The Hostel Witness

HIking Wallace Falls State Park

temps in the 80s?

Check.

red bandana for dog?

Check. 

snow free?

Check. 

Wallace Falls it was. 

Wallace Falls

With the weather August-perfect in Seattle the last two weekends, I was very happy that I was able to finally make it out onto the trail. But which trail to hike? Its these May weekends, dear reader (singular), that give us hikers something of a trail amnesia. We can't wait to hit Green Mountain, completely forgetting that the trailhead is likely still buried in snow. 

Looking skeptical about the whole thing.

So we have to calm ourselves and find suitable "training" hikes. We have to forgoe solitude to commune with nature, rubbing shoulders with families, tourists in aviators and popped collars, and a surprising amount of spandex. 

Getting into the spirit.

Wallace Falls is no exception. Already a full parking lot by 11am, its just a short 3.5 mile, 1,500 feet up to the top of the falls. Being just an hour outside of Seattle, while it doesn't get Mount Si busy, it does get pretty busy. I had a plan, however: a training hike with Oni, the Great Dane. 

Happy we've reached the middle falls.

Packing a full pack and bringing along a 100lb dog is just one of the myriad of ways to keep the trail pretty free ahead of you. Wallace Falls has the added benefit of a mile long detour that takes you up a less steep and it turns out, a completely isolated rail-grade road. By the time the road reunited with the main slog up to Wallace, I had only seen 2 other people on the trail. The more direct Wallace trail on the other hand, was absolutely packed with hikers eager to get up/down the falls. 

Middle falls

Roughly 8 miles later, the hike accomplished, Oni and I laid out in the grass. A beer and a bbq set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. So there you have it...Wallace Falls: busy hike, great bbq. 

Nice work, Oni.

Training for the Capital City Marathon, #capcity26

Two years ago, I picked up a dog eared copy of The Non-Runner's Marathon and on a whim, decided to run my first marathon. True to the book's billing, I was able to finish the Rock and Roll Marathon in Arizona. The book talks about the mental aspect of running long distances and it was around mile 23 that my mental preparation failed me and I began making deals with myself. One of them was that if I finished, I would never do anything like that again. But if I didn't, I'd have to sign up for the next marathon I saw. 

That deal with myself lasted for a little over two years. Almost in a haze, one night I signed up for the Capital City Marathon in Olympia, WA on May 19th. You see, the long, dark and wet days of a Seattle winter have a way of grating on one's nerves and cabin fever sets in. During my runs two years ago, I discovered that the best time of day during the winter months was actually early morning, because as gray as the day was, it was at its brightest in the morning.  I would start in the pitch dark and get to see a sun peek on the horizon before rising above a morass of clouds.  I didn't reaize how much I missed it. 

Two months ago, I began to get itchy when a thought, quiet at first and thunderous later, rose in my mind. It said simply, "marathon". After himming and hawing, I dusted off the copy of my book and began to read again.  I began to run again. Two years since that run, I was in much better shape and the small miles quickly melted away under my feet. My long runs weren't as hard and yes, seeing the sun rise in the morning was as glorious as it was two years ago. So I'm back.

Two years later, my approach to this has changed. To ease the pain of breaking promises (as well as the pain in my hip), I also committed to regular tissue massages to ease in recovery. So far, so good. The mental reward has also changed. Instead of the joy of discovering that I can run farther than I thought I could, this time I get the joy of rediscovering how good this can feel. And this time, I have technology. I can share my sunrises with my friends. 

An Introduction to Cross Country Skiing in the Cascades: Crystal Springs

Cross Country Skiing - who knew? When I signed up for an introduction to cross country skiing in the Cascades through the Mountaineers, I wasn't sure what to expect. Yet there we were, assembled at Crystal Springs sno park, located about 8 miles east of the Summit at Snoqualmie Pass. 

Turns out, its a lot of fun as well as a hell of a work out. I've tried down hill skiing with little success and the times I wasn't falling, yes it was fun, but it didn't hit me like it was supposed to hit me. Cross Country Skiing on the other hand, was like snow shoeing on steroids. Its like jogging on rails. 

The three week course was offered through the Mountaineers, a fantastic group out of Seattle that I don't do nearly enough with. Roughly fifty students were parsed down into a few different groups - beginning cross country (that's us!), intermediate, and skate skiing, which I think I may end up trying out next year.  

