Boundary Trail, August 9, 2009

West Boundary Trail (Mount Rainier National Park)

Hiking abandoned trails is a little bit like listening to jazz - you know where the trail begins but you never know where it will take you.

The Boundary Trail is one of our favorite hidden trails within/near Mount Rainier National Park. It is believed that most of the Boundary Trail was built during the Civilian Conservation Corps era; most of the trail was removed from the parks maintenance list in the early 1970s. The trail once circumnavigated the boundary of the park. A few stretches remain and are still somewhat user-friendly including a section near the Carbon River entrance and another near the Nisqually entrance. Some maintenance continues on those trails – don’t attempt these trails unless you have route-finding skills and equipment.

We’d hiked the trail from the Carbon River entrance to Alki Crest 5-6 years ago, getting as far as Tolmie Creek (no, we don’t know why it is called Alki Crest). We didn’t know how far we’d get today but conditions were ideal for a steep hike in the forest: cool and cloudy.

The boundary trail starts from the nature trail just on the other side of a footbridge (assuming you are hiking the nature trail clockwise); it’s hard to miss. The “abandoned trail” sign was missing but again if you are looking for the trail, you won’t have any trouble spotting it. Though steep, the first part of the trail is as good as established trails inside the park, at least initially. We also spotted 3-4 old signs for the Boundary Trail along the way.

The trail is mostly in old-growth forest, ideal conditions for saprophytes such as coralroot and Indian pipe. We don’t see as much Indian pipe as we used to so we were glad to come across some at the end of a switchback. We also saw vanilla leaf, a variety of ferns and moss (a little on the dry side), Devil’s club with spikes of red berries and lots of thimbleberry past its prime. We found a few blueberries off-trail; always good to find these. Shelf fungus juts out from snags peppered with woodpecker holes and from fallen/downed trees beside the trail.

At one point the trail crosses a steep slope where a washout occurred; a path of rubble descends all the way to the Carbon River Road. It would truly have been a sight to witness from a safe vantage when this occurred. A little further there is a split in the trail at a cut log – turn left.

At about 3,200 feet we crossed a stream; not a problem in August. This is a pretty spot to linger a while and take a break, especially on a hot day. Beyond the stream the trail is a little rockier but still easy to follow and in surprisingly good shape even where maintenance ends.

At another point we skirted a boulder field (left); it was so foggy we could barely see the shapes of the rocks. Here the hellebore was almost tall and Corydalis covered parts of the trail; we sought the trail with our feet. It was moist enough from fog and drizzle that we got soaked going through the Corydalis; we’re grateful for our quick-dry pants.

Once past this spot the trail was easy to follow; near the crest we encountered markers on the trees, some with numbers but don’t know what purpose those serve or have served in the past.

The trail levels out briefly at Alki Crest, a forested pass without views. Nevertheless, this is a good turnaround and there are fallen trees that serve as places to settle for a while before turning around or continuing. We elected to turn around as we were short on time and knew it would take us almost as long to get down as it did to climb to the crest.

On the previous visit we did get go down the other side of the “crest” and got as far as Tolmie Creek. The crossing was tricky and from the creek the trail was marginal at best, difficult to follow. It is about a 1,200-foot descent from the crest to the creek.

There is also a route of sorts to Florence Peak from the Boundary Trail but I’ve only done it on snowshoes and it was a long time ago. I don’t know whether or not there is a “trail”. Some branches of The Mountaineers lead Florence Peak as a winter scramble.

Stats: 6 miles round trip, just under 3,000 feet gain.

Lakes Trail, Paradise (August 5, 2009)

Lakes Trail, Paradise (August 5, 2009)

Wow! What a tangle of trails at Paradise! A first-time hiker may find the trail signs more confusing than helpful, especially when you have an older map that doesn’t correspond to the trail system depicted on hand-outs, trail maps from the Visitor Center. Guess you can choose between following your nose, following one of the maps or following the signs. That’s all OK as long as the weather is clear. If you’re not sure where you are, don’t be afraid to ask or get counsel from one of the knowledgeable volunteers at the Visitor Center.

