Alpine Washington

The middle of October has brought a few inches of snow to the Cascades earlier this week. Having just acquired a pair of Microspikes to extend my hiking season, I decide to attempt Mount Defiance via the old Mason Lake trail. The forecast calls for sunny but freezing weather. Per usual, the parking lot is full at the Ira Spring trailhead when I arrive at 9:00 AM. Considering that the last time we hiked to Mason Lake, we parked 1/2 mile down the road, the brief 150' walk from my car is a luxury. The mercury (do cars have that?) reads 28 degrees, so I bundle up with gloves, hat, and a couple long-sleeve layers. The trail begins on an old logging road that allows two or three abreast. It climbs, but not steeply, and crosses Mason Creek on a sturdy bridge in about 20 minutes. Most hikers continue up the Ira Spring Trail, which switchbacks through talus up the side of Bandera Mountain before hopping over the ridge to ...

It has been over 25 years since I have visited the North Fork Snoqualmie River area of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The one and only time I've been there was on a cool and cloudy summer day in 1993, when I climbed Bare Mountain with my wife Jeannie and long-time friend Ted. Due to the clouds, we didn't get many views, and the grueling 20+ mile drive on horrible roads in Ted's Fox-body Ford Mustang was probably the most memorable part.  That, and a trail hardly seen through chest-high damp ferns.  On this second solo hike, I decide to check out the North Fork again, and attempt to reach Anderson Lake via the unmaintained Lennox Creek Trail. The drive to the trailhead is not quite as bad as I remember it, though it helps having a Subaru this time. There are a few clouds, but it looks to be a lovely day for a hike, and I snap a few cool pictures on the way up the North Fork. One thing I failed to plan for was ...

It's a warm and sunny day in October, and having the week off work, I make a plan to get out into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Today will be my first solo hike, ever, so I'm a little unsure what to expect. Will it be boring? Will I go faster or slower hiking on my own? I've prepared for the event with a Garmin inReach device - this is a satellite messaging tool that allows me to send an SOS message from the wilderness, or exchange text messages with friends and family. It's one of those things you hope to never need, but I like the idea of messaging loved ones periodically to let them know I'm OK, or I've reached a new lake. I decide to take advantage of the lesser weekday crowds and tackle a popular area, starting at the Talapus and Olallie Lake trailhead. Then, I'll do a short off-trail excursion to visit Little Pratt Lake, checking three of the alpine lakes off my list. I've done a bit of route-finding and off-trail work before, but this is cer...