Outdoor adventures in the Pacific Northwest and beyond, with some occasional reflective storytelling.
We decided to do the longest hike of our trip on our final day in Glacier: Iceberg Lake! Located in the Many Glacier area of the park, it’s a stunner. You won’t want to miss it if you’re in the area. Hiked: Early JulyBest time to hike: May-OctoberAccessibility: The road to the Many Glacier area…
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Avalanche Lake: the essential hike near the West Glacier entrance of Glacier National Park, and the first trail we completed during our trip to the park. Hiking Avalanche Lake, Glacier National Park Hiked: Early JulyBest time to hike: June-OctoberAccessibility: Entirely paved highway and roadLength & elevation: 5.9 miles round trip, 757 feet elevation gainDifficulty: EasyCrowds:…
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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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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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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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Elizabeth Seeks 