Easy launch to paddle around multiple small islands in the San Juans. Popular with other boaters but solitude can be found if you look in the right places.
A gorgeous and very strenuous scramble (18 miles, 5500’ gain, yet technically easy), along the Cowlitz Divide to Point 7416. Lots of meadow roaming with much evidence of past glaciers (now gone) as well current ones on their way out. [Lead photo by Leaf Peterson]
Excellent to normal unmaintained cascades trail first half, climbers trail with downfall second half.
Great 3-day trip, if a little smoky.
Long trail walk coming from Thunder Creek TH and steep/bush-whacking off-trail to base camp. Scrambling the worst loose rock col (Christmas col) and climb snow-covered Banded Glacier to the summit.
Tunnel Creek TH Thunder Lake and Trap Lake has become a popular route with outdoor re-creationists in western Washington. The SST is still less known to day-climbers, but this will change in the next 5-10 years.
Fantastic hike! Awesome scenery, sunny weather, many blueberries, great leaders, friendly group dynamic.
Figure-8 circumnavigation of Burrows and Allan islands.
A glorious, strenuous, and at times challenging, 3-day, 2-night circuitous loop traverse starting and ending at Lena Lake trailhead
A relaxed hike to a viewpoint for the mountains of the middle Cascades.
A small and skilled crew took on the "steeper than Mailbox" climbers' trail to Hibox and enjoyed the short T4 summit block, especially the chimney
Launched a few minutes before the schedule launch time to avoid a muddier launch experience from Snee Oosh Beach, paddlee between Skagit and Flagstaff Island to the northeast side of Kiket Island and a 1/4 mi north up the coast. We paddled back between Skagit and Flagstaff and landed on the SW corner of Kiket. 3 out of 4 in the group hiked up the hill, found the restroom and the picnic shelter and did a 20 minute loop hike on the Beach Trail. All 4 paddlers headed to Hope Island and paddled along the south shore and then returned to Snee Oosh Beach before 3pm.
A full-value overnight scramble trip with a strong and experienced team, and the weather held out for the whole trip! We tagged Tomyhoi Peak on Day 1. Routing finding and exposed scrambles made the amazing views on the top well worth it. We spent the evening at the Yellow Aster camping area. For day 2, we checked out Yellow Aster Butte on our hike out.
Moderate routes that are next step up in difficulty from Beckey Route on Liberty Bell. Far less crowded, well shaded, and gorgeous views from the top.
Pinto Rock, where every rock holds a surprise, will it hold or will it explode? Climb Pinto Rock for the world class epic views, all the while avoiding ancient lava rockfall. All with a zero'ish approach!
A successful three peak adventure on a hot sunny day.
Overnight trip, bivvied on summit. Very demanding but rewarding trek, we logged 18 miles and 18k total elevation over 18 hours of trail time.
Excellent, easy alpine climb in a scenic area.
It started off great, until an unfortunate lead fall turned the climb into a (successful!) self rescue operation.