Our goal was to hike the Lakes Trail starting at Paradise, stop at Reflection Lakes, head up to Mazama Ridge then hike back down to Paradise on the lower Skyline Trail, about a 5-6 mile jaunt.

We got off to a bad start. Perhaps I should rephrase that to say that I got off to a bad start. My friend, Lola, was well equipped for this hike. As for me, I didn’t notice until we got to the trailhead that I’d packed Silverback’s boots rather than my own. Silverback is a big fellow and no way could I wear his boots.

Fortunately, Lola had an extra pair of trail runners so I was able to get into those. Still not an ideal situation as I have a tendency to sprain my ankles without mountaineering boots, even on easy trails.

We started out adventure on the Paradise River trail (signed Lakes Trail, Narada Falls). The last time I was on this trail (only weeks ago) there was snow and snow glacier lilies and avalanche lilies were competing for open space. Today the trail was lined with asters, pearly everlasting, rosy spirea and lupine. We quickly dropped down to the first junction – turning left toward Reflection Lakes (it’s hard to go the wrong way at this junction).

The Lakes trail crossed the Paradise Valley road a couple of times before coming out near another trailhead (accessible by car). Here we paused at the lakes, aptly named – though the Mountain was hazy the reflection cast by the peak into the lakes was bold and sharp, the lakes framed by a fringe of fireweed. Later in the season the lakes will be framed with the bold colors of fall.

We hiked along the road a short way, picking up the trail again as it climbs toward Faraway Rock. Ordinarily, I would have thought nothing of climbing to Faraway Rock but without my sturdy boots I was tense on the steep dirt with its covering of ball-bearing shaped rocks. We then came to a broken bridge across a dry creek in a small but deep gorge. The bridge was broken right in the middle and V-shaped. No railing. Here, I elected to pass up the opportunity to fall off the bridge and scrambled down into the streambed, only to fall down anyway and bruise my hip. Lola gingerly worked her way down on the bridge and made it without falling. Jeepers, I hope that bridge can be repaired.

Faraway Rock is a great place to stop for a break or photos; we did. From here you can look down into the lakes below, glittering in the bright afternoon sun. Above the lakes are ridges, peaks and high points – bring a Green Trails map to identify the peaks you are not familiar with.

There are several small tarns all along the Lakes trail, especially between Faraway Rock and the Skyline Trail, all framed by sub-alpine trees and some with views of Mount Rainier above the trees. The meadows were a blue haze of lupine with occasional splashes of magenta paintbrush and golden arnica.

We never did come across a trail sign for “Mazama Ridge” – and while I have been there several times over the years I’ve climbed to the ridge on snowshoes and snow-camped. I didn’t want to encourage off-trail use so we followed the Skyline Trail toward Paradise. Before heading back to the car we hiked some of the “little” trails near the Visitor Center, including the Water Fall trail and a trail with a new name “Avalanche Lily trail”. We wanted to get to Nisqually Vista but the return “loop” back to the car was closed and by that time we were ready to take our boots off and head home.

The flowers are nearing the end of their peak but should be good for another week or two. The meadows are now predominated with bistort, valerian, lupine, arnica and paintbrush. We saw a few sere avalanche lilies near the tarns at higher elevations but they will soon be gone. Anemones have gone to seed and barely resemble the way they appear when they first bloom.

The views from all the trails we hiked were magnificent – views not only of Mount Rainier but peaks of the Tatoosh, the sparkling tarns and lakes; last but not least, the glory of the flowers.

Stats: We hiked a little over 6 miles with about 1,350 feet of elevation gain.

Sourdough Gap to Crystal Lakes

SOURDOUGH GAP TO CRYSTAL LAKES

Perhaps like me you’ve hiked to Crystal Lakes from SR 410 and looked longingly at the craggy, enigmatic ridge looming above the upper lake. Maybe you wondered if there was a way to get up there without risking your life. Near the head of the upper lake alluring paths lead hither and yon. Perhaps you’ve explored some of them and found a hidden campsite or a knoll with a view.

