Below are some of our favorite late spring Washington hikes, early summer hikes with the focus on photography without much risk to life, limb and happiness. The trails described here were hiked in May/June/early July of 2012 (conditions may have changed over the winter).
This book will either scare you off or inspire you to hike this trail from end to end.
I am apt to cringe when someone asks about my favorite photography sites in the Pacific Northwest. How can I choose when there are so many? Though it’s still winter, I am already eagerly anticipating my favorite spring hikes in Washington.
Most backpackers have felt it, that moment of quiet exultation when you’re sitting somewhere in the back country and you’re gifted with a moment of glorious wonder, of abject humility, at the display before you. In our case, it was an August evening in our camp next to Crabtree Meadow in the southern Sierra Nevada, looking east to the sun setting on Mount Whitney, 14,505 feet, and its companion spires.
Happy Hiking Holidays to you and yours!
The time for action is ripe and as we cozy up for another long, dark winter we can prepare for a new year that will bring more opportunities for engagement. Long delayed, the Forest Service has promised to release the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Travel Management Plan early in 2013, to be quickly followed by the DEIS for the Forest Plan Revision. Both of these processes will offer our community a chance to engage, to talk with the Forest Service about how we use and value our public lands. And if we work hard enough, the snow may just melt in time for us to enjoy new Wilderness, for the first time.
The resurrected Pratt River trail provides a good answer to the hiker’s question as to where to hike in November. The Pratt River trail is an old trail given a new life from the work of the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest, the Trio Construction Company from North Idaho, Washington Trails Associations, other organizations and volunteers. It is believed that miners were the first to blaze a trail to Pratt Lake at the turn of the century; there were gold claims in the region, including claims on Chair Peak.
On a beautiful fall afternoon, the leaves had already fallen, carpeting the trail in a cascade of yellow and red. The trees offered little areas for the afternoon sun to creep through so there was a slight chill passing through the length of the road. About five miles in, the trees cleared and suddenly we had an uninterrupted view of Cook Inlet and Anchorage’s resident peak Mount Sustina. We took a break to watch the fishing vessels crisscrossing the waters of the inlet, and watched the myriad of people who were on the trail each in their own way; running, biking, dog walking, it seemed like all of Anchorage was enjoying the breathtaking scenery.
When you habituate bears and other beasts to the availability of easy food from messy or poorly secured camps, it’s always the bear that suffers from the fallout – how often do you read about a ‘problem bear’ that had to be removed, or worse, euthanized? The “problem” very likely had a human cause. And that’s not to mention the added risk of losing your food, having your equipment damaged and or having to abort a life-list trip.
From hiker chique to business casual, Kigo’s Flit shoes will have you covered wherever you roam. With their unique Mary Jane design, the Flit shoes may look like a flimsy ballet flat. But looks can be deceiving. While I was first dubious about the shoes’ durability, after a wealth of testing I found that this barefoot shoe could hold up to whatever test I put them through. From the cobblestones of Europe to the Cascades’ twisting trails, Kigo’s Flit shoes provided me with comfort and a one-of-a-kind fit.
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