To ski at the sno park, you will need at least a day use permit. The money goes to keeping the trails groomed and for us classic cross country skiers, gives us the skate tracks that help us go choo choo. 

 

 

 

Thinking about the Enchantments

Its no secret, my love for the Enchantments.  I last made the trip in 2009 with my buddy, Jayson. Since then, we tried on two other occasions to go: in 2010, snow forced us to the beaches of Olympic National Park and in 2011, Ross Lake. Both are very beautiful, mind you, but the Enchantments are something special. 

 

This time, the odds and luck were on our side. This would be our third trip. However, forest fires in nearby Wenatchee were a constant threat. Just days before our hike, we were informed that the Colchuck entrance would be closed. The Enchantments were still open, via Snow Lake, but a pall of heavy smoke literally hung over us the whole weekend. With backup plans in mind, we headed out to Leavenworth on an otherwise great Labor Day weekend. 

 

Thomas flew in from KC, on wings of promises dealt out to him over three years of us gushing about this trip. Jayson took in the long drive from Portland and John was happy to get out of the house for a weekend in the woods. 

 

Life is dotted with countless small blessings. Forcing us up the Enchantments via the Snow Lakes route was new to us and though it promised a tougher, longer day, the views going clock-wise were truly astounding. Creeks and waterfalls that we would normally hike by without notice on our way out, this time stood front and center. We shutterbugs rejoiced. 

 

The smoke burned at our throats though. And while they never did lift, they made for some spectacular photography. I guess we can take that to heart for the minutes we shaved off of our lives. 

Leprechaun Lake

Thomas takes in the view. 

The entrance to the Enchantments via Snow Lake

Approaching the lower valley. 

A quiet, still day. 

I felt like the Mars Rover. The smoke added a surreal quality to the experience. 

A beautiful sunset. 

The goats were out and friendly. 

The Fourth Season

Its gotten dark at 4:30pm here in Seattle for the better part of a month now, so its safe to say that we are nestled in the fourth-season of camping. You know...how most gear you buy is good for three seasons? This is the fourth. Snow falls of over a foot, stormy rain and wind at 39 degrees - its enough to make any hiker want to crawl and hide until the snow boarders go into hibernation. 

Still, there is some fun to be had in the Fourth Season. Like, preparing for the spring! 

And new for me this year, I've added two new programs to the training regimen. 

Muay Thai, by Axtion Club in Belltown and a Pilates instructor courtesy of Atlas Pilates. The Pilates has been great so far - I leave the classes feeling like I had a spinal massage. The carefully coached and guided exercises are targeting muscles to strengthen my back (due to some mild kyphosis) and flexibility of my joints, both very important for hiking. And the Muay Thai? Best cardio workout of my life. And who knows, it might come in handy the next time I run into a bear. 

 

TGIF!

Elliot Creek, Goat Lake Trail

The Elliot Creek trail, or Goat Lake as its better known, is a bit of a tease. A moderately challenging, 10 mile hike, she takes her time dishing out her morsels. It was about an hour before I was able to glimpse above the treeline and take in some of the sights that the cloudless day had granted. But first, a decision. 

This is a popular hike. About 24 miles from the Verlot ranger station outside of Granite Falls, its not as popular as say, Lake Twenty Two, but nonetheless on a sunny weekend day, even by 10am the cars were already lined along the road. And so it was with a bit of resignation that I started along the hike. 

The trail splits off into two directions and hikers have the choice of either following Elliot Creek, which meanders before meeting back up with the other trail, an old road-grade trail with a bit of elevation. As I approached the turnoff, I saw no less than 3 parties take the river trail and so thus, my decision was made (I prefer the take Robert Frost at his most literal). 

And it paid off. I only ran into one couple a short way into the hike and the rest of the way was crowd free. After an hour of a pretty boring uphill hike, with no views, the trail decided to reward me. Rivers, glimpses of snow covered peaks, and waterfalls abound. And even my friends, Sara and Molly. 

Says something about the choices out here that in all my life of hikes, I've never just ran across a couple friends, but there they were, hanging out and having a good old time. And seeing them lifted me a bit out of my cranky old man funk, because really, if you can't share a good trail with some friends, what's the point? 

