Otter Falls

July 21, 2019

I love this hike. It's easy to get to thanks to the pristinely paved Middle Fork Rd, there's plenty of parking, and it seems to be one of the less popular ones off this road so you'll avoid crowds (one of the reasons I refuse to do Mailbox Peak). It's a perfect hike on a hot, sunny day because it's an easy 12 mile stroll through a shaded secondary forest which probably makes it good on a drizzly day, too. There was plenty of parking at 8:30 am on a sunny Sunday in July. Even more surprising was how empty the lot was when we returned at noon. A NW Forest pass is required for parking. Toilets are available in the lot.

A perfect summer Sunday in the NW

We did this hike with Toby last year and decided to revisit it with Mario this year. Boy, did they have a great time. The trail is relatively flat with minimal elevation gain except for the quick jaunt up the hill to get to the falls. Several creek crossings offer the perfect spot for pups to take a water break and cool off their paws. Turn off to the falls is marked by a large cairn as well as rocks arranged like an arrow on the ground.

Mario's nimble at creek crossings

With Toby leading, we unknowingly hauled ass. It took us 90 minutes to hike 6 miles to our destination. I mean, it helped that Mario was pulling me most of the way. We had the whole lake beach to ourselves with the exception of one small day group way on the other side and another pair tearing down camp at the top of the hill. The bugs weren't bad at all. After a 25 minute lunch break we headed back which took another 90 minutes. I'd say 3 hours for a 12 miler is pretty good considering we weren't rushing at all. Well, maybe Toby was. Overall we only saw a handful of groups on the trail.

Otter Falls

 

Enjoying the sound and views of Taylor River on our hike out

Toby and Mario were definitely tired for the rest of the day, but enjoyed napping and sunbathing at a couple breweries après hike.

No Boat Brewing has an excellent outdoor space

Flycaster Brewing in Kirkland

 

Snuggly sleepy boys on the car ride home

 

Coal Creek Falls

June 22, 2019

Guess who went on their first hike this weekend? Mario did! He ended up being a great trail pup and tired himself out with all the pulling he did in the beginning. Guy couldn't even keep his eyes open on the car ride home.

Good job, Mario!

Toby and I hiked Coal Creek Falls a few years ago (luckily before a surprise windstorm), but I parked at a different trailhead. The one Andy drove to was nice and paved. No pass required to park here. The lot was full so we ended up parking in the empty horse trailer lot since there were no trailers around. If it's really busy I suspect you could easily park along the road to the parking lot, too.

Print outs of the trail system are available at the trail head sign board. You can make this hike as short or as long as you want. I would love to come back here to do a trail run. Paths are well-maintained, well-marked, and wide.

Wide trail. Beware of slugs!

The waterfall was more like a trickle. In fact, as we crossed the bridge we didn't even know we had reached it! We walked past and realized a few minutes later that that was Coal Creek Falls. I thought it was a very nice stroll through the forest and a great intro hike for Mario. In total we hiked about 3 miles.



Walking past the waterfall

Sleepy Mario

 

Diamond Head - Oahu, HI

May 19, 2019

We *finally* made it up to Diamond Head on our third visit to the island. Originally the plan was to catch the sunrise up there, but we love sleep too much. Instead we woke up at 5:30 am and ran from our hotel by Fort Derussy Beach Park all the way to the trail head which added an extra 2.5 - 3 miles. Good thing we decided to sleep in, though, because Diamond Head gates don't open until 6 am. Also, good thing Andy carries cash because entrance fee is $1 per person if you walk in.



Catching sunrises with this guy for 13.5 years

 Unless you're first in line or don't care about being one of those people (hah!), I'd say it's pretty difficult to actually run to the top because there's a line of people trudging up the switchbacks/stairs, and it gets pretty narrow in some areas.

We passed by people of all ages slowly or quickly making their way to the top. I've never been on such a packed hike. It was weird, like I was in line at the store. Definitely not my favorite, but glad I  made it to the top to take in the views and salty breeze.

Paved trail with rails

Views towards the top

More views

Hike to the top was quick. There was a good amount of switchbacks and stairs, but nothing too grueling!

 

Exploring at the top

 

 

Manoa Falls - Oahu, HI

May 17, 2019

Not only were Andy and I in Oahu to celebrate our wedding anniversary in May (we got married at Wai'alea Beach Park), but we were also celebrating the marriage of our two friends with a week-long trip in Hawaii.

