Day Hikes in Washington State

Don J. Scarmuzzi

Description

Featuring 90 hikes in the state of Washington, this guidebook for hiking enthusiasts of all levels shares the best views and insider tips for every trail, complete with full-color photographs and maps.

Day Hikes in Washington State offers a unique perspective for each hike, taking you to the best views and favorite trails just a few hours from Seattle and Portland. Author Don Scarmuzzi includes specific trail features of each route—elevation, distance, duration, difficulty, general trip report—along with detailed descriptions and personal tips of his own. Find trails in and all around the state, including:

• Mount Rainier


• Olympic Peninsula


• Snoqualmie Region–Alpine Lakes Wilderness


• Central Cascades–Enchantments


• Sky Valley


• Northern Cascades

Throw this book in your bag as you set out on the trail for some good hiking and beautiful nature views.

Find more Pacific Northwest trails in Don Scarmuzzi’s other books, Day Hikes in the Columbia River Gorge and Day Hikes in the Pacific Northwest.

Sujets

• Sport
• Autres sports
• Sports de plein air
• Olympia
• Portland
• Seattle
• Mont Rainier
• US
• Skyline
• West
• United States
• Butte
• Sahale
• Spokane
• Pacific
• Panorama Point
• Sky Valley, Georgia
• Spokane, Washington
• Travel
• Olympic Peninsula
• Snoqualmie
• Mount Rainier

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 18 mai 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781513267289
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 16 Mo

Extrait

Day Hikes in Washington State
90 Favorite Trails, Loops, and Summit Scrambles

Don J. Scarmuzzi

CONTENTS




Overview Map
Preface
MOUNT RAINIER
1 High Rock Lookout
2 Lake George to Gobblers Knob Mount Beljica
3 Spray Park
4 Hessong Rock to Mount Pleasant Loops
5 Tolmie Peak
6 Windy Gap to Natural Bridge
7 Norse Peak Loop
8 Mount Aix
9 Shriner Peak Lookout
10 Crystal Peak
11 Owyhigh Lakes to Tamanos Mountain
12 Summerland to Panhandle Gap
13 Fremont Lookout
14 Skyscraper Mountain
15 Burroughs Mountain
16 Mildred Point to Van Trump Park Summit
17 Eagle Peak to Chutla Peak
18 Wahpenayo Peak
19 Pinnacle-Castle-Plummer Peaks Traverse
20 Bench Snow Lakes
21 Skyline Loop Trail to Panorama Point
22 Camp Muir
OLYMPIC PENINSULA
23 Sams River (Queets Campground) Loop Trail
24 Lake Quinault:
24.1 Rain Forest Nature Trail Loop
24.2 Falls Creek Loop
24.3 Gatton Creek Falls
24.4 World s Largest Sitka Spruce
24.5 Merriman Falls
24.6 Bunch Creek Falls
24.7 Pony Bridge
24.8 Bunch Fields Wildlife Viewing Area
24.9 July Creek Picnic Area Loop Trail
25 Colonel Bob Peak
26 Mount Rose Loop
27 Mount Ellinor
28 Lake of the Angels
29 Mount Walker
30 Silver Lake to Mount Townsend
31 Grand Ridge to Elk Mountain
32 Blue Mountain
33 Moose Peak to Grand/Badger Valleys Loop
34 Lake Angeles
35 Marymere Falls Mount Storm King Trail
36 Pyramid Peak
37 Sol Duc Falls
SNOQUALMIE REGION-ALPINE LAKES WILDERNESS
38 Snoqualmie Falls Park
39 Mount Si Loop
40 Mailbox Peak
41 Mount Washington
42 Dirty Harry s Balcony Peak
43 McClellan Butte
44 Mount Defiance to Little Bandera Mountain
45 Melakwa Lake to Kaleetan Peak
46 Tusk O Granite to Granite Mountain
47 Snow Lake to Gem Lake
48 Wright Mountain
49 Kendall Peak
50 Tinkham Peak to Silver Peak
51 Rachel Lake to Rampart Lakes
52 Alta Mountain
CENTRAL CASCADES-ENCHANTMENTS
53 Thorp Mountain Lookout
54 Davis Peaks Loop
55 Tuck Robin Lakes
56 Peggy s Pond to Mount Daniel
57 Jade Lake to Dip Top Gap
58 Longs Pass
59 Lake Ingalls to Fortune Peak
60 Earl Peak to Bean Peak
61 Lake Stuart to Horseshoe Lake
62 Colchuck Lake
63 Little Annapurna
64 Dragontail Peak Loop
65 Nada Lake to Snow Lakes
66 Horse Lake Mountain
67 Palouse Falls State Park
SKY VALLEY
68 Wallace Falls State Park
69 Lake Serene to Bridal Veil Falls
70 Rock Lake to Tarn 5245
71 West Fork Foss Lakes to Atrium Peak
72 Beckler Peak
73 Scorpion Mountain
74 Deception Lakes to Surprise Mountain
75 Minotaur Lake to Labyrinth Mountain
NORTHERN CASCADES-INCLUDING NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK
76 Mount Pilchuck Lookout
77 Bathtub Lakes
78 Big Four Ice Caves
79 Vesper Peak
80 Gothic Basin to Foggy Lake
81 Monte Cristo to Silver Lake
82 Blanca Lake
83 Phelps Basin to Spider Gap
84 Sauk Mountain
85 Hidden Lake Lookout
86 Cascade Pass to Sahale Glacier
87 North Twin Sister
88 Ruby Mountain
89 Maple Pass Loop Trail
90 Blue Lake Washington Pass
Index
Acknowledgments