Except for those jerks that don't say hi on the trail. That's just plain rude. 

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo! Kimchee de gallo recipe - oh yeah.

I don't know why korean and mexican fusion works so well...korean bbq in a corn tortilla with cheese probably one of the best it just works foods out there. So when I joked a few weeks ago about creating a kimchi based sasa, the voice in the back of my mind whispered, you know, that can work! My office does an annual Cinco de Mayo salsa throw down and so this year, I decided to go all in.

Even Lauren liked it, which as an Irish-Norwegian says quite a bit. While I know that this is the perfect salsa for kimchi lovers, it remains to be seen what the office mates will think about it. In any case, I loved it. 

 

Kimchi de gallo

5 diced medium sized tomatoes

3 cups Kaktugi, radish style Kimchi

½ can of black beans, unflavored

5 jalapenos

¼ cup red onion

¼ cup cilantro

 

On an oiled broil pan, slice jalapenos in half and broil skin side up for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and dice. Seeds can be kept, depending on desired hotness. Dice kaktugi to desired size, then In large colander, combine tomatoes, kaktugi, beans, jalapenos, cilantro, and onion. Mix and allow liquid to drain, then place in a serving bowl. And that’s about it.

Making the kaktugi is the hard part (and alas, my mother has yet to give up the recipe), but generally speaking this radish kimchi is not as spicy as its better known cabbage counterpart. It is in fact, quite crunchy and sweet, which lends a good balance to the texture of the tomatoes. The roasted jalapenos offer a nice warm heat at the end of the bite, but you can certainly make it hotter by keeping the seeds in. No salt is needed, as the kimchi generally has enough in it already.

Lillian Creek, a hidden treat along the Elwha River Trail, Olympic National Park

Pat and I took Friday off to do an early season break in and make sure that all our gear was working and accounted for. For the hike, we chose Lilllian Creek, a trail that breaks from the lower Elwha river trail. The creek dead ended after about 7 miles, so we turned around and hiked back, setting up camp back on the Elwha trail. All sorts of interesting things to see - the Elwha dam removal, plenty of deer and harlequin ducks, and of course, a deer carcass right on the trail. The last time I came across a deer carcass, I was also hiking with Pat. As he gingerly stepped over the body, I told him that he always takes me to the most interesting places. The Elwha is a great hiking destination for the early spring. Its elevation remains below the snow line and the trail starts just a short ways outside of Port Angeles. And the forest is just amazing. The gear all checked out and fortunately, we didn't have a chance to test out the rain gear. Maybe next time.

 

Pat, being reflective.

 

My photoshop filter license has been revoked.

 

Descending down to the Elwha. 

Camping among giants.

Another couple of hikers enjoying the trail. 

A trip to Ebey's Landing on Whidbey Island

It's always funny how an impromptu outing can turn into a fun little adventure. This past weekend, I had been planning on an excursion to Ebey's Landing, a five mile loop on Whidbey Island. This year round hike is famous for its ties to local history, as well as a unique lagoon that protects the trail from the surging tides.

 

I had mentioned the trip to friends James and McKenzie. When they replied that their family actually had a house just a few miles from the landing, we just decided to make an overnight of it and brave the commute back into town in the morning.

The prairie after the hill rise.

Immediately after getting out of the car, we encountered a pair of eagles, swooping right over the car. The winds were picking up and in the distance we saw a trail slowly meander its way up a steep hill. Luckily, the hill ended up looking more mean than it truly was. Oni was in heaven.  Dancing on her leash, she pulled me up the hill, through the prairie, and onto the beach.

Unfortunately for me, I had let my camera battery go uncharged, so I contented myself with Instagram which doesn't quite capture the experience, but it is my first billion dollar piece of software.

5 miles and 14,000 steps later (thanks, fitbit!), we headed into Coupville for a cold beer and bowl of chowder. At the house, which was modest but literally just a few feet from the ocean, we bbq'd, opened up a few bottles of Full Moons, and I introduced James to the classic game of rock, where in which one person tries to hit a rock with another rock. Its going to take the world by storm. 

5am came too soon and we packed up the car in the darkness. Still, everyone made it to work on time (if only just), so not only did we get a hike in, but we learned how to stretch every single minute out of a sunny weekend.