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Outdoors

Mowich Lake

Saturday was our one year anniversary. 365 days ago, Tyla and I had our first date, and for some reason, she has put up with me for a whole year. To celebrate, we drove down to Mowich Lake.

Mowich Lake is located in the northwest corner of the park, a part I have never been to. It is the deepest and largest lake in the park. You access the lake via a 17 mile long dirt road. Before you go, make sure you check the website to see if the road is open. It just opened last Thursday so it takes them a while to get it ready for traffic. I think the next time we go back, we’ll take an SUV or a truck. The Subie survived, but I felt a bit bad about bouncing it along those washboard roads. Thankfully, the dirt road keeps a lot of people away and there were not a ton of people around. Don’t worry about trying to find a spot in the tiny lot, just park along the road and make your way down to the trail that circles the lake.

We found a very secluded spot right at the water’s edge to have a private picnic lunch. I was tempted to go back to the car for my swimsuit, but after wading in up to my knees, I realized that swimming in a glacier fed lake wouldn’t last too long. It was frigid! By the way, this was the second weekend in a row that I have played in the snow on dormant volcanoes. Have I mentioned I love the Pacific Northwest?

After lunch, we hiked to the south end of the lake where most of the crowd was. There are about 30 camping sites, but it’s really just a big rock field where you can pitch a tent. If you were doing a lot of hiking in the area, it might be worth it, but otherwise I think we’ll skip that campground.

Normally you’d see majestic Mt. Rainier just over the hills but there were too many clouds to give us a good view. You can check out the photos in the photo gallery or view the panoramic shot by clicking the image below (~17MB.)

We finished the day with dinner at Matts’ Rotisserie and Oyster Lounge in Redmond Town Center. (Minus eleventy billion points for auto playing background music when you open their site.)

Thanks to Tyla for yet another wonderful adventure. The last year has been full of them and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead!

benmartens July 27, 2009 Outdoors, Panorama

Lake Easton State Park

Tim, Chelsea, Andy, Stephanie, Nick (an intern at Tim’s company), Tyla and I spent the weekend about 15 miles east of the summit of Snoqualmie Pass at Lake Easton State Park. We all convened at campsite 109 after work on Friday and crammed five tents onto the tent pad. The rest of the weekend was filled with cornhole, beverages, campfires, delicious food, and hanging out down by the water. The lake was beautiful, but the campground was very loud. I-90 was only a few hundred yards away. I guess when you try to cram train tracks, a lake, a campground and an interstate into a mountain pass, there’s not a lot of leftover room. It was great for a weekend trip considering how close to home it is(60 miles from my house.) On Sunday morning, we packed up and visited Mountain High Hamburgers on the other side of the interstate. It’s a Scherschel family favorite and made a nice end to the weekend.

Thanks to everyone for coming, and special thanks to Tyla for putting up with Nick and me talking about skiing all weekend. This winter he’s going to be living the dream: ski bum at Alta. Combine that with his lifetime full of 100 day ski seasons at Killington and I’m pretty jealous.

The next camping trip on the calendar right now is in late August when we take a trip out to the San Juans.

Photos are available in the gallery.

benmartens June 30, 2009 Outdoors

Hiking Mt. Si

If you spend much time in this area, it doesn’t take long to recognize Mt. Si. Just east of North Bend, this chunk of rock is about 4200 feet above sea level. The hike to the top is 4 miles long and gains about 3300 feet. It’s one of the most popular day hikes in the area, but for some reason, I’ve never done it. I can see it when I drive out of my house and it bugs me every day that I haven’t been to the top.

Last Saturday, Tyla and I set out to change that. The hike up was actually easier than I had expected. The trail was indeed quite busy, but it was mostly hikers who knew what they were doing and not the random people in flip flops that you find on Tiger Mountain. We made decent time compared to the other people that we started with. It took us right around two hours to get to the top and about and hour and forty five minutes to get down. Interestingly, the down hike hurt more than the hike up.

We spent about an hour at the top. I even tried to climb to the top of Haystack Rock. That’s the piece of rock you see jutting out of the top of the mountain. When you reach the stop on the trail where everyone has stopped, keep going and you’ll see where the real end of the trail is. Every year, people die climbing Haystack, and now I know why. Tyla was the smart one and decided to sit it out. I had to climb it. It was a very steep climb, but going up was simple. Combing down was another story. It took me about five minutes to climb up but twenty to climb down. I even got stuck while climbing down and had to go back up to find another way down. I’m not sure I’ll be doing that again soon.

We didn’t get very many good pictures because it was cloudy for the whole hike. There are a couple shots in the photo gallery including a 3D profile of the GPS data. Nevermind the fact that there is a bit of drift in the data. We hiked the same trail up as we did going down.

Tyla, thanks for hiking with me! I love seeing all these amazing sights with you!

benmartens June 23, 2009 Outdoors

Oregon Trail

Tyla and I spent Memorial Day weekend camping in Garibaldi, OR with her family. They headed down earlier in the week, but we didn’t leave until Saturday morning in hopes of avoiding some traffic. We met them in chilly Cannon Beach where the wind and cool temps made for a short walk on the beach. Oskar enjoyed the ocean, we had some lunch in town, and then we visited a few shops before heading out.

