drive most of the way there!  At 9:00 a.m. the parking lot was more full than not and a group of geo-cachers were happily chatting up their find. I laced my boots quickly to beat the mob and hit the trail. It was a gorgeous fall day in the Pac NW, about 60 degrees, crisp and clear.  I made a quick stop to snap a shot of the creek draining Lake Talapus, and discovered my batteries were dying fast.

It was kind of sad because the reflections in Lake Talapus were amazing. Unfortunately, I had time to snap my shot in a rush so the composition was even worse than usual.

Once the batteries were dead for good, I boogied up the trail to Lake Olalle.  Since I felt peppy, I went to the far end of the lake and looked for a camp spot I vaguely remembered from a hike several years ago.I recalled walking along in silence when the barking of a large dog from the camp site startled the hell out of me.  This time, I squished through the soggy ground at the inlet to the lake without seeing 2 square feet of dry ground suitable for a tent.  In any case, I found the unmaintained trail that heads steeply up until it intersects the Pratt Lake trail.  After a 10 minute climb I found the trail and looped down to the Talapus trail returning to the car.  It was a 3 hour loop, which was just right to loosen the limbs without getting too tired.  The parking lot was jammed full with cars on both sides of the approach road for one hundred yards, which is typical for a beautiful weekend day.

Trail info is here: Trail info for Talapus and Olallie

Poo Poo Point

Poo Poo Point is on a shoulder of Tiger Mountain accessible from the Issaquah-Hobart Road. This trail has at least three things going for it. First, the name is memorable and sounds a tad disgusting but it apparently named after the sound of a bird rather than what one might think.  Secondly, it is one of the easier trailheads to reach from the Seattle Metro area, which makes it a good choice if crimped for time or for an after work hike in the summer. Finally, and most notably, Poo Poo Point is used as a launching point by paragliders. On days when the wind is right, there may be a dozen or more folks in the air with that many more queued up to take off.  It is especially cool when there is an updraft and the gliders spiral 1,000 feet or more above the launch area.

Video of Paragliding from Poo Poo Point


The trail is well maintained, especially the lower section where trail workers have placed stones so closely together it looks like pavers in a garden.  The trail hugs the side of a steep slope and rises quickly in a series of long traverses broken by tight switchbacks.  There are a few old growth conifers in the first 3/4 mile or so and then there is a short break in the climb where the tree cover changes to alders.  There is little time to enjoy the flats before the route climbs again, first along an old cobble covered logging road and then a single track trail. About 1/2 mile from the top the trail turns left adjacent to a strip of cleared land that provides a short, steep scramble as an alternative.  Sticking with the more traditional path I reached the top about 4 switchbacks and 10 minutes later.  The launch zone was empty because of the early hour and lackadaisical winds.  Although the clouds were thick and low, the views over Lake Sammamish were decent so I hung out for a few minutes in the heavy, warm air before heading back to the car.

Commonwealth Basin

Sunday September 12th


I was listening to NPR while driving to Snoqualmie Pass as they debated whether to raise taxes for the highest income group.  The Ds say the rich folks are getting off too easy: millionaires and billionaires are paying at low rates while the Rs claim that many of those "rich" folks are small business owners, whose businesses would be harmed by higher taxes.  It occurs to me they are both right and both wrong.  I'm sure there are plenty of people that are very rich by most people's standards who are not small business owners.  Surely there is a way to tax them without taxing the small business owners who are creating jobs.  But enough fiscal policy, it is time to head to the hills.

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) crosses Snoqualmie Pass at the summit.  The trailhead for the PCT northbound is right at the beginning of the Alpetal access road at an elevation of 3,000 feet.  The primary day hike destination is Kendall's Katwalk, a rocky ledge about 5.5 miles from the car with 2,700 feet of elevation gain.  It was a soggy morning about 9 a.m. when I booted up and hit the trail.  The first mile or so rises gently through mixed aged trees with a salal underbrush.  The trail leaves the forest to cross a flat area of rockfall, or should it be called boulder-fall?  There is one monster that may weigh up to 100 tons, surely a headache of massive proportions if another of those comes tumbling down.  The trail loses about 100 feet of elevation as it winds along the easiest  path through the rocks and crosses a couple of small streams cascading off high cliffs to the right. A short while later there is a sign indicating a trail dropping into Commonwealth Basin.  After walking along the PCT another few hundred yards the opportunity to try a new route proved too strong so I doubled back and hung a sharp right.

