For my birthday hike, Nick and I went to Lake 22. I’ve actually done the hike before, though I was too young to remember it. I can’t believe that my 83-year-old great-grandmother hiked Lake 22 on that trip. O_O

Lake 22 hike circa 1991. I’m the little one in blue and white stripes standing behind the baby (my sister, Amanda).

Lake 22 hike circa 1991. My 83-year-old great-grandmother and I are taking a snack break.

Lake 22 hike statistics*:

• Roundtrip: 5.4 miles
• Elevation gain: 1350 ft
• Highest point: 2400 feet

* These stats were taken from the WTA website (I forgot to track the hike using my apps – whoops!).

Parking

There is a parking area at the trailhead with room for about 50 cars. Nick and I got there fairly early on a Friday morning and didn’t have a problem getting a spot, but I could see the lot easily filling up, especially on weekends.

Lake 22 requires a Northwest Forest Pass. You can get a $30 annual pass or a $5 day pass.

The Hike

You start by walking through an old growth forest of ancient cedar trees, past streams and small waterfalls. About 1.5 miles in, the trail gets to a rocky, open talus slope.

Nick, the happy hiker!

We had been having sunny, dry weather in the 80’s and 90’s for about two months straight prior to this hike. It finally decided to start raining as Nick and I were driving to the trailhead. We hardly noticed the rain prior to this point in the hike, because the tall cedar trees protected us. When we got to the talus slope, though, we were completely exposed to the rain for the next mile or so and the rain had intensified since we started hiking. We got drenched and I took breaks to wring out my soaking wet hair.

Although we honestly didn’t mind the rain much, we were relieved to take cover under the trees again at the top of the slope. From there, it was a short trek to the lake. By the time we got to the lake, it had more or less stopped raining. I took some photos and then we sat down on a rock to eat sandwiches for lunch.

Lake 22 isn’t very big, but it’s a beautiful turquoise color. There is a trail around the perimeter of the lake, which we walked partway.

The clouds had cleared a bit by the time we started hiking back down the mountain. We were surprised when we got back to the open talus slope that there was a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains. On our hike up, it was completely shrouded by rain clouds.

We really enjoyed the hike, though it was a bit rocky. There were spots on the slope where we had to scramble a bit over boulders. I’m so surprised that my great-grandma did it.

See the rest of the photos in my Lake 22 album on Flickr.

With last weekend’s sunny 70 degree weather, Nick and I wanted to be sure to go out and enjoy it. We were planning on hiking either Twin Falls or Cedar Butte, but we heard I-90 was going to be down to one lane for construction… so we nixed that idea and went to Discovery Park instead.

I wasn’t sure whether or not to categorize our trip to Discovery Park as hiking or not. The trails at Discovery Park aren’t as intense as real hiking, but they aren’t as easy as a casual walk in the park either. WTA (Washington Trails Association) lists it as a hike, though, so that’s good enough for me.

Our* Discovery Park “hike” statistics**:

• Roundtrip: 4.52 to 4.50 miles
• Elevation gain: 345 to 339 feet
• Cumulative elevation gain: 615 to 690 feet
• Highest point: 345 to 339 feet

* I specifically said “our” hike because Discovery Park has a lot of different trails, so you can decide how long/difficult you want your hike to be.

** The numbers are what was recorded using the My Tracks and RunKeeper apps, respectively.

About Discovery Park

Discovery Park is Seattle’s largest park at 534 acres. It’s a natural area that serves as a quiet getaway for Seattleites and a sanctuary for wildlife. 12 miles of trails throughout the park take you along the two mile stretch of beaches and through meadows and forests.

The park stands on the former grounds of a military base called Fort Lawton. West Point Lighthouse, which was built in 1881, sits at the westernmost point of the park.

Parking

We had no problem parking! Yay! There are, I think, three different parking lots at Discovery Park: North, East, and South. We parked in the North Parking Lot at 11 am on Saturday and there were plenty of empty spaces. It looked like the parking lots were close to full by the time we left in the early afternoon, though.

The “Hike”

Puget Sound

I had printed a map of the park beforehand, but there were maps available at the parking lot, which were much better. We made our way down to the north end of the beach first, where we almost had the place to ourselves. I took an interactive photo at the beach, so you can see a 360 degree view of it.

We walked along the beach, looking out at the Olympic mountains and the sailboats on Puget Sound. On the beach, we found crab shells and we got squirted at by geoducks. For you Michiganders, geoducks (pronounced “gooey ducks”) are gigantic clams found in the Pacific Northwest. You can find them by the fountains of water they squirt up (like in this video).

