Mount Si Aug 31, 2018, with Tammi

Mount Si continues to dominate the landscape of North Bend, WA.

It is far past the time in 2018 to hike Mount Si. Today's hike was a conditioner and a test to see whether my friend, Tammi Hermann, was ready for a comparable hike on the Olympic Peninsula later in September, when I plan to visit a relic of World War II -- a B-17 bomber that crashed there in 1952.

This was not a rushed hike. We plodded, with no intention of reaching the summit. At a point that seemed to be well past the two mile point, we turned around and headed back, confident that the hike later this month was well within our means.

This moody shot captured one of the early scenes in what is always a scenic hike.

Along the way we passed what I call "the bannister" for the handhold it provides down the steps.

We turned back at this hairpin turn, satisfied  that we had covered at least two miles on the trail.

Statistics:

Distance: 4 miles, round trip, at least
Load: 15-pound backpack
Elevation Gain:  1,500 feet at least. 

Stats, year to date:

Distance: 1423.30 miles
Elevation gain: 40,220 feet -- closing in on my third "Rainier."

Rattlesnake Ridge with John Anderson, Aug 30, 2018

This was my third hike with John -- a toning hike to prep us for an outing on the Olympic Peninsula. We left the trailhead about 10:30 and reached the summit two hours later. We took about 1 3/4 hours to get back to the trailhead. The day was relatively cook and we took our time.

Statistics:

Distance: 4 miles, round trip
Load: 15-pound backpack
Elevation Gain:  1,160 feet feet. 

Stats, year to date:

Distance: 1419.30 miles
Elevation gain: 38,720 feet

Twin Falls Hike August 2018

Madhuri Hosfort and John Anderson on Twin Falls Hike

Overcast, smokey skies were the backdrop for a hike to Twin Falls at exit 34 on the I-90 corrodor this day. Washington Trails Association lists the hike at an elevation gain of 500 feet and a round trip distance of 2.6 miles.

Statistics:

Distance: 2.6 miles, round trip
Load: 15-pound backpack
Elevation Gain:  500 feet. There was a descent of about 120 feet for a view of one of the waterfalls, but a study of a topo map indicates that 500 feet was the approximately elevation gain even with that side trip.

Hiking companions: Madhuri Hosford and John Anderson

Stats, year to date:

Distance: 1415.30 miles
Elevation gain: 37,560 feet

Snow Lake, August 2018

This hike was tougher than it should have been. Statistically, it was less than Tiger 3. But it was a hazy day, there were talus slopes to navigate and the elevation was higher. It exhausted me and I ended up draining my Platypus hydration system. Perhaps the air quality and too little sleep affected me. At the end of the climb my mouth was dry and I felt weak.
Postscript Aug 23: Personal doctor informed me that the air quality was the likely culprit for my difficulty on this hike.

The photo doesn't adequately display the haziness from Eastern Washington wildfire smoke.

The "4600" designation on this topo map with 80-foot contour intervals seems wrong.

I tried to estimate elevation gain and distance hiked based on Washington Trails Association information and the countour map depicted above. But the contour map was supposed to rely on 80-foot intervals, and 4400, 3800 and 4600 interval lines don't conform to that model. Therefore I expressed the distances and elevation gains conservatively.

Statistics:

Distance: 6 miles, round trip
Load: backpack with Platypus, cameras, 10 essentials and food: 20 pounds
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. up; 4 p.m. to 5:30 down. At least six hours
Elevation Gain:  At least 1,600 feet; this includes a descent of about 400 feet to the lake from a high point of approximately 4,300 feet.

Hiking companion: Dian Wanner of Wenatchee.

Stats, year to date:

Distance: 1412.70 miles
Elevation gain: 37,060 feet

Summit Tiger 3 on Aug. 19, 2018

Started at 11:30 a.m. Good energy levels. Sweat bands squeezed out several times; lots of sweat. Ate apple, some trail mix along the path. Made a point of staying hydrated. Easy to park; several spaces were open at that time.

Statistics:

Distance: 6 miles, trailhead to trailhead
Load: backpack with Platypus:10 pounds
Time: 2 hours up, approximately 1 hour down
Elevation Gain:  probably 2,000 feet

Stats, year to date:

Distance: 1411.70 miles
Elevation gain: 35,460 feet 

Mount Peak with John Anderson

We met at Safeway in Enumclaw at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 16; it took us an hour to get to the trailhead, partly because of the GPS and partly due to the hazy smoke that obscured the mountain.