After an easy mile to a creek crossing the trail turned sharply upward along a ridge. Along this reach the roar of I-90 finally subsided and was replaced with a very similar sound, water burbling over rocks in a small stream.  I pondered that the main difference was the lack of the low frequency drone of trucks downshifting as the prepared for the grade in either direction down the pass.

The trail gains about 1,000 feet on short, steep switchbacks before it reaches a small basin with a shallow pond that forms the headwaters of the creek.  This was the end of my day since I had no idea how much further the trail continuted.  As it turns out the trail only went another 1/2 mile to a point between Red Mountain and Kendall Peak. I'll have to try it again when the weather is clear and I have a map in hand.

Source Lake in the clouds

Berries on a bush

Looking down on Source Lake in the fall.

Fall is settling in. After a bit of a grueling hike to Island Lake on Saturday, I needed something easy, so it was off to the Alpental parking lot for a quick trip to Source Lake.  Surprisingly, there were only about 30 cars in the lot at 10:30 on Labor Day. Maybe it was the 50 degree temperature and clouds looming over the head of the valley. I had originally planned on going to Snow Lake from the same trail head but my left knee needed a break, especially on the return trip.  The trail to the junction is quite a gentle grade but scattered angular rock fallen in years past from the cliffs looming high to the right make the footing tricky in spots.  The weather was dry but threatening at the start and soon the threat began reality as the trail met the clouds.  It was a bit mystical walking through the gloomy mist and before long I was dripping wet.  I stopped to photograph fall colors along the way and made it to the end of the trail after about 45 minutes.  The destination was a little disappointing, as Source Lake is less than 100 feet across and several hundred yards below the trail.  I continued a couple of hundred yards further where the trail petered out into a vague rocky path heading steeply, but indefinitely into the shrubs. Is this the climber's access trail to The Tooth? The answer will have to wait for another day.

Trial Run- Little Si

Alrighty then. I'm going to give this blogging thing a shot. I expect I will end up writing about the places I see and the things I do.  For example, last weekend I decided to go for a short hike off the I-90 corridor. For safety's sake, I let my wife know where I was headed- Rattlesnake Ridge, just outside of North Bend. As usual, I changed plans mid-stream and headed north instead of south, and ended up at Little Si.  I chatted with a couple at the parking lot who let me know that the old trail to Mt. Si used to start at this trailhead. 

With that bit of news I hit the trail, with an eye to my right, looking for traces of an ancient trail. Soon I forgot about the trail that might be and focused on the trail ahead. The first 1/2 mile is pretty boring mostly through 3rd growth on a converted logging road. Then after a gentle rise and a turn to the left, the track crosses a small rocky outcrop and hugs the back side of Little Si- a steep face that provides a convenient challenge for rock climbers. There are a few intrepid souls chattering on the face, partially obscured by tall Doug Firs. Not for me! Back to to the trail to track down a younger, fitter guy walking with a couple of small dogs.  I blasted past him on the steeper pitch and inherited his dogs who were more interested in holding the lead than attending to their master.

After about 45 minutes I reached the top, which felt surprisingly pleasant in spite of the unseasonably dismal late-August weather that had settled over Seattle. I was alone on the summit with a 360 degree view of Si, Rattlesnake Ledge(my faux destination) and west toward civilization.  Over the next 15 minutes a number of folks joined me at peak, including the dog owner.  He let me know that he limits his pace based on his heart rate, which is likely a good strategy.  In any case, we chatted for a few minutes about my work at Hanford and I ambled down the hill, satisfied with a short but vigorous visit to the foothills.

Thus ends my first post.

Details of the Little Si. hike are here: Little Si Trail Details