Goat Lake 6-22-13

What a goreous day for a 10+ mile trail!  The skies were blue, the sun was sunny and we were off to a nice early start.  Dave, Adventure Dog and I arrived to find that others were also off to an early start and the trail was a popular one today!  Off we hiked and chose to take the Upper Elliot trail to Goat Lake.  This trail is not a complete loop but offers a large loop option which keeps the lower 2/3 or so of the trail new and different for the return.
The upper trail follows an old logging road and is often lined with lovely alders.

To me alders look like groves of tall art canvases.  They have patterned white and gray bark and have been painted with splotches of lichen and moss.

The upper trail also offers the occasional view of the surrounding peaks.

Although I think it's kind of early in the wildflower season on this trail, I was happy to see that there were a variety blooming.

Columbine

Coral Root

Bleeding Hearts

Bunchberry Dogwood

Not a flower

This trail has it all really from views, wildflowers and the lake, to huge trees and waterfalls.  Here are some of the falls we passed as we hiked along.

The one you read about in the guidebooks though, is McIntosh Falls, which is truly breathtaking.

Here are those huge trees!  There is a section of them and I think most are cedar if not all.  They are just massive and ancient.

There used to be an old mining town along the trail area somewhere.  Also there was at one time a hotel up along the lake.  In many places you can still see the old board wagon road, although it is deteriorating.

It was a long hike to the lake, but so worth it.  Goat Lake and the surrounding snowy peaks are enchanting, and there is even a waterfall on the east side flowing down in with a musical thunder. 

Looking back toward the end of the lake we hiked in at

 

Here is a cool root type thing we saw sticking up in the forest.

On the way back we took Lower Elliot.  It was less populated and went through a lower area with more boggy mossy spots and most of it following along the frothy Elliot Creek.  It continuously drops in elevation resulting in kind of a shallow continuous waterfall where we could see it.

Icicle Ridge 6-14-13

I took the day off, took my dog and headed out early on Friday up Highway 2.  The Icicle Ridge trail is off of Icicle Road, just before you get into the town of Leavenworth.  By the time we got there it was about 11am and already hot and sunny.  I knew what to expect- 2 mi of switchbacks up, and then 2 mi back down.  Easy peasy.  The lovely gentle switchbacks started out nice and mild.

 

It did get a bit steeper toward the top, but mostly I think it was just that it was a constant UP that got Cedar and I.  Poor Adventure Dog's tail even came uncurled and we took a lot of rest and water breaks for him.  Though the wildflowers were mostly done toward the bottom of the trail, as we climbed we saw more and more.  Beautiful! 

Paintbrush and Lupine

 

Someone please tell me what this incredible flower is!

 

The views on the way up were lovely with glimpses of the Wenatchee River.

 

The trail was also delightfully populated with wildlife.  Many birds, including Clarks Nutcrackers and woodpeckers were glimpsed, along with these little lizards and a cheeky chipmunk.

 

It was so hot and uphill and Cedar was so beat that we weren't sure we would make it to the top!  Just when I thought there couldn't be much further I asked another hiker coming down and she said we were maybe halfway!  I thought about turning around, as I didn't see how I could be that far off, but decided to push on.  Only about 10 minutes later and we were out on top of the ridge!

 

View of Hwy 2 and Wenatchee River from above.

 

There was a lot of evidence of old forest fires up there and on the surrounding ridges. 

After taking a break, we followed the advice of another hiker who was on the top, and walked down the ridge to the end for a really pretty view of Leavenworth below.

 

After wending our way back down, down, down it was only right that Adventure Dog and I visited A Paw Above (great pet supply store!) and shared a brat-burger at Uncle Uli's Pub.  Cedar even got his very own, very appreciated water bowl.

 

Olympic Peninsula 6-8-13

Family came this way for my youngest's graduation yesterday, so it was only fair we take the ferry that way today for my cousin's birthday!  : )  It was a breezy partly cloudy day, but still nice and a ferry ride is always fun.  Once there it didn't take us long to end up on the beach for some lowtide shenanigans, like uncovering shore crabs and digging clams.

 

Northwest bounty:

Dave took most of these, as I was all wet and sandy and muddy and busy digging around in the salty muck.  While we were on the beach a bald eagle flew over and landed in a nearby tree where there was another bald eagle perching already.

My sister, Rose, spotted these herons on the beach and caught them on my camera.  They are so huge!

While we're spotlighting some of our feathered friends, here is the cute little swallow that is nesting over my Mom and Aunt's door on their porchlight.  It didn't seem to mind dogs and people going in and out, but when a crow landed in the yard it continuously dive-bombed it.

We had a nice fire along with our delicious barbeque, but fire is an adventure that Cedar does not want part of.  He hid behind this flower pot.

On the way home we stopped by Point No Point Lighthouse.  It was nearly sunset and was gorgeous there!  Lovely sandy beach and pretty lighthouse all planted with colorful flowers.

Mount Rainier was "peaking" up over the bank of clouds to the south.

We walked along the beach and saw jellyfish there.

There is a house along the road that was the cabin of a ship.  Here Adventure Dog is checking it out.

 

Get out there and enjoy the beautiful world around you.  Get out there and leave your mark!