We followed the beach to the historic West Point Lighthouse at the western point of the park. Then we took an inland trail along the perimeter of the park until we got back to our parking lot. We didn’t really walk on any of the interior trails, so we’ll have to come back another time for those.

Freighter and Olympic Mountains

Beach and West Point Lighthouse

There are a lot of great hiking trails near my grandparents’ cabin and since we were going to be up there for Easter on Sunday, we figured we’d make a weekend out of it. On Saturday, we hiked Heybrook Lookout and then went to the cabin to relax and spend the night.

Heybrook Lookout hike statistics*:

• Roundtrip: 2.6 miles (1.93 to 1.94 miles)
• Elevation gain: 850 feet (878 to 857 feet)
• Cumulative elevation gain: N/A (949 to 1062 feet)
• Highest point: 1700 feet (1693 to 1703 feet)

*For each stat, the first number was taken from the WTA website. The numbers in parentheses were what was recorded using the My Tracks and RunKeeper apps, respectively.

Heybrook Lookout is a short, steep hike through the forest. At the end of the trail is a 73′ tall lookout tower that offers gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains. The spot has been used as a lookout since the 1920’s.

Lookout tower from trail

Lookout tower close up

Parking

Heybrook Lookout has a gravel parking area along Highway 2 that can fit around 15-20 cars. Nick and I had no trouble finding a spot to park when we visited, but it would be a good idea to have a backup hike like Bridal Veil Falls, Lake Serene, or Wallace Falls just in case.

Parking area (via Google Maps)

The Hike

This hike would be great for someone who is new to hiking because it isn’t very difficult. The trailhead is at the western end of the parking area. There are no forks in the trail, so you won’t get lost; the trail takes you from the parking area directly to the lookout tower at the top.

View of Mount Index

The view from the top of the lookout tower was gorgeous, especially because we had a nice, clear day. The photo at the top of the post shows the view to the east with Baring Mountain. The photo to the right shows the view to the southwest with Mount Index. You can even see Bridal Veil Falls below Mount Index, to the left of the center of the photo.

It’s worth noting that Heybrook Lookout requires a Northwest Forest Pass. You can get a $30 annual pass or a $5 day pass.

Our winter has continued to be unusually warm. Temperatures have been in the 50’s and even low 60’s some days, so it has been great hiking weather. Nick had the day off on Monday for Presidents’ Day, so we decided to tackle Poo Poo Point, our most difficult hike yet.

Poo Poo Point hike statistics* (via High School Trail):

• Roundtrip: 7.2 miles (7.45 to 7.68 miles)
• Elevation gain: 1858 feet (1886 to 1850 feet)
• Cumulative elevation gain: N/A (2221 to 2633 feet)
• Highest point: 2021 feet (1921 to 1985 feet)

*For each stat, the first number was taken from the WTA website. The numbers in parentheses were what was recorded using the My Tracks and RunKeeper apps, respectively.

Poo Poo Point is a popular hike on Tiger Mountain, just over half an hour away from our house. It is a summit on the west side of the mountain that paragliders and hang gliders use as a launching pad. Unfortunately, no one was gliding off the mountain while we were up there. I think that’s more of a summer thing. Poo Poo Point’s funny name comes from the sound steam whistles made back when it was a logging area.

There are two trails to Poo Poo Point. We took the longer, less busy route via High School Trail. The Chirico Trail route is only half the distance, but it is steeper and more crowded.

Parking

Parking area (from Google Maps)

The trailhead is unmarked and located at a small gravel parking area near Issaquah High School. The parking area can only fit 5-6 cars, but Nick and I got there early, so we were able to get a spot. There is also some street parking available.

The Hike

Navigating the trails was really easy. You start off on High School Trail and then turn onto Poo Poo Point Trail, taking it all the way to Poo Poo Point. Trail intersections were well marked with signs, so we had no problem finding the right way to go.

The trail started with a gradual upward climb right away that continued for 2 1/4 miles or so. Then there was a short flat stretch before the trail became noticeably steeper for about another mile. After that, it was an easy half mile hike to the end, mostly downhill.

Gap Creek

The view at the top was beautiful (see the photo at the beginning of this post), offering great views of Issaquah, Lake Sammamish, and the surrounding mountains. I took an interactive photo with my phone, so be sure to check it out! There was plenty of room at the top to sit in the sun and enjoy the view. Nick and I had lunch at one of the picnic tables before hiking back down.

The trails were well-maintained, although a little muddy in spots. The trail was fairly wide much of the time, with only some places narrow enough for only one person to walk. I think part of the trail used to be a logging road.

Nick did fine hiking up the mountain, but I needed to stop often for quick breaks. On the way down, Nick was the slow one, his knees killing him on the descent. We enjoyed the hike, but we’ll probably take it easy for a while until we can find a solution for Nick’s knee pain.