Or maybe you climbed to the high point on Crystal Peak for a way to get down to Crystal Lakes without breaking your neck (Crystal Peak is far enough for most). Those who hike on a frequent basis have probably been to Crystal Lakes or hiked to Sourdough Gap on the PCT from Chinook Pass. You can also hike from Sourdough Gap to Crystal Lakes though the route doesn’t show on the Green Trails map (oddly it does show on the Mount Rainier map given to visitors when they enter the park). .

Silverback had done it years ago and we wanted to give it a try. We took two cars so we could hike the trail one way. We left a car at the Crystal Lake trailhead and drove to the PCT trailhead just below Chinook Pass where the hike begins.

We’d only been there a few days before and already the flowers along the PCT have changed; the Western amenone has gone to seed, harebells, asters and pearly everlasting border the trail. There are still lots of lupine and Indian paintbrush along the trails.
Mount Rainier looked a little hazy; due to the smoke from several wildfires in the state. We were surprised we could see it at all.

It’s about 1.5 miles to Sheep Lake and those miles are easy. There are pleasing views down to still-green valleys; we turned around a couple of times to admire the view of Chinook Pass above the sensuous curve of SR 410 and the diagonal line of PCT contouring the flowered hillsides.

Sheep Lake is an understandably popular trail; it’s an easy backpack or day hike and ideal for families. In early August the lake was still bordered with flowers and the meadows were green. We got a kick out of watching adults and children alike frolicking in the water.

The PCT continues, gaining about 700 feet to Sourdough Gap. If it had been a hotter day we might have renamed it Sourdough Gasp. The climb is scenic with views of Sheep Lake and surrounding mountains. We took our time, enjoying every step of the journey through the flowers.

Sourdough Gap is actually a gap between a peak-studded ridge that allows egress to lush meadows and a continuation of the PCT. As we climbed toward the gap my eye was drawn to a fortress-shaped peak. It’s not named on the map so we looked it up in the Fred Beckey Cascade Alpine Guide at home. It has a name; Cupalo Rock but it’s not for hikers. Not even close! According to Beckey this hunk of rock has several routes ranging from Class 3 (a gully) to low Class 5.

After a pause at Sourdough Gap we dropped down to a junction for the PCT. An un-named trail goes off to the left, contours below the craggy ridge and a long scree slope before a short climb to an un-named gap with an incredible view of Mount Rainier. Just below the gap is the Mount Rainier Park boundary and a sign.

The trail dropped to an unsigned junction; here we dropped down to a knoll with a knockout view of Crystal Lakes, Crystal Peak and more. After a break we returned to the main path as it descended through lush meadows toward Upper Crystal Lake. In addition to the meadows and wildflowers we enjoyed views of Three Way Rock, another challenging peak for climbers, not hikers.

The trail was easy to follow down to the lakes. It looks like this had been an official trail once upon a time as there is evidence of use over the years. We didn’t see anyone between Sourdough Gap and Crystal Lakes.

There are still wildflower displays at Upper Crystal Lake including elephants-head lousewort and monkeyflowers. After a break we hiked the Crystal Lakes trail down to SR 410 and Steve’s car. The hike was about 7 miles with an elevation gain of 1,200 feet and a loss of 2,800 feet back to the Crystal Lake trailhead.

The adventure wasn’t over. I’d heard of Ghost Lake and even glimpsed it a few times along SR 410. I’ve always meant to stop and hike down to the lake; I knew it had been done. It’s hard to spot from the highway but we did find it – it is just past milepost 65 on SR 410 a little below Cayuse Pass.

There is no sign. There are two roadside parking spots, about 150 feet apart. We stopped at the first one and followed a steep, rough path to the lake. The lake is bigger than it appears from the highway; it may be possible to circumnavigate the lake. We walked clockwise part way around the lake. That involved a short rock scramble (a hiker can do it!) and a path that led to a peaceful grove of evergreens. Near the grove our feet solved the puzzle of logs where high water has backed up debris into the lake. This is easy to get around and we stopped again at the base of a cliff you can’t see from the road.