PREFACE
L ike Day Hikes in the Pacific Northwest , this follow-up provides options for most lake and loop hikes to continue to summits or lookout sites! Read each crazily detailed hike (and trailhead directions) in advance and only proceed from the first goal to the next if you are adept, following closely the levels of difficulty for each segment of your hike. Day Hikes in the Pacific Northwest is still a great resource for hikes around the Mount St. Helens, Goat Rocks, and Mount Adams regions in Washington, and more; however, in this volume, local connoisseurs will see these treks in a new light, and visiting adventurists will find them purely gratifying.
More than ever people want to connect with something tangible and breathe in some fresh air (barring smoke from seasonal fires), with Washington State providing plenty of magnificent natural places to explore. However, the best advice I can give is to avoid prime time on Saturdays and Sundays, drive farther out than the usual hour or so, and skip congested trailheads with a backup plan ready. Parking hassles and overcrowded trails can be a problem on weekends, whereas weekday outings offer more solitude. To park at many trailheads, hikers must pay a day-use fee, which may be covered by a Northwest Forest Pass or Discover Pass (unless it s a State or National Park). Both passes can be obtained for one day ($5 to around $12 per vehicle) or one year ($30 to $35) and are available online, at ranger stations, and at many retail outlets. It s always helpful to look up your hike online for particulars on payment at the trailhead and to make sure trails are open. A trail may be inaccessible due to landslides, flooding, road closures, fires, or snow, or for wildlife protection. (For National Fire Situational Awareness: https://maps.nwcg.gov/sa/#/%3F/46.1107/-121.7664/7 .) Another piece of advice: when you park your car before a hike, be sure to conceal all valuables. Out of sight, out of mind!
Each hike begins with essential information about elevation, distance, duration (including short breaks), difficulty level, and trip reports that point out tidbits like what parking pass is needed, the restroom sitch (outside virus times), and what wildlife you may encounter. Elevation information includes the highest point (or points) of a hike, as well as the maximum vertical gains you will experience. Difficulty level is broken up into five categories: easy (short, little elevation change, sometimes paved, ideal for families and novices); moderate (more elevation change, navigating tree roots, rocks); strenuous (longer hike, steeper, switchbacks, drop-offs); very challenging (quite long, sustained steep climbs for thousands of feet, bushwhacking, scrambling, GPS device recommended); and expert only (punishing steeps, exposed cliffs, free climbing possible, traction required at times, route-finding).
For the sake of brevity, several abbreviations are used: TH (trailhead), FR (Forest Road), CG (campground), ft (feet), mi (mile), AWD or 4WD (all-wheel drive, four-wheel drive), PCT (Pacific Crest Trail 2000/Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail), MLH (Mountain Loop Highway), and BYOTP (bring your own toilet paper). Also note the following terms: A switchback is a spot in a trail that zigzags sharply, whether once or a hundred times. A shoulder is a rise or small ridge. Exposure refers to an individual s level of risk of falling where a tumble would be fatal. A trail section described as airy is exposed to some degree, with drop-offs; exercise extreme caution in such areas. Gendarmes refer to spiked pinnacles or spires blocking a ridgeline, borrowing their meaning from medieval French soldiers standing guard. Distances on the maps given are approximate.
Hiking with the right gear is critical. A dry, warm hiker is a happy hiker! Bring some, if not all, of the following on your day hike (see page 289 ): a friend, layers, backup rain gear, dry socks, a hat, sunscreen, water and purifier, food, flashlight or headlamp, map, GPS, compass, charged phone, first-aid kit with an emergency blanket, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, wipes, lighters, knife, insect repellent, whistle-and a sense of humor. No drones were used in creating this guidebook!
Finally, as hiking rules and recommendations evolve, give others space, say hello in passing, and wear a face mask when warranted. Although the information was accurate at the time of printing, the author and publisher are not responsible for your personal safety based on descriptions here. Take care of each other and stay safe. Nature has been for me, for as long as I remember, a source of solace, inspiration, adventure, and delight; a home, a teacher, a companion. -Lorraine Anderson



