Monica Hansen
Scrambling
Successful
Two stunning, very different hut to hut treks in a part of Iceland that few people visit - we saw only a handful of people the whole way! The Víknaslóðir: verdant with waterfalls, fjords and immense views (and Patagonia-level winds!); and the Lónsöræfi: deep chasms, side glaciers of the huge Vatnajokull icefield, and a monster-truck ride across a 20-mile-long vast estuary! Our guide took us off-trail for the best views, and some sections were very steep scree including fixed ropes.
A fortunate weather window on Friday the 13th for this aesthetically pleasing, and moderately strenuous ridge scramble to bag 3 peaks. 12.75 miles, 4,600' gain/loss in 9.5 hours.
Wonderfully fun four-peak adventure!
A less popular, but rewarding, trail off the Beckler River road in the Route 2 area.
9-14-2024 Huge fallen tree blocks access to the Big Quilcene Road trailhead more than a mile from the trailhead. No good parking near the blockage.
Beautiful approach to a fun easy climb with fantastic views of the Cascades
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.