Help, I need to take a hike!

[hammer]

Cool !

[jep]

Just a couple of shots of an easy Mt Baker day hike yesterday.
The parking lot at Artist's Point was finally dug out. A real popular local ride and it finally opens on the last weekend in July. There is a LOT of snow there still.


Soooo, they dug out access to one of the restrooms, and it was the men's side. Don't they know that, while hiking, it's easier for the men to just ...


The Invisible Ella. Kind of cool how she found the only blue sky.


Day started to open up a tiny bit as we were just getting back. That's Mt Baker over there. Have to go back soon with crampons (maybe this is the excuse to buy YakTrax) and a sunny day.

[Racer Boy]

If we would be having a REAL summer here, the snow would have been gone last week!

[jep]

Hey, spring is almost here. Time to reopen this thread.
The sun was out this morning, and it was cold. But the sun was out.
Rode out to the Dungeness Spit and froze my everything off. 35 when I left the house, 45 when I got to the spit 90 minutes later.
11 mile hike on the beach out and back to the old Coast Guard lighthouse on the worlds longest sand spit.
Unbelievable to have 4+ hours hiking on the beach all to myself.
Tell you what, walking on sand for that long is tough on the calf muscles.


Lighthouse coming into view. Fidel lives off the picture to the left up on Vancouver Island.

[photohawk]

Lookin' good Justin. Maybe we'll get lucky this year and won't have to wait for August to get into the back country. Do you have any climbs planned yet? After Glacier last year Rainier is the last large volcano in Washington that I've not climbed so my climbing buddies and I are thinking this is the year for it.

[jep]

I'll get up MSH before leaving for Alaska, and that's about it (plus hiking in Death Valley at the beginning of April).
Mt Moffett when I'm on Adak.
Then I get back and it's fall. I've been wondering if Adams is do-able in late October.

Great for you getting up Rainer. Then in 2014, as a seasoned Rainier hand, maybe you can guide me up!

[Kburggibbs]

Awesome, Justin. I'm finally going to do Mt. Whitney this year. Planned for July. Hope it turns out.

[photohawk]

MSH was a hell of an experience. The hike itself kinda sucks, but the geology makes it worth it.
I'm pretty sure Adams is doable year round. As I'm sure you know it's the second highest in the state, but it's also technically and physically the easiest. The down side to that is that in the peak season it's a friggen circus. October may be perfect.

[jep]

Originally Posted by Kburggibbs

Awesome, Justin. I'm finally going to do Mt. Whitney this year. Planned for July. Hope it turns out.

I did it in late June last year, still a little snow, still a little cold. I think July would be perfect. Have you heard how you did on the lottery?
It is a fantastic hike.

Originally Posted by photohawk

MSH was a hell of an experience. The hike itself kinda sucks, but the geology makes it worth it...
I'm pretty sure Adams is doable year round...
October may be perfect.

I've done MSH at least 10 times, I really like the winter route approach. Good long day. And, yeah, the geology!
Adams just twice. Once in early spring, on snow the whole way, and once in the middle of summer, and it WAS a circus!