...and what's a wedding with friends and family without pre-wedding festivities???

Woohoo!

Hikes around Oahu are great because there's very little effort for a lot of reward. We started the bachelorette celebration with a hike to Manoa Falls just before noon. The well-maintained trail starts at a paved parking lot ($5) with a parking attendant. I found this hike to easily accommodate a group of 8 gals in that it's straightforward and only 1.6 miles RT. As with hiking anywhere, if it's raining the rocks will be slick. Hiking in the rain is awesome in Hawaii because you stay warm. Is this rain? Is this sweat? Who cares!

Lush

Manoa Falls

We saw a fair amount of friendly hikers on the trail, but we were never stuck behind a group of people. At times we had the trail all to ourselves. At the waterfall there are flat areas on the rocks to hang out. We were there for maybe 10 - 15 minutes, took some pictures, then headed back down.

Don't forget to look up!



 

Took us an hour or less to complete the hike. We were in a hurry, though, since we were looking forward to food afterwards!


Muddy Buddies

Elfin Lakes - Garibaldi Provincal Park, B.C.

January 12-13, 2019

For my 32nd birthday, Andy planned an unforgettable backcountry snowshoe trip up to Elfin Lakes in Garibaldi Provincial Park - Squamish, B.C. Our trip ended up being 14.2 miles total in and out.

The trail to Elfin Lakes is incredibly well maintained partly because it's a high-use trail and also because there are reflective orange rods every 100 steps or so leading the way.  This hike is popular with backcountry skiers, too. It's going to be difficult not to photo dump here.

Snow covered conifers are gateways to countless adventures

After a 3 mile ascent through the forest we reached the small wood-stove heated Red Heather Hut. Most skiers make this their stop as there are plenty good slopes around. Past this the terrain is relatively flat until you get to Elfin Lakes which is another 4 miles out.

View of Howe Sound

At Elfin Lake, there's an amazing solar powered and propane heated cabin with bunks upstairs and a communal kitchen and eating area with tables downstairs. The bunks were all booked, but I would highly recommend camping outside anyways. Sharing bunk space with 33 sweaty people didn't sound like we'd get much sleep! There's also a 3-stall vault toilet with views of the mountains, letting light in. Another day use hut and toilet was available near the area where we camped, but it was snowed in and nobody wanted to clear the entrance anyways. The heated cabin was just a short walk from Fort Kick Ass.

Fort Kick Ass.
Andy built an impressive protective snow wall.

Our Tarptent Double Rainbow @ Fort Kick Ass

It took us 3 hours 50 minutes to get to Elfin Lakes. Not bad for 7 miles! This time of year the lakes are snow covered. We got lucky with the weather again, though, and had spectacular views every step of the way. It was breathtaking and I had such a blast. Hanging out in the warm cabin with fellow snowshoers and skiiers was really nice. More often than not Andy and I are the only ones on the trail or camping outside, so it was fun to share in all the energy and excitement.

Heading to the cabin to make dinner

Boiling water to rehydrate our homemade spaghetti dinner. Lights weren't working in the cabin, but we made a hanging lantern with headlamp + baggie.

Gorgeous sunset and a bright Venus

The night time lows may have hit 18°F, but we were toasty in our tent. I wore only my baselayers and kept my sleeping bag unzipped. Luckily Andy attached the liner in our tent which kept most of the condensation off us.

Woke up at 6:45 am to a lovely sunrise



The sunrise was so beautiful Andy had to shake his shovel at it.

Gently illuminated mountain tops.
You can see the snow-buried hut to the left.

Sunrise selfie before our hike out which took 3 hours.

32's gonna be gooooood, guys!

"32"

Japanese Gulch

October 14, 2018

I always heard people taking about it, but never went to explore Japanese Gulch even though I grew up in Mukilteo and work nearby. Nowadays we're looking for close dog-friendly hikes. This was certainly a good one, though I expect it'll get muddy once the rain starts.

We parked at the big, empty Japanese Gulch South Trailhead. The lot is shared with a community garden. There's a port-o-potty available, too. We hiked north through the forest and ended up at the Japanese Gulch Tails and Trail off-leash dog park. Parts of the trail were narrow, but totally manageable. It was a peaceful hike with nothing too exciting. I think Toby would beg to differ, though. He enjoyed walking through the stream and letting loose at the dog park.

Loving the sunny, Fall days