mark samuelson
Day Hiking
Successful
Beautiful autumn hike. Great scenery, great hiking mates, great leadership.
Great day, great group! Fall colors and blueberries were out in full force, and beautiful. Climbed to top of McCausland and also did side trip down to Lake Valhalla.
A strenuous but gorgeous ‘out and back’ scramble to vast meadows and breathtaking vistas in the SE portion of Mount Rainier National Park. Lots of wildlife with bugling elk, soaring hawks, and a passel of ptarmigans.
We made it to the top of the ridge above Rachel Lake before the rain started, and the group decided to turn back then. It was a good call since we were all pretty wet even with GorTex, by the time we got back to the trailhead.
Lovely, mostly flat hike along the river to a beautiful lake. Fall brings solitude, frogs and red berries.
A much more strenuous version of the normal loop, which begins and ends at the Kautz Creek trailhead (motivated by COVID non-carpooling). A great fall loop (lots of blueberries, fall colors, views of Rainier) that ascends the Kautz Creek trail to Indian Henry’s, follows the Wonderland Trail to Rampart Ridge, then descends off-trail back to the cars (total of ~15 miles, ~3500’ gain, only for folks experienced w/map and compass ).
First Mother > Peak 6326 > Castle Peak > S Castle Peak.
Loop trip: Bean Peak via Bean Creek Basin, Volcanic Neck, Devil's Head, returned to trail xing at Bean-Volcanic Neck saddle, then W trail to Beverly Turnpike Trail and Bean/Beverly trail. 7 hrs c2c.
Luhr launch with counter-clockwise loop around Ketron and a subsequent crossing to Anderson.
Awesome company, solid rock, efficient climbing and a beautiful day after 10 smoky days.
Fun day on the seracs in great weather.
Route is in OK condition, first 3 pitches are consolidated snow with solid pickets, ice is coming in on the last pitch though it's a bit patchy.
Great day. Beautiful scenery and many route variations available when weather is uncertain.
Great trip, and great group! Pretty relaxing overnight at Goat Lake. A bit smoky, but not too impactful. Trail is in good shape. Arrived at 8:30 on a Saturday morning to only a few cars in the parking lot. A few other groups camping near the lake, but overall not very crowded at all. Mask use 50/50.
Beautiful scramble cruising along the PCT and some scree sidehilling, bushwhacking and solid rock scrambling at the top