John was out of shape and had to catch his breath climbing the mountain. On the way down his legs became wobbly and, even with trekking poles, he was unsure of his footing. He sat a couple times and his left leg was weak enough that he had trouble getting back on his feet. He had to butt board down the trail in some places to find a spot where he could stand. This was a wakeup call for him to get more exercise. I hope he will join me on additional hikes to get back into shape.

Statistics:

Distance: 1.8 miles, round trip
Load: 12-pond backpack 
Time: Several hours
Elevation Gain:  probably 1,000 feet (Washington Trails Association)

Stats, year to date:

Distance: 1406.50 miles
Elevation gain: 31,460 feet 

32 pounds to Rattlesnake Ledge

Smoky day from Eastern Washington wildfires. Felt muggy. Sweat band filled fast, and I was tired, stopping several times in ascent to rest. On the way down my hip muscles hurt and I had to rest to give them a break.

Statistics:

Distance: 4 miles, including ascent and trek to vehicle
Load: backpack with Platypus and 20-pound vest, for a total of 32 pounds
Time: under 2 hours up; one hour down.
Elevation Gain:  probably 1,160 feet (Washington Trails Association)

Stats, year to date:

Distance: 1405.70 miles
Elevation gain: 33,460 feet 

Emmons Moraine Hike

After a frustrating night that gave clear skies but a very skimpy Perseid Meteor Shower as seen from the Sunrise highway on Mount Rainier, Joan Tito and I headed off on Monday, Aug. 12, for a short hike to the Emmons Moraine trail, hiking from the White River Campground. I was tired from lack of sleep and perhaps from a longer hike two days earlier.

Some parts of the forest were dry, but this waterfall made the surrounding hillside verdent.

Dried roots curved for a toehold along this boulder's face.

We hiked perhaps 1.5 miles round trip, leaving the original trail to cross a meandering stream that descended from the glacier before we headed back.

According to a sign along the trail, our elevation gain was 960 feet.

Statistics:

Distance: At least 1,5 miles
Load: backpack with Platypus--maybe 10 pounds
Time: under 2 hours
Elevation Gain:  probably 900 feet 

Stats, year to date:

Distance: 1401.70 miles
Elevation gain: 32,300 feet 

Connie makes an honest man of me

Her name is Connie, and if I hadn't met her I wouldn't have pushed myself so far today. Tammi, my intended hiking companion, bailed due to the heat. But it wasn't the heat so much as the humidity, which weighed on Tiger Mountain Hikers today. I squeezed water out of my sweatband several times during the hike as evidence.

I met Connie where Tiger 3 intersects the Talus Rock Trail. We talked. She said she was training for Mount Blanc. I thought she would be a good incentive to head toward the top instead of toward the caves, and off we went.

Connie is from Nebraska, and worked the Alaskan oil fields. She is familiar with Lynden Transport, and has been to an ice island, which Lynden trucks resupplied. She also has traveled extensively in Africa and is planning a trip to the Far East after she returns from Europe. I told her about my time in Cambodia and gave her my e-mail address in case she wants to learn more.

We parted at the 2.2 mile mark -- farther than I expected to get. But it was a good time to head back, because by the time I reached the Fit I was spent.

Because I had forgotten my Discover Pass, I parked in the lower lot. So where were the legs of the trip:
0.5 miles: Lower lot to trailead
2.2 Distance to 2.2 mile point from Trailhead; .8--distance to Talus Rock Trail from Trailhead
1.1 Distance from turnaround to Talus Rock Trail.
0.4 Distance to caves
0.9 from caves to flat
0.5 from flat to bus and back to flat entry point
0.7 from flat entry point to car

6.3 miles: total distance hiked (conservative estimate
Elevation gain: at least 1,000 feet

Statistics:

Distance: At least 6.3 miles
Load:light backpack with Platypus
Time: under 4 hours
Elevation Gain: 1,000 feet at least

Stats, year to date:

Distance: 140.20 miles
Elevation gain: 31,400 feet

Resuming 2018 hikes

Today I resumed my summer hiking training with hiking companion Fran Fisher. At Highway 90 exit 20 we hiked Tiger Mountain. From the trailhead we headed down the Bus Trail and took a left turn up the Nook trail to the caves on the Talus Rock Trail. Then we continued on to the junction with Tiger 3, headed to the summit, and then descended to the trailhead, and from there to the parking lot.

Statistics:

Distance: At least 6+ miles.
Load:light backpack with Platypus
Time: No hurry
Elevation Gain: 2,000 feet

Stats, year to date:

Distance: 133.90 miles
Elevation gain: 30,400 feet -- I've accomplished my second "Rainier."