Outdoor adventures in the Pacific Northwest and beyond, with some occasional reflective storytelling.
To be honest, there aren’t a ton of hiking options on Orcas Island. There are a handful. And in other circumstances we probably would have done Mt. Constitution, the most epic one, but one of my friends was recovering from foot surgery and we needed to take it a little easier! Hiked: early JuneBest time…
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Turtleback Mountain was our first hike on Orcas Island, and the best one we did. Hiked: early JuneBest time to hike: year roundDistance from Seattle: not for a day trip – 2 hours to Anacortes, plus 1 hour ferry ride, and then a 10-minute drive from the ferry terminalAccessibility: Entirely paved highway and road Length…
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I hiked Thunder Knob as part of a 2-hike day when I visited North Cascades. Since it’s such a drive, I really wanted to maximize my time there. Hiked: early MayBest time to hike: April-OctoberDistance from Seattle: 2 hours, 30 minutesAccessibility: Entirely paved highway and roadLength & elevation: 3.6 miles round trip, 635 elevation gainDifficulty:…
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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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In another version of my life, I am the host of a podcast, seeking out and sharing important, human stories with the world and interviewing change makers and intellectuals. I am an investigative journalist, uncovering corruption and exposing injustices. In another version of my life, I am in the foreign service, speak 5 languages, and…
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Elizabeth Seeks 