While Steve and I were tempted to see if we could get around the lake and find another path up to the highway we knew Silverback was waiting for us and we didn’t know how long it would take. We retraced our route, scrabbling up the lunatic path back to the car. It’s about 100-foot descent to the lake.

We stopped at the second roadside parking spot where we spotted a more-obvious path that looked steep but much easier. We’ll go back and try it again.

Back at Chinook Pass we convoyed down to Silver Springs campground. Steve knew of a historical grave we wanted to visit. We parked in the day-use area and walked to the grave of Henry Allen, a civil war veteran who moved to Washington after the war. He became a hunter and trapper. There’s more information about him at the site; a quiet, poignant spot near the White River marked by several American flags and other tokens; a fistful of loose change, a can of fishing bait and toys left by children. He was buried here because that is where he died; Allen was found frozen to death near the spot of the memorial. It is presumed he was hunting and either had a heart attack or died of exposure.

All in all, one of the most interesting days we’ve experienced in the mountains.





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Is it art?

I've been in an argument with myself for quite some time now regarding manipulation of photos in the digital darkroom.

Most of the time I don't do much to my photographs other than hitting the "saturation" button a bit or cropping out that God-awful "white" sky. Or maybe I'll add a touch of green to a brown meadow. That sort of thing, nothing major.

But sometimes I get in a mood to "play" with some of the special effects that I can experiment with in the darkroom. I like some of the effects I get. But I feel like I'm "cheating", I can't quite call it "art" but still I like these effects.

My father was a marine/landscape artist and would spend days on a watercolor. I can take a photo in a second (or less) with my camera, spend 2-3 minutes playing around in the darkroom and come up with an image I like. I tend to think my Dad was the real artist. As for me? I have a knack for composition and color perhaps - but I don't feel in my guts that I'm an artist.

I guess it doesn't matter. I enjoy dabbling in the dark room and like some of the results. Maybe you will too.

Carkeek Park, July 30, 2009

HEAT AND A COOL DOWN AT CARKEEK PARK (July 30, 2009)

It’s been too hot for Silverback and me to hike this week. We don’t have air-conditioning and the days/nights have been miserable. Last Sunday’s hike to Laughingwater Creek was the last “real” hike we’ve done so far this week. The car breaking down, plus waiting for a tow truck in the heat drained our batteries. Sorry for the cliché – this is what heat does to me. I feel about as creative as an oil spill. Or hot tar on a roof. You get the idea.

We’ve been able to get some respite from the heat – a picnic in Lincoln Park, a visit to the West Seattle library and yesterday a Scrabble game at the Senior Center. We brought our own game not being sure that the Senior Center had one (they didn’t). While the Senior Center didn’t have A/C they did have big fans and cold water. That helped a lot. Our brains got a workout – Silverback is a good player. I almost always win at Scrabble – this was his first time to play the game and we ran neck and neck down the Scrabble course. We both love words and it shows.

Today we went to Carkeek Park. Carkeek is one of my favorite “four season” parks in Seattle. While it didn’t qualify as a hike by any stretch of the imagination it just felt good to be outside. And as is so always the case – we carried cameras in the event we might find subject matter to photograph. We did manage to get a few photos – colorful beach umbrellas on the beach, sculpture art in the park and rose hips as big as tomatoes. We strolled the Wetland Trail though this time of year, it’s not that wet.

I waded in Pipers Creek where it flows into the Puget Sound, it felt great to wiggle my toes in the wet sand. There were the usual clusters of seagulls and Canada geese gathered where the freshwater meets Puget Sound, Mom’s with children cooling off in the shade, wading in the water, a few sun bathers in the sand. The heat made us a little silly; nothing wrong with that. We made up funny little poems about the park such as “fish ladders make the fish gladder”.