Coal Creek Falls

Our* Cougar Mountain hike statistics:

• Roundtrip: 5.96 miles
• Elevation gain: 759 feet
• Highest point: 1503 feet

* I specifically said our hike because Cougar Mountain has a lot of different trails, so you can decide how long/difficult you want your hike to be.

Although it’s only half an hour away, neither of us had been to Cougar Mountain before. It used to be a busy spot for coal mining from 1863 to 1963, so there are cave holes alongside the trails.

Parking

We got to Red Town Trailhead at about 11am and the parking lot was already a chaotic mess. There was nowhere to park and a line of cars waiting for a spot. Street parking wasn’t even an option because there were ditches on the sides of the road. How frustrating!

Thankfully, Cougar Mountain has other trailheads, so we headed to Sky Country Trailhead instead. The parking lot there was divided into a section for cars and a section for horse trailers. The car parking was full, but we found a spot by the horse trailer parking.

Finding a place to park is such a headache when hiking in the Seattle area. Uff da!

The Hike

Our original plan was to do the Coal Creek Falls hike (2.5 miles), but since we changed trailheads, we decided we’d just wing it and do our own thing and head back to the car when we got tired. That turned into a fun 6 mile hike for us!

I had printed a map of Cougar Mountain before we left and between that and the helpful signs at every junction, we had no problem finding our way around.

We started by heading to Coal Creek Falls, which was a quick and easy hike from our trailhead. The falls are only 28 feet high, so more like Cherry Creek Falls than Wallace Falls. I read that the falls even dry up in the summer, so this is the best time of year to see them.

Coal Creek Falls

Along the trail, we saw a few places were there were TONS of spiderwebs in the branches. I HATE spiders, but even I have to admit they looked neat covered in dew and lit up by the sun.

Spiderweb

Lots of spiderwebs

Another point of interest we saw was a grate-covered mine shaft. It was hard to get a good picture of it, though. A little further down the trail, we came to a large, open clay pit, which had a decent view. After that, we took a slightly indirect route back to the parking lot and headed home.

Mine shaft

Clay pit

Overall, we really liked our Cougar Mountain hike and especially how close it is. We mostly stuck to the central trails, so we still have the northern and southern trails to explore. The trails were well marked and maintained, but they were pretty muddy in some spots. It wasn’t terribly difficult hiking, but it’s definitely a place we’ll come back to!

Cherry Creek Falls statistics*:

• Roundtrip: 5.0 miles
• Elevation gain: 450 feet
• Highest point: 705 feet

*Unless you go the wrong way, like we did… more on that below.

When we first got there, we couldn’t find the trailhead. We drove around for a few minutes looking for it before parking on the street to look online for answers. We saw some people up ahead get out of their car, so we followed them and found the trailhead on the corner of Cherry Valley Road and Mountain Valley Road. It was literally just a cement block on the side of the road that marked the start of the trail.

There were no signs on the trail whatsoever, so I tried to follow the directions on WTA’s website, but that didn’t work out for us. We ended up making a wrong turn and hiking uphill before encountering some other hikers who let us know we were headed the wrong way. That part of our hike cost us an extra ~1.5 miles and the most significant elevation gain of our hike.

The trail itself isn’t bad difficulty-wise, but it’s very rocky and there are lots of small, steep up-and-down parts over dried up streams. Just before the end of the trail is a creek that you have to go over, which is the trickiest part of the hike. There’s a maybe 12 foot steep hill you have to navigate down and then walk on slippery rocks and logs across the creek (20 feet or so). Or you could walk across the creek, but the water is probably deep enough to be above your ankles, so your feet would definitely get wet.

The falls at the end of the trail are 25 feet tall and really lovely. There is a short, but very steep, path down to the base of the falls that is definitely worth going down. You get a beautiful view of the falls and the pool down there. Just watch your step!

Marie’s guide to Cherry Creek Falls

Since we had some difficulty finding our way around this trail, here’s a guide to help out anyone looking to visit Cherry Creek Falls.

Cherry Creek Falls trailhead

The trailhead is located on the east corner of NE Cherry Valley Road and Mountain View Road NE. It is marked by a cement block. There isn’t a dedicated parking lot, so you’ll need to look for street parking on Mountain View Road. Just look out for “Private property! No parking!” signs.

Take the RIGHT trail here.

Follow the trail and you’ll cross a bridge over Margaret Creek. Up ahead on the right is a grassy path. Ignore it. Shortly thereafter, you’ll come to a split in the trail. Take the more well-traveled path to the right. Do NOT go left (this is where Nick and I messed up).

