Category: Washington

  • 2018 in a Nutshell

    2018 in a Nutshell

    Life is great in the Pacific Northwest! 2018 was a jam-packed year! If I could sum it up in a few words: mountains, Seattle, hiking, friends, photography, travel in the PNW, Switzerland, and so many photos of our fur-kids. January January started off with a 1500-mile move from Salt Lake City to Seattle with a […]

  • Lake Valhalla and Mount McCausland [Hike 38/52]

    Lake Valhalla and Mount McCausland [Hike 38/52]

    Distance: 8 miles (to both destinations), roundtrip Elevation Gain: 1500 feet to the lake, 1800 feet to the summit Pass: Northwest Forest Pass Hiked: 10.7.18 The alarm goes off at 4:45am. It’s dark and my bed is a little too comfortable. As I rub sleep out of my eyes, I grab my pre-packed daypack and […]

  • Sheep Lake [Hike 36/52]

    Sheep Lake [Hike 36/52]

    Distance: 3.6 miles, roundtrip Elevation Gain: 400 feet Pass: Northwest Forest Pass Hiked: 9.30.18 I loved this easy, fall hike! With the colors popping all around us, I wanted to get out and enjoy them before they were gone. In Utah, it’s mostly aspens putting on the show, so there are a lot of yellows. […]

  • Heather Lake [Hike 35/52]

    Heather Lake [Hike 35/52]

    Distance: 4.6 miles, roundtrip Elevation Gain: 1034 feet Pass: Northwest Forest Pass Hiked: 9.23.18 As the fall sets in, I try to pick good wet-weather hikes. Since I wasn’t looking for views on this trip, we chose Heather Lake which had been on my list of hike options since the spring. Heather is a nice […]

  • Winchester Mountain [Hike 31/52]

    Winchester Mountain [Hike 31/52]

    Distance: 3.4 miles, roundtrip Elevation Gain: 1300 feet Pass: Northwest Forest Pass Hiked: 8.18.18 (Wildfire Season) Thinking about his hike gives me extremely mixed feelings— On one hand, this hike provides epic 360-degree views with access to a mountain top lookout with a relatively short roundtrip distance and gain. On the other hand, on the […]

  • Naches Peak Loop [Hike 30/52]

    Naches Peak Loop [Hike 30/52]

    Distance: 3.2 miles, roundtrip Elevation Gain: 600 feet Pass: Northwest Forest Pass OR National Parks Pass (depending on where you park) Hiked: 8.5.19 Wildflower, views and lush mountainsides are my favorite kind of hikes. Remember when I went wildflower hunting in Utah? I just love seeing a sea of color dotting the mountainside. Naches Peak […]

  • Summit Lake [Hike 29/52]

    Summit Lake [Hike 29/52]

    Distance: 6.1 miles, roundtrip Elevation Gain: 1300 feet Pass: Northwest Forest Pass Hiked: 7.29.18 The summer hiking season is in full swing! After a break last weekend while Brighton and I shot a wedding, we were back at the hiking challenge. Today, we were joined by Brighton’s friends from work, Tyler & his friend John, […]

  • Mount Catherine [Hike 28/52]

    Mount Catherine [Hike 28/52]

    Distance: 3 miles, roundtrip Elevation Gain: 1330 feet Pass: None Hiked: 7.15.18 This hike has been on my list for a few months, but every time I looked at recent trip reports, it was still unaccessible due to snow. I was looking for a hike that was high payoff without too much distance or gain […]

  • Teneriffe Falls (Kamikaze Falls) [Hike 27/52]

    Teneriffe Falls (Kamikaze Falls) [Hike 27/52]

    Distance: 5.4 miles, roundtrip Gain: 1585 ft. Pass: Discover Pass Hiked: 7.8.18 These falls feel impressively vertical when you can walk right through them and look up! Koda enjoyed cooling down in the water and finding some sticks for fetch. The first part of the trail was very pleasant, but the second half was rocky. […]

  • Cape Flattery [Hike 26/52]

    Cape Flattery [Hike 26/52]

    Distance: 1.5 miles, roundtrip Gain: 200 ft. Pass: Makah Recreation Pass Hiked 7.1.18 Halfway! I finally got to visit the most northwestern point in the contiguous US. It definitely lives up to its name: Cape Flattery. It’s managed by the Makah Tribe, so be sure to grab a permit at the Museum or grocery store within […]