We stood over the railroad tracks on the pedestrian bridge and watched a freight train go under – it didn’t have a caboose. So many trains don’t have those anymore. I know it’s another cliché but watching or listening to a train always makes me feel lonely; that part of me that never had the courage to run away still festers within and old daydreams about running away and hopping a freight train die hard. No one describes riding the rails as poignantly as Loren Eiseley – now I must venture down into the basement and ferret out his essays to read again. The late Eiseley was a poet and naturalist; one of his books was entitled “The Night Country”.

Back in the 1970s I didn’t drive and didn’t have much money so I either took a train or a Greyhound to wherever I wanted to go. I traveled light then; just my clothing, my poetry and a lot of dreams.

We walked back to the playground and cooled off on the swings. Geezers on swings – why not? That’s one way to get a breeze albeit temporary. We found other pieces of art throughout the park, pondered those and wished we knew more about the artists and their work. The Sculpture Art in the Park will apparently be there until August 10. It’s fun to find them!

Carkeek Park is in North Seattle – it’s especially inviting in the spring when the orchard is in bloom and the gnarled fruit trees are surrounded by daffodils. You can also find semi-hidden snow-drops near the orchard early in the year. The park is also pretty in the fall. That’s when the salmon return to Piper’s Creek.

Laughingwater Creek, Mount Rainier

LAUGHINGWATER CREEK (NOT MUCH TO LAUGH ABOUT) July 26, 2009

My first hike on this 6-mile trail to Three Lakes was absolutely gorgeous. It was a comfortable day in early summer with many lowland flowers in bloom. While there were no dramatic views we enjoyed the ferns, moss, wildflowers, rivulets and the old growth trees. Most memorable were the Alaska cedars – many of them giants. That first hike was about three years ago.

This time I was leading a Conditioning Series Hike for The Mountaineers. The hikers who signed up for the hike were part of a CHS weekend campout at Soda Springs Campground off SR 410 so the plan was to meet at Cayuse Pass at a designated time.

When we got to Cayuse Pass our three hikers were there; a little tired from hikes the previous day (Mount Aix, Goat Peak) but more than willing to tackle another trail.

As for the weather – it was the beginning of what could become a record-breaking hot-spell. Fortunately, most of the hike was in shady, ancient forest.

We set out on the trail, stopping to admire saprophytes, bead-lily, Canadian dogwood (bunchberry) and columbine. We also stopped for several water/snack breaks – an absolute necessity on such a hot day.

By the time we reached Three Lakes and the patrol cabin we were ready for lunch. Sadly, there was no one at the Patrol Cabin to let us seek refuge from the swarms of mosquitoes so lunch was short. After lunch we looked around the lakes (two are nestled side-by-side, connected by a narrow strip of land) – the third lake is a little further along the trail. The third lake provides a view of higher country but we didn’t linger; once again, the bugs drove us away from the water.

We hiked down as quickly as we could; it was a relief to get back to the car. The hike is 12 miles round trip with about 2,700 feet of elevation gain. If we’d had more time and energy we could have hiked another 1-1/2 miles to the PCT. There are also a couple of abandoned trails near Three Lakes we’d like to explore but given the heat, no one had the energy.

This is a trail for hikers seeking solitude and the peace of ancient forest. The lakes are pretty but for backpacking we suggest waiting until September when the bugs are gone. This would make a nice fall hike; plenty of vine maple to brighten the dark forest in September/October.

Our adventure was not over. As we drove back toward SR 410 on Highway 123 we braked to a stop. Here was a dead car in the road and the smell of gasoline in the air. We stopped to offer help (though what we could have done is doubtful other than a telephone call). It was two young guys – they said they thought their gas tank had ruptured. We offered the use of a cell phone but they said a friend was on the way to assist. It wasn’t a good place for a car to die; right on a curve on a two-way road. We drove up to Chinook Pass, found the park rangers and alerted them of the situation. They said they would get help ASAP.

