Date: February 17, 2018 Location: Northern California Start: Prairie Creek Visitor Center; Stout Grove Trailhead Distance: 11.5 miles (Prairie Creek); 5.6 miles (Jedediah Smith) Duration: 2 hours 25 minutes at Prairie Creek (breaks not included); 1 hour 17 minutes at Jedediah Smith (breaks not included) Type: Balloon route (Prairie Creek); out-and-back (Jedediah Smith) References: Redwood... Continue Reading →
Date: January 27, 2018 Location: Tillamook State Forest Start: Elk Creek Trailhead Distance: 42 miles (only completed 39-ish) Duration: 10 hours 15 minutes (breaks not included) Elevation gain: 3950 feet (one way) Type: Out-and-back References: Oregon Hikers Stupid. Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. That was the only word (minus a certain descriptive expletive preceding the... Continue Reading →
Date: December 31, 2017 - January 1, 2018 Location: North Cascades Start: Heather Meadows at Mt. Baker Ski Area Distance: 6 miles Duration: 2 days Type: Out-and-back References: Snowshoe Routes: Washington by Dan A. Nelson; Washington Trails Association The full moon shone brightly, illuminating a vast, snowy landscape crisscrossed with all the paths we'd taken that... Continue Reading →
Date: December 28, 2017 Location: Mount Hood Start: East Fork-Tamanawas Trailhead Distance: 3.8 miles Duration: 2 hours 34 minutes (breaks included) Elevation gain: 500 feet Type: Out-and-back Map: Adventure Maps: Mount Hood Area References: 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Portland by Paul Gerald; Outdoor Project Evergreens coated in powder. Fields dotted with marshmallow boulders. Frozen crystalline features... Continue Reading →
Date: December 10, 2017 Start: Marble Mountain Sno Park Distance: 12 miles Duration: 9 hours 12 minutes (breaks included) Type: Out-and-back Map: Green Trails Map 332S: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument References: Best Climbs: Cascade Volcanoes by Jeff Smoot; Washington Trails Association "1...2...3...4..." I counted my steps silently to myself as I trudged up the steep... Continue Reading →
Date: November 25, 2017 Location: Gifford Pinchot National Forest Start: Lower Falls Day Use Area Distance: 8.8 miles Duration: 4 hours 55 minutes (breaks included) Elevation gain: 450 feet Type: Out-and-back References: 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Portland by Paul Gerald; Washington Trails Association I hoped for a fast-paced, epic sufferfest (or something along those lines) to... Continue Reading →