Find Silver Lake from hike 30, page 94 .
MOUNT RAINIER




1 High Rock Lookout
2 Lake George to Gobblers Knob Mount Beljica
3 Spray Park
4 Hessong Rock to Mount Pleasant Loops
5 Tolmie Peak
6 Windy Gap to Natural Bridge
7 Norse Peak Loop
8 Mount Aix
9 Shriner Peak Lookout
10 Crystal Peak
11 Owyhigh Lakes to Tamanos Mountain
12 Summerland to Panhandle Gap
13 Fremont Lookout
14 Skyscraper Mountain
15 Burroughs Mountain
16 Mildred Point to Van Trump Park Summit
17 Eagle Peak to Chutla Peak
18 Wahpenayo Peak
19 Pinnacle-Castle-Plummer Peaks Traverse
20 Bench Snow Lakes
21 Skyline Loop Trail to Panorama Point
22 Camp Muir
1
HIGH ROCK LOOKOUT
ELEVATION: 5685 ft; vertical gain of 1400 ft
DISTANCE: 3.5 mi round-trip
DURATION: 2 hours or so round-trip
DIFFICULTY: Moderate (steep at times, drop-offs near summit block, brief)

TRIP REPORT: The weathered lookout was built in 1929 and is usually open to the public except in winter (restoration project closes lookout into 2022). Wildflowers are ablaze during July and August, and the view from the pillar of a summit above the forested ridge showcases Mount Rainier National Park with other Cascade volcanoes unfolding S. This popular and narrow route will make distancing from others difficult, but that doesn t mean you should abandon your dreams and goals. Be considerate when passing, communicate, and step off trail when possible yielding to uphill traffic. No fee or restroom.
TRAILHEAD: High Rock/Greenwood Lake TH at Towhead Gap. From Seattle, take I-5 S and other routes into WA-706 E for 80 mi to Ashford. Continue on WA-706 E from the Rainier Basecamp Visitor Information (clean restrooms behind) 2.5 mi, turn right at a National Forest marker on Kernahan Rd (FR-52, closed in winter) 4.5 mi, turn right on FR-84 (gravel, well traveled, narrow, 2WD okay) 6.5 mi, and fork right on FR-8440 for 2.5 mi, curving over the saddle at Towhead Gap (4300 ft) and finding the TH at right with parking on the sides.
From Portland, take I-5 N to exit 68 (Morton/Yakima), turn right onto US-12 E for 30 mi, and turn left on WA-7 N in Morton (speed