Two Fall Color Hikes
These are desperate times. Hikers know the fall color show will all-too-soon transition to the gritty black and whites of November noir. True, the noir[Read More…]
Articles by: Karen Sykes
Fires of September
We got lucky this time. With the combination of low rainfall, dry forests, grasslands and many dead trees due to insect infestation, it is a[Read More…]
Hiking Table Mountain – Mt Baker
If your idea of a summit is sharp and pointy Table Mountain is neither; rather, it is more akin to a mesa or broad plateau with several easily accessible highpoints with views in all directions.
Splendor in September – Late Summer and Early Fall Wildflowers
Other flowers we’ve spotted thus far (Mid-August through early September) on the Naches Loop trail and near Summerland include Western Pasque flower, an unusual flower, sort of like a cat with nine lives.
Christoff Peak Poetry
Poetry by Karen Sykes about Christoff Peak for Seattle Backpackers Magazine
Skunked at Polallie Ridge (Alpine Lakes Wilderness)
Having been to Polallie Ridge I wanted to share it with Bob, my partner. Few hikers can resist a strenuous hike to a lookout site with peaks in all directions and flowers as far as the eye can see. Since I’d been there we planned to start at thePeteLaketrailhead I hardly glanced at the road numbers as we drove by Cle Elum Lake.
The Mount Si Traverse (a different approach to Mount Si)
Though steep the Mount Teneriffe Road Trail is a pleasant walk and in winter also provides a safe snowshoeing approach toMountTeneriffe. Much of the road is in the forest, bordered by a variety of ferns, salmonberry (yum!), young alder trees and in mid-July, goatsbeard. With a cool breeze the hike wasn’t as brutal as we’d feared plus Michael set a good pace. Michael led the way to the beginning of the traverse at an unsigned junction (3,812 feet elevation).
Two Waterfalls and a Lake (Chenius Falls, Ranger Falls and Green Lake)
Despite the heat we enjoyed the road-walk and reminisced about how the road has changed since the floods of 2006. A few days after those floods we hiked a rough, flagged route along the Carbon River Roadto witness the devastation first-hand. It was one of the most mesmerizing, humbling hikes we’ve ever taken – if nothing else will humble you, the power of nature will.
Wildflower Photos by Karen Sykes
Recently Karen took us on a hike up Sasse Mountain. She had so many great photos from the trip we couldn’t get them all in one article! So here are the wildflowers she ran across on the trail.
There are still great wild flowers to be viewed in this area, but by mid July most of the show will be over. Get out there soon to see the best!
Sasse Mountain Trail No. 1340 (Salmon la Sac)
The trail starts in a combination of ponderosa pine forest and meadows with views of Lake Cle Elum a few steps from the trailhead. In addition to views of the lake, there are also views of Mount Rainier, Red Mountain, Baldy, Domerie Peak and Thomas Mountain.
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