Episode 66: Going for broke back on the mountain
(82 downloads)Tuesday, Aug 17, 2010
In a haze of exhaustion, I stagger around Mt. Rainier for two final days. Along with a few short walks, I take one more overnight, an F shaped affair from Sunrise along Sourdough Ridge, down the Huckleberry Creek drainage, back to and farther along the ridge, and down through Berkeley and Grant Parks to Lake Eleanor. It is one of the best afternoons of walking I can remember. If this is what the Wonderland Trail is normally like, I can see why it is so well loved.
Episode 65: Wonderland Trail Part 3 of 3
(100 downloads)Thursday, Aug 12, 2010
The finale of the Wonderland Trail requires a very tough stretch of 32 miles from Mystic Lake to Box Canyon. With beautiful views from Skyscraper Pass, wildflowers emerging in Berkeley Park, front row views of Rainier from Sunrise, the pretty White River Canyon, the majestic and snowbound cirques and meadows south of Summerland, the rugged valley near Indian Bar, and extended walking above treeline with unimpeded views of Mt. Adams and the Tatoosh Range, it was one of the most scenically pleasing walks around. I even see a bear! The views took some work, though, with ~15 miles of deep snow that required both hard work and some map and compass navigation to cross. Cover photo is Indian Bar Creek near Wauhaukaupauken Falls.
Episode 64: Wonderland Trail Part 2 of 3
(57 downloads)Monday, Aug 09, 2010
Day two of three, July 18, on the Wonderland Trail is a long one! 35 miles and 10,000 feet of elevation change take a man and his voice recorder from South Puyallup to Mystic Lake. En route, they pass Klapatche Park, cross dangerous icy slopes, see the North Puyallup River, Golden Lakes, the Mowich Rivers and the gorgeous Mowich Lake, cross Ipsut Pass to descend to the Carbon River, slog steeply past Carbon Glacier and cruise through silly-pretty alpine meadows.Cover photo is from alpine meadows about one mile west of Mystic Lake.
Episode 63: Wonderland Trail Part 1 of 3
(63 downloads)Friday, Aug 06, 2010
Day one of three, July 17, on the Wonderland Trail led up Steven's Creek, down the Paradise River, over Rampart Ridge, across Kautz and Devil's Dream Creeks, past Indian Henry's Hunting Ground, over Emerald Ridge and down to the South Puyallup River for a total of 26 miles. Cover photo is the Indian Henry patrol cabin.
Episode 62: Who needs two cars? I've got two legs! Rainier Shuttle hikes
(60 downloads)Tuesday, Aug 03, 2010
The second of two shows from a few days in Mount Rainier National Park with mom features a trio of hikes. First and second are shuttle walks past waterfalls: Narada, Madcap, Carter, Sylvia, Martha, Maple and two unnamed cataracts on Steven's Creek. At the end of each, I grabbed the keys, left the matriarch, and dashed back up to fetch the car. We finish off our time together in the Cascades with a trip to the Fremont lookout tower to get a perspective on everything we had visited in the previous 10 days.
Episode 61: Mt. Rainier Snow Dodging
(66 downloads)Saturday, Jul 31, 2010
July 13-16, my mom and I bumbled around Mount Rainier's flanks trying to steer clear of the feet and feet of snow still present above 5000 feet. In today's show, the first of two, we visit Christine Falls, Reflection Lakes, Silver Falls, four unnamed waterfalls, Bench and Snow Lakes, Stafford Falls, and the beautiful banks of Chinook Creek. Listen in for snow crunching, water cascading and frustration growing.
Episode 60: North Cascades' Gimpiness
(55 downloads)Thursday, Jul 29, 2010
Pretty hobbled up from the bike crash on Lopez, I keep pace with mom on a slew of dayhikes around North Cascades National Park. We check out Thunder Knob, Thunder Woods, Thunder Creek, Stetattle Creek, Newhalem Creek, Ladder Creek Falls, Rainy Lake, Lake Anne, and the Skagit River. After delaying our much anticipated Cascade Pass hike, we do it in the mist, rian, and sleet through a fair amount of snow and no views. Cover photo looks north from just below Lake Anne at the Early Winter's Spires.