The whole weekend was full of laughter, campfire, beaches, great views, cornhole, and delicious food. Tyla’s dad is a dutch oven genius… and I’m not talking about farting under the covers… but maybe that applies too. I wouldn’t know. The highlights included a quick hike Saturday morning and a ride on an authentic steam engine to nowhere. I may have taken a few years off my life by inhaling the steam and oil combo but it was a fun trip. We, of course, introduced the family to cornhole and I think it was a big hit.

We left early Monday morning to avoid the crazy traffic, but on the way out, we stopped at the Tillamook cheese and ice cream factory to pick up some cheese curds (Tyla’s favorite.) We hit the beginnings of the big traffic jams but still made pretty good time.

The weather was a bit iffy on Saturday, but Sunday and Monday were gorgeous. The four of them slept in the trailer while I was out in the doghouse tent. It can’t really be called the doghouse since the dog slept in the trailer too. I was happy to try out my fancy new Marmot sleeping bag. Even though the temps dipped down to around 40 degrees at night, I was very comfortable. It was a good purchase.

All in all it was a great weekend. Thanks to the whole family for letting me tag along!

Photos are posted in the gallery.

benmartens May 28, 2009 Outdoors, Travel

Heybrook Lookout

The Washington Trails Association website is great for discovering the status of various trails (covered in snow? etc) and finding new trails. They have one great site that lists a bunch of mountain fire lookouts that are reachable by day hikes. On Sunday afternoon, we headed for Stevens Pass to check out Heybrook Lookout.

The trailhead is on the north side of US-2 just east of mile marker 37 (east of Index.) The hike itself is about 1.25 miles each way and 1000 vertical feet. It’s a pretty steady steep incline but we made it up to the top in good time. Once you reach the top, you can climb the 86 steps almost to the top of the lookout. Fire lookouts, by definition, have a great view of the surrounding forests and this one does not disappoint. Tyla was a bit nervous when I mentioned that there were bears in the area. We didn’t see any, but I read some trip reports from that area from the same day and some bears were spotted. Make sure you know what to do when you see a bear if you hike around here.

On the way back, there was a lot of traffic heading west and it got backed up around Sultan. We decided to skip the traffic and explore some back roads so we headed south out of Sultan on 311th and the took Ben Howard Rd west to 203. I don’t know if it was faster, but it was a fantastic drive! We need to head back on the motorcycle. I wish I could figure out how to commute to work from there, but the drive is too long. There are some great houses back there.

Pictures are available in the photo gallery and you can click on the photo below for a large panorama from the top of the lookout. It was a bit hard to snap photos because of the sunny day. Not that I’m complaining.

benmartens May 19, 2009 Outdoors, Panorama

Weekend Recap

I haven’t had a real weekend recap in a while, but this one was so full, it deserved a post. Commence the bulleted list!

  • On Saturday, I met Tyla and Oskar at Twin Falls State Park. I hiked this alone last summer and thought it would be a good quick hike for us. We just went up to the falls and came back down (only ~800 feet vertical and ~2 miles roundtrip.) Oskar loved all the water although I was a bit nervous to let him swim in the swiftly flowing current. The trail was completely packed with people. It’s probably a combination of it being Mother’s Day weekend and most of the good mountain hiking still being snow covered. It was a beautiful hike with a beautiful girl. At the falls we made a video for nephew David who had a birthday on Friday. Pictures are available in the photo gallery.
  • We headed back to Kirland, picked up Tyla’s sister Megan, and headed up to the outlet malls in Marysville. After some shopping and exchanging by the girls (I picked up a couple things too), we came back home and grabbed some Mongolian Grill dinner.
  • Instead of heading to church on Sunday morning, we participated in a 5k run/walk which was partially sponsored by Tyla’s company. The main event that morning was a half-marathon. We walked although I’m tempted to try to run it next year. Maybe I’ll just run the downhill parts. (FYI, Pastor posts all his sermons online which is great when you miss a Sunday.)
  • We headed back to my house and jumped on the motorcycle for some exploration. I thought it would be fun to go on a ferry so I looked at a map and stabbed my finger on the Bremerton ferry. After getting on, we found out it was an hour ride. It was our own little hillbilly cruise. Round trip was $18 for 2 hours on a boat on the Puget Sound. Not too shabby! Bremerton wasn’t much to look at, but once we got out into the trees of the Kitsap Peninsula, the roads got pretty interesting. I’ll have to look at the GPS logs to figure out exactly where we went, but we cruised along the north and east sides of the Hood Canal straight west of Bremerton. After stopping to check out Belfair State Park and getting some ice cream, we missed the return ferry by 5 minutes and had to wait an hour for the next one. Looking at a map, I realize now it would have been faster to drive around the Sound, but the ferry was fun too. Next time we’ll know to grab a ferry schedule. We rode through a small shower on the way home but thankfully dodged the heavy rain. I wouldn’t mind heading back over there with a little better idea of the route I want to take. Pictures are in the photo gallery. It’s the first 8 new photos.
  • The weekend was capped off with some delicious homemade burgers, fries, and fresh raspberries and strawberries. Yum!

