This was an experience paddle geared toward individuals who recently took the Olympia Basic Sea Kayaking course.
We hiked the loop counter clockwise. The trail is in great condition and the falls were going strong. This is a great low level winter/early spring hike. Be aware that there is a firing range next door so it is common to hear the sounds of gun shots.
A beautiful evening for a hike and dinner wih a view.
We paddled from the lake dam to the flats take out above lower gorge. 6 river miles. 228 CFS. We found one great wave to surf.
An early season climb of the Tooth with a party newer to climbing and snow scrambling via boots instead of skiing!
Great uphill trip to the lookout. Viewed both the horizonal and vertical Basalt Columns. Small side trip (100 yards) to stellar lookout point for view of Mt Rainer (if it was out). Saw Seattle in the distance. Flowers in bloom - to include orange honey suckle. Animals - A beautiful Barred (Hoot) Owl. See picture!
My dog and I had 3 objectives for our trip this morning: 1) to see what progress has been made around the beaver activity, 2) to catch as many migrating birds singing as possible, and 3) to get outside before the crowds descend on the PNW green spaces over the 3-day holiday. Mission accomplished with 28 bird species.
A last-minute change of plans led us across the Grand Canyon, from rim to rim, in one unforgettable day. From sunrise over the South Rim to the quiet pines of the North, every mile was magic.
Teanaway was surprisingly technical and we turned around short of the summit; Iron Peak as consolidation price
This was a very good experience for 7 students all on their first snow scramble plus 2 leaders. No views of Rainier this time, but the weather was much better than predicted.
Sublime. The class III whitewater gorges and Old Growth forest are in a class of their own. There is nothing like this in the Cascades.This river reach is essentially only accessible by packraft due to the hike in. For us it was a 5.75 miles hike with a 600 foot gain with several log crossings.
8 early birds completed this hike on a day that had some of everything: mist, mud, sleet, drizzle, sun, and some hairy woodpecker chicks. We traveled at a 2.25 mph average pace over 8.8 miles and were back to the cars before noon, only seeing 4 other people the whole morning.
A bit of winter and spring in the Teanaway.
Three days exploring the unique geology and history of the world's longest cave system!
8 scramble/equivalency students from Olympia and Seattle successfully ticked off their snow scramble requirement on a delightful day in the Olympics. What a difference one week makes... Cold/icy conditions allowed for glissading down most of the chute, with the exception of a couple hazards that I will note in the trip report.
This was an easy to moderate 8-mile hike with minimal elevation gain, crossing the Ross Dam and continuing along a scenic trail featuring several waterfalls and bridge crossings. The route led us to the shore of Big Beaver, where we set up camp and spent the night. The trail offered a peaceful and picturesque experience, ideal for a first backpacking trip.
Excellent early season field trip for Basic Backpacking course
Trip was WONDERFUL. Bothof these falls are well worth this trip. Just expect a couple of challenging water crossing that are "do-able" but just require some thought as to the best way to get across.