Swauk Forest Loop

This short but sweet loop hike has become an autumn ritual for my family. This was our fifth year hiking it as the western larches glowed their autumn gold. We were on a few inches of snow for the entire hike this time, which we were all very excited about. (It’s coming!)

The western larch is different than the alpine larch, which I didn’t know until about five years ago. In our mountains the western larches are generally taller, grow at lower elevations, and turn color later.

My son gets homework now that he’s a second grader, and his assignment for the coming week is to write about a family tradition. He said he plans to write about this hike. When he first did this with us, he was carried in a backpack. Now he’s running down the trail carrying a pack.

Rainy Pass to Methow Pass on the PCT

I think I’ve picked my favorite stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail. At least in October.

Patos Island Kayak

Summer in the San Juan Islands is its own kind of paradise.

We have a somewhat annual tradition going back over a decade now with another couple to the San Juan Islands. This year’s trip was an amazing one. We’ve done Sucia Island in years past, but this year we doubled our trip distance by crossing to Sucia Island for lunch, and then to Patos where we camped. Patos has no fresh water, so we had to bring everything we needed in the boats.

From the ferry line, going Anacortes to Orcas

We briefly landed for the giant yacht party that is now Sucia Island before making the kayak crossing to much quieter Patos. With only seven campsites, and no water, the crowds were dampened.

We watched the sun go down with the lighthouse docent and another kayaker, then headed back to camp. We settled into our tents, and woke up to a beautiful morning. I got up before the sun to walk over to the lighthouse again for the sunrise.

Meal logistics with kayaks are interesting. There are some similarities to backpacking, but weight isn’t much of a consideration. It’s the space that we have to worry about, especially when it’s a dry campsite with no fresh water. We had a one pot curry dish for dinner, and the Perschbachers made breakfast burritos the next morning.

I kayak with a long lens on my camera so I can give these cuties their distance while still catching them sunning themselves at low tide. We lovingly refer to harbor seals as sea puppies.

Backpacking the Hoh River

We spent a beautiful four days backpacking in the heart of Olympic National Park. The 36 mile hike from the Hoh Ranger Station to the Blue Glacier has been on my bucket list for a long time and we sure hit the rainforest at the height of its beauty.

It was quite the adventure. The log crossings made things interesting, and the rope ladder between Elk Lake and Glacier Meadows was… a thrill. We descended the hundred+ foot ladder into the washout around 2am, and the beams of our headlamps didn’t even reach the bottom.

The lower Blue Glacier looked like it was in fantastic early season shape, but the scree slope to get down to it. That was something else. My husband likes rock. I like snow. At one point he commented, “We’re climbing it like mountain goats!” I replied, as rocks kept giving out, “I’m climbing it more like a sailor!”

The number of species of fern and understory growth really drove home the value of these ancient and beautiful trees. I expect to return again and again.

Golden Lakes Loop

Our eleventh anniversary in October made a great excuse to make the Golden Lakes Loop while it was still golden. Those larches glowed so brightly, and getting to camp among their splendor and tread the fallen needles along the trail made for a trip we will never forget.

The most magical moment of the trip was one I didn’t capture. We woke up around midnight and stepped out of our tent into moonlight bathing the larches. I didn’t even try to get a picture. I could not have done it justice.