Thanks for a great weekend Tyla!

benmartens May 12, 2009 Commentary, Motorcycle, Outdoors

First Hike

Mt. Si stares at me every time I leave my house and mocks me for never having been to the top. It’s a 4 mile hike to the top that includes a 4000 foot ascent. I’ve put it off in the past because I felt like it was a bit out of my league, but this summer, it will happen. To that end, we put the date on the calendar (June 20) so we have something to train for. In reality, I think I could probably will my way to the top of Si right now, but it wouldn’t be pretty. I’d rather get to the top and feel good about myself.

Last Saturday was the first hike of the season to start getting ready for Si. Tim, MattW, Tyla and I headed up Tiger with Oskar and Reiko leading the way. While I haven’t checked the GPS data yet, I feel like we made decent time. I discovered that the lack of regular skiing this winter has left me in a lot worse shape than I thought. I think I’m going to need to supplement the training hikes with some exercise bike.

If the Mt. Si hike goes really well, I may look into finally making it up to Camp Muir. It is also 4 miles/4000 feet but it starts at 6000 feet so oxygen is a bit more hard to find. The end of the hike is also over a permanent snowfield which adds complexity.

There are five new photos from our hike tagged as Tiger Mountain.

benmartens April 30, 2009 Outdoors

Remembering Fort Flagler

It occurred to me that a masterpiece has sat unpublished on my hard drive ever since our camping trip to Fort Flagler back in July. Chelsea spent the first afternoon writing a letter to Diana (her roommate from college) who is spending the summer as a camp counselor in Massachusetts. Tim was whittling and my book was terrible so I figured I'd send her some mail too because what's better than getting mail at camp?

After much deliberation, I broke out my incredible drawing skills and produced this amazingly accurate depiction of our campsite. I know you're impressed. I'm pretty much the best I know, although Chelsea's jaw might be slightly less square in real life. Also, we had another tent up but I got tired of drawing. Notice how I signed it with her name on it so she couldn't resell it on eBay. Lithograph reprints are available for purchase.

benmartens October 10, 2008 Outdoors

San Juan Islands

Saturday morning started dark and early as I headed over to Kirkland to pick up Tyla. We made our way up to Anacortes and caught the 8:45am ferry to Friday Harbor. The ferry ride is a gorgeous one hour trip through the islands.

Tim from San Juan Kayak Expeditions was waiting for us as we walked off the ferry. He drove us down to the beach and gave us a very thorough overview of how to use all the gear, safety information, and tips for a successful trip. He also suggested a great route that took into account the wind and tides. Since Tyla and I are both kayaking newbies, we chose the easiest route.

We rode past a couple rocks that were covered in seals and ended up at a tiny island which might have just become my favorite summer spot in Washington. You can walk around the whole island in 20 minutes but it's actually a state park. There are about a dozen campsites which are only accessible via boat. Tim said it gets pretty crowded in the summer but mentioned a couple quieter islands nearby. I'm already planning the camping trip in my head. The usual camping crew should prepare themselves for an incredibly awesome camping trip next year. The first picture below is looking east from the campsite and the second picture is looking back west at one of the campsites. The third picture is Tyla checking out the seals.

We felt like we had the whole island to ourselves and only found five other people on the island during our hike. After a nice picnic lunch (with Liz Lovely cookies for dessert!), we meandered our way back, taking time to watch the seals. Tim picked us up and drove us back to the ferry for the trip home.

All in all it was an incredible afternoon. I know you can rent kayaks down by the arboretum for a lot cheaper, but the scenery and the equipment are no comparison to what we got from that rental company. I think I speak for both of us when I say this is a highly recommended trip! We'll be doing it again.

benmartens September 8, 2008 Outdoors

Whistler in the Summer

Mom, Dad and I spent the weekend in Whistler. I wasn't sure what to expect there in the summer, but it was a blast. The weather was a bit foggy the first day but it didn't deter us much. The second day was full of sunshine and we had some great views. And we got actual snowfall at the peak on both days (no accumulation though.)

The main events on our trip were hiking down Harmony Ridge past Harmony Lake, the zip lining 100 feet above Fitzsimmons Creek, and hiking the new High Note trail around the south side of Whistler Peak. Oh and of course we ate some great food and found things to buy in the village.

This was the first time I stayed in the Windwhistle Condos (#402), but it won't be the last. It's located right in the village above the Whistler Grocery Store (near Citta's Bistro and the Amsterdam Cafe.) That condo could sleep six and has two separate decks overlooking the mountains. You can find the info on alluradirect.com if you're interested.

Plenty of pictures have been posted in the photo gallery. You can also click on the panorama below for the full size version. And finally, I have embedded a video of one of Mom's zip line runs.

benmartens September 3, 2008 Outdoors, Travel