Mount Rose

I made it to the summit ridge today! Lots of snow up there though and did not actually get to the summit rock, I'm sure it was under 20 feet of snow. We were probably sitting higher then the summit rock. The left route to the summit was impassable after about 1/2 a mile so we turned back and took the right route, it was much better plus it's well marked.

I'm going to be sore in the morning. My legs turned to jello and my knees started locking up on the way down.

We are going to do the Quinault Loop tomorrow as a family hike.

Lena Lake

This Sunday was my 4th trip to Lena Lake this year. This time I pushed my 30 pound tot to the lake and back with a jogging stroller. It was to be a bit of a break from carrying her up there in a baby backpack. I'm sore today though. Pushing that stroller to Lower Lena Lake and back was a bit like mowing miles and miles of lawn I think. I used different muscles then I use just to hike up with a backpack. I wanted a good work out and I got it.





There is a geocache at Lower Lena Lake and I went looking for it in January but the water level was too high then. I went to Lena Lake again about two weeks ago but did not have my GPS with me. I looked for the cache anyway and did not find it. On Sunday I had my GPS and I looked for the cache and still did not find it. I think the cache is missing.

Next Sunday we are planning to do the Quinault loop as a family hike and then on Wednesday I'm going to do a solo hike in a spot that should help me get into shape for Deseret Peak in Utah. It's the same elevation gain but with less mileage. Deseret peak tops out at over 11,000 feet. I've never actually been that high. I know that I tend to get a bit headachey at just 9000 feet so I really want to be in good shape for the hike up Deseret that I am planning this summer.

We will camp at 7,500 feet the night before I attempt Deseret. I live at only 300 feet so I'm really not used to higher elevations. I usually get pretty out of breath going up hill, I don't know if it's caused by anemia or my six years of smoking from age 15 to age 21 or what. I just know that I get much more out of breath then most people do when I am hiking uphill. I have to go slow and steady and find a pace that I can maintain. Maybe that would change if I started trying to race up hill on my hikes.


Back to my Lena Lake Hike, we all know that going downhill is hard on your knees because you're basically falling down the hill and your knees have to catch you so you can make it a controlled fall. I had that going on plus the baby in the baby stroller was pulling me down hill. My knees are really feeling it today. Our jogging stroller has a brake but it's only on the front wheel where there is almost no weight and as a break it is basically worthless. I might try to put a brake on one or both of the back tires.

Lower Lena Lake is snowfree all the way to the lake with only patchy bits of snow beside the trail about 1/4 of a mile before the lake.

Upper Big Creek / Mount Walker

Last week I placed a geocache on the Upper Big Creek trail and got to use my snowshoes some. I headed up the Ellinor Connector trail until I was sinking to my knees in the snow even with snow shoes on. Since then I've ordered 8 inch flotation tails for my shoes and am looking forward to testing them out.

This week I hiked up the Mount Walker trail and then back down the road. I found the three geocaches up there as part of my hike.

There is supposed to be a great view from the top of Mount Walker but not when I was up there last week!

The wind was really blowing and the rain was pelting my face. My newest Gortex Hiking boots are leaking again so I exchanged them again. Maybe it was the salt water that did them in. I went clam digging in them and the next time I wore them hiking they were leaking. I'll keep my new gortex shoes out of the salt water. Maybe gortex shoes are just a rip off but REI does have a good return policy so I guess I'll just keep taking them back if they keep leaking. I also got snow baskets for my trekking poles while I was at REI.

I feel lucky to have so much nice hiking gear. My ex boyfriend bought me some nice stuff and I have been adding to it. I don't want to contribute too much to consumerism but I sure like this nice new gear. REI tried to sell me some waterproofing for the outside of my waterproof shoes, it cost $7.50 for a tiny little bottle. I passed on that.

Next week I might go up the Ellinor trail from Big Creek again. I really want to do the glissade down Ellinor and am going to keep tabs on the snow conditions up there.

To the right is my GPS tracklog for my hike up the Mount Walker trail. I'm having a lot of fun with my GPS but I do worry that it might be detracting from my nature experience.

Doing the Dose

13.4 miles, I finally got in a good hike and I'm not suffering (much) from it. Dosewallips river road has been washed out for a few years now. The road is washed out 5.5 miles from the Dosewallips River Trail. There is fight going on between the Park Service and environmental groups that has kept the road from being repaired. About 1 mile before the washout there is a smaller washout that pickup trucks can drive over. I hiked down the road bed to the Ranger Station but on the way I took a .4 mile round trip detour to grab and log a geocache.



This is a pleasant area with moss draped trees and a rushing river below the road. I enjoyed my hike until about the 10th mile. I always seem to burn out at about ten miles and then I am no longer having fun but am in pain instead. The perfect hike for me seem to be to big log camp and back from the North Fork Skokomish trail head. When the Staircase gate is open it's a 10 mile hike. I could go on to camp pleasant but that makes for a 14 mile round trip hike and it's not so pleasant.

I need to get back in shape. I've regained 10 of the 20 pounds I lost after having my now two year old. Not good! I forgot to bring my camera on this hike so have no pictures to post.

Sinusitis

I hate it when school starts each September, it's the beginning of cold and flu and ear ache and sinus infection season. I've been down with a sinus infection for quite some time. I still try to hike each week but often turn back well before my goal because I am dizzy. I went to the doctor and got some powerful antibiotics and some beconase. I hope to be well enough to do a real hike soon. I'll try on Tuesday. Wish me luck.

I've been busy geocaching and oystering when I'm to ill to do the long hikes. We just got two limits of clams and oysters. My two year old even pitched in and collected a couple of them. By this time next year I think she will be able to collect her limit of oysters.