Silverback and I stopped at McDonalds for a cold drink before the hot drive back to Seattle. Then it was our turn for trouble. The car wouldn’t start. It wouldn’t go into reverse or into neutral. We had parked with the car facing the curb so we were unable to move forward as well. Had to call Triple AAA for a tow truck – they said it might be a 3-1/2 hour wait. In the heat, that was Hellish news to ponder. About an hour and a half later the tow truck arrived; he looked at the car, used the winch to get it off the curb and drove it around the lot. It sounded like something was dragging on the ground and it STILL wouldn’t go into reverse. So we ended up riding with the tow truck driver (and a dead car) back to Seattle. The good news is that we didn’t have to take one of the hikers back to Seattle (she needed a ride back to Seattle) – thankfully, she rode back with one of the other hikers. She wouldn’t have enjoyed standing around the parking lot at McDonalds in the heat, I’m sure.

The news is grim – about a $3,100 repairs to the car. The transmission went out (on a car with less than 49,000 miles no less!!).

Laughingwater Creek is a nice hike but there sure wasn’t much laughter at the end of the day.

Grand Park via Sunrise (Mount Rainier) July 18, 2009

Grand Park from Sunrise (Mount Rainier National Park)

A few days ago we hiked to Berkeley Park but didn’t have enough time to continue to Grand Park. Plus, there were still significant snow patches across the trail past Berkeley Camp. The hike to Berkeley Park has recently described in this blog so there isn’t much more to say about it other than that more flowers have popped up in the last few days. Last weeks flower show was incredible and it’s hard to imagine the wildflower displays could be better – but they were. There are flowers from the trailhead all the way into Grand Park.

The hike starts out on the Sourdough Ridge trail from the Sunrise Parking lot. We followed the trail to a 5-way junction just past Frozen Lake, following signs for Berkeley/Grand Park.

The watermelon-colored snow we saw last week has mostly gone – the few patches of snow that remain on the trail between Berkeley Park and Frozen Lake will likely be gone by the time I finish this write-up.

This was a Mountaineer hike (Seattle branch) and it was co-led by my friend, Caroline. Another friend of ours, Jan, also signed up for the hike and we carpooled together. There were the usual last-minute cell phone calls from Mountaineer members regarding carpool questions/concerns but it all worked. One of our hikers called to say she had a flat tire and suggested we hike without her, she didn’t think she could catch up. I asked her what she was wearing. “A green shirt” she said so I kept a mental note of that, not expecting to see her. About a mile into the hike we took a break; as I looked back I saw a solo gal in a green shirt. Lo and behold, it was our hiker who managed to catch up to us; a happy ending to a bad morning for her.

As we descended into Berkeley Park there were fewer hikers on the trail but more flowers with every step we took. The Western pasqueflowers were starting to look a little geriatric, as were glacier lilies; avalanche lilies were still in bloom at lower elevations.

After taking a short break at Berkeley Camp we continued on our next stretch, an “up” into Grand Park. The last stretch started out steep but the grade lessened – finally, we were in Grand Park with a picture postcard view of Mount Rainier. The bugs were pretty bad though and the flowers had not yet reached their peak. The meadows were still a fresh, new shade of green. Our hoped-for lazy lunch was cut short due to the bugs; we think they had recently hatched as they were voracious.

After our brief visit at Grand Park we retraced our route back to Berkeley Camp. None of us looked forward to the climb out of Berkeley Park back to Sunrise in the harsh sunlight but there was no choice. We took our time, stopping to drink liquids and rest as needed. Myself, and a couple other hikers with cameras, also stopped for photos along the way.
We began to encounter the crowds as we approached Frozen Lake but this is to be expected on a nice day, especially when entrance into the national parks is free.

I can’t speak for anyone else but on the last stretch (Frozen Lake junction to Sunrise) I enjoyed the “people watching”. There were families on the trail of just about every nationality you can think of; I was happy to see them. The trails close to Sunrise are for everyone; not just hikers setting out to reach a destination.

We stopped at Wapiti Woolies on the way home for a cold treat; I recommend the huckleberry ice cream. The traffic from the King County Fair never turned out to be a problem, much to our relief.

Stats: 7 hours round trip (including lunch), about 2,000 feet gain with the ups/downs.