Outdoor adventures in the Pacific Northwest and beyond, with some occasional reflective storytelling.
Still in my first year living in Washington, I didn’t know when the North Cascades area was accessible. Snow conditions in the mountains are still something I’m learning about and trying to understand. So when I saw a news announcement that highway 20, which crosses through the North Cascades, was entirely cleared of snow last…
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When friends came to visit in April, I knew that seeing the Washington wildflowers would be a special, unique spring opportunity. And when it came down to choosing on the morning of between Mount Si in the rain or a sunshine-filled wildflower excursion, it was an easy decision to make! We planned a day to…
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Garfield Ledges is a super easy, super quick hike located near North Bend. I picked it on a day when I didn’t want to spend the entire day hiking, but still wanted a bit of mountain views. It fit the bill perfectly! Garfield Ledges Trail Review Hiked: mid-April. Accessible year-round.Distance from Seattle: 50 minutesAccessibility: Almost…
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Teneriffe Falls is no joke. The first time I attempted to hike it was in January of 2020. It was cold and rainy, and I was with my sister and her then two-year-old. We didn’t make it to the falls. So I knew I needed to come back to try it again. I decided to…
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Heybrook Ridge convinced me that I do not get up to the Index area enough. I’ve been doing a lot of hiking in the I-90 corridor, simply because it’s quick and easy to get to, and there are plenty of hikes without snow in the area. As someone who is new to winter and snow…
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Little Si has a special place in my heart, because the first time we hiked it was right around when we decided to move to Seattle. It’s such a fantastic, quick hike get away from the city. If you’ve lived in the Seattle area any length of time and enjoy hiking, chances are you have…
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With a name like Dirty Harry’s Balcony, I was already suspicious about it. And when Gonza and I attempted it for the first time back in September, I wasn’t a huge fan — but we didn’t make it to the top. I wanted to give it another try though, and I’m glad I did! Dirty…
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It wasn’t the first time I found myself driving south on highway 5 to Olympic National Forest for a particular hike. Back in January, I had an ill-fated adventure in an attempt to visit this exact place: Lower Lena Lake. If I can’t be on top of a mountain with sweeping views, a lake is…
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I headed to Rattlesnake Ledge on a Thursday around 5 pm, shortly after the trail was reopened after being shuttered for about a year due. Historically extremely popular, I was eager to go before the word fully got out that it was open. Nonetheless, there was still a moderate amout of people on the trail.…
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Visiting Deception Pass State Park Camping in March in Washington was totally new territory for me. First, I hadn’t been camping in 6 years, so I definitely felt out of practice. Second, I had only ever planned one camping trip before. Third, the weather in Washington tends to be rainy and unpredictable. What I’d read…
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Elizabeth Seeks 