Take the LEFT trail here.

Continuing along the path, you’ll eventually get to a dead end where the trail splits. Go left.

This creek is larger than it looks in the photo. Carefully cross it and then look for a trail on the RIGHT.

When you get to the creek, you’re almost at the falls. Carefully make your way across the creek and then start looking for a path on the right about 50 feet past the creek. There are a few pathways down to the falls, but they all work, so don’t worry about getting lost here. Once you get to the overlook, there is a short, steep path down to the base of the falls that is worth taking.

The best rule of thumb we found was to take the more well-traveled paths and ignore any grassy or overgrown trails. Checking with other hikers to make sure you’re going the right way is also very helpful.

View from Middle Falls

Wallace Falls Statistics:

• Roundtrip: 5.6 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1300 ft
• Highest Point: 1570 ft

One really neat thing about Wallace Falls is that you don’t have to hike all the way to the end. There are 3 tiers to the hike and they get progressively more difficult. The first tier is from the trailhead to Lower Falls (870 ft elevation), a 1.8 mile hike that’s easy difficulty. Next is Middle Falls (1100 ft elevation), which is another 0.6 miles down the trail, and moderate difficulty. The last leg of the trail to Upper Falls (1570 ft) is the most strenuous, going up 470 ft in elevation in only 0.35 miles. We only hiked to Middle Falls and back. At the end of each tier of the hike, there is a viewpoint where you get a clear view of the waterfalls.

Wallace Falls is a super popular hiking spot that is reportedly often crowded with people. We went during the day on a weekday and it wasn’t crowded at all. The weather was really nice, too… not too hot and not too cold, perfect hiking weather. It was a little cloudy when we first got to the trail, but it was sunny by the time we were done. There was even a wedding party at the beginning of the trail taking photos.

Unlike Rattlesnake Ledge, which we hiked earlier this summer, Wallace Falls has beautiful scenery the entire hike. Although you get the best views of the waterfalls at the viewpoints, you can always hear the running water as you walk through the old growth forests and over rivers and streams. We definitely plan on taking all of our out-of-town guests here in the future.

I took my camera with and got some really beautiful photos of the hike, so be sure to check out the Flickr album below!

Flickr album: Wallace Falls

Nick and his mom

Bridge on the trail

Wallace Falls trail

Nick having fun

Sun peeking through the trees

Caterpillar

Chipmunk

On Saturday, Nick and I hiked Rattlesnake Ledge in North Bend (about an hour away). The weather was sunny and warm, so it was a perfect day to be outdoors.

Nick at the top of Rattlesnake Ledge

Rattlesnake Ledge Statistics:

• Roundtrip: 4.0 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1160 ft
• Highest Point: 2078 ft

Rattlesnake Ledge is popular because of its proximity to Seattle and its beautiful views. It isn’t a terribly long hike (it took us about 2.5 hours altogether), but it is an uphill climb with lots of switchbacks all the way up to the top. The trail is fairly narrow, but there are places where you can go off to the side to rest periodically. The trail is surrounded by tall trees, which block the view as you’re hiking, but you’re rewarded with gorgeous views of Rattlesnake Lake below and the Cascades in the distance once you get to the rock ledge at the top.

Nick and I weren’t the only ones who thought it’d be a great day for a hike; we heard from several other hikers that they had never seen it so busy before. We got there around 10 am and while it was busy on the way up, the way down was a continuous stream of people. When we go back, we’ll definitely try to go on a weekday instead.

At the trailhead, looking up at the ledge

View from the top

Big Four Ice Caves Trailhead in the Cascade Mountains. Click the image for an interactive version!

On Sunday, we went to the Big Four Ice Caves in the Cascade Mountains with Grandma. It’s a short (2-3 mile roundtrip) hiking trail that I’ve been doing since I was little. Growing up, it was tradition to go to the ice caves for my birthday every few years with my friends. When you get to the end of the trail, you see a glacier on the mountain that remains year round. During the summer, some of the snow melts and streams cause caves to form in the ice (hence, the ice caves). It feels really nice on a hot summer day to walk around on the snow and feel the cold air blowing toward you from the caves.

I took the picture above from the trailhead while we were eating our picnic lunch after the hike. If you click the picture, it’ll take you to Google+, where you can get the full 360 degree experience. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to take one of the ice caves until it was too late. D’oh!

The pictures below are of some of my trips to the ice caves throughout the years. The wooden bridge you see in the earlier pictures was destroyed during a flood in 2006 and they rebuilt it as an aluminum bridge.

26th Birthday (taken on Sunday)

22nd Birthday

16th Birthday

12th Birthday

11th Birthday