The year in hikes started with a bluebird New Year’s snowshoe at Mt. Rainier and ended with a typically drizzly and atypically muggy hike along the Middle Fork. In between, I tallied 108 unique hikes, a record for me. This was in no small part thanks to three trips with a focus on hiking – in the tropics, Alps and desert.
Here are the hikes, with new hikes marked with an *. All hikes are in Washington unless otherwise noted.
Mazama Ridge – It was a gorgeous bluebird New Year’s Day at Mt. Rainier. I took the path less traveled and went up Mazama Ridge, and I was treated to so many fluffy snow-covered trees. That’s why I generally prefer that route in the winter vs. the more popular Panorama Point.
High School-West Tiger 3-School Bus Loop* – The first few months of the year seem to be when I do a bunch of Tiger Mountain trails. I had always wondered why one of the trails was called “School Bus,” and now I know!
Middle Tiger – This is a less crowded section of the Tiger Mountain trail system, but based on signs posted on some trees, I suspect a lot of where I hiked this year is now logged out.
Maple Valley Gnome Trail – It pairs nicely with Middle Tiger because it’s relatively close. A largely different gnome population compared to my visit last year.
Mt. Si – This is another one of my standard winter hikes. I always like it when there’s some blue sky to go with the snow.
Oxbow Loop* – I was still looking for more after Mt. Si, so I did this short and scenic loop right off the Middle Fork Road.
Poo Poo Point via High School – I prefer this longer and quieter route up to Poo Poo Point.
Three Coconuts (Moorea)* – The small French Polynesian island of Moorea has a number of hikes through lush landscapes with views of the surrounding lagoon. There used to be three coconut trees at the summit, but there are zero coconuts now.
Three Pines (Moorea)* – This hike actually did have three pines at the top, and this swing was hanging from two of them.
Magic Mountain (Moorea)* – You can pay $45 to take a jeep tour to the top or pay $2 to hike up; I choose the hike and managed to avoid the tours and have the summit to myself. When I got down, the café at the bottom gave me a “free” fruit plate for my $2, a good return on investment.
Temae Ridge (Moorea)* – This is a short, hot, steep hike that gets you just a slightly better view than you can get from an overlook right along the road below.
Hoa Tapuna (Moorea)* – This crossed some of the same area as the Three Pines and Three Coconuts hikes, but it also offered a lot of wandering through the pineapple fields and some old village ruins.
Garfield Ledges – Back home to the land of fungus.
Stegosaurus Butte – It was cold being back home, but at least it was sunny to help ease the transition!
Cable Line-West Tiger 3-Tiger Mountain Trail Loop* – I continue to tweak my Tiger Mountain routes to provide variety and minimize time in the clearcut zones.
Wallace Falls – It’s always a treat to visit when the falls are partially frozen. I think it had been awhile for me since that happened.
Patterson Mountain – I’m sure these mosaics have always been here, but I’ve never noticed them before.
Pearrygin Lake – This photo isn’t black and white, it was just a particularly dreary day.
Steliko Lookout – It’s becoming a tradition for me to stay here after the Winthrop balloon festival each March. “Martin” is the temperamental heater that fortunately I was able to get to work for the second year in a row.
Coal Creek Falls Loop* – This local hike was new to me and gave me my closest woodpecker encounter yet. It was right off the trail and didn’t seem bothered by me.
Sugarloaf-Whistle Lake-Mt. Erie Loop – This trail system in Anacortes is a nice winter spot to get some miles and variety…and usually eagles. I like to stop by the Gere-A-Deli in Anacortes for a nice sandwich and dessert when I’m done.
Mt. Si Old Trail – I wasn’t as lucky with the weather this time – totally fogged in and freezing.
Middle Fork Snoqualmie – Lots of river views and mossy surroundings on this one.
Deception Pass Headlands – It was a grey and moody early spring day, but there were already some wildflowers starting to bloom, including orchids and paintbrush.
Goose Rock* – This was a new-to-me hike in the Deception Pass area. Lots of madrona.
Cashmere Canyons – As usual, spring wildflowers started popping up in April on the east side of the mountains. This is a new trail system with expansive views and lots of flowers if you time it right.
Sage Hills Main Loop – I did this a week or so before peak flowers, so I was able to avoid the crowds.
Sage Hills Horse Lake Loop – This is the quieter side of Sage Hills with better scenery in my opinion.
Lyle Cherry Orchard – One of my annual Gorge wildflower hikes. Flowers were sparse this year, but I guess there were falcons.
Memaloose Hills (Oregon) – This is probably my favorite Gorge wildflower hike for the consistency and density of flowers. I also saw some elusive white lupine this year.
Deschutes River State Park Loop (Oregon)*- I’ve been trying to explore some new areas when I visit the Gorge. This one didn’t have a ton of wildflowers, but it had some good scenery.
Weldon Wagon Road* – I had read this is a great less crowded Gorge hike. I think it’s less crowded for a reason – it was just okay.
Tom McCall (Oregon) – I watched a beautiful sunset over the flowers. 10 out of 10.
Seven Mile Hill (Oregon)* – Another less-traveled Gorge hike I had read about that was just okay. The first part is through a construction (?) zone with big dirt pits and heavy machinery, but the flowers start in earnest higher up.
Olalla Canyon* – A less-traveled central Washington wildflower hike. I was a little too late for peak wildflowers, but it was still beautiful and I saw its potential.
Chelan Lakeshore – This was again my first backpack of the season. This year was somewhat tougher than normal because it was already really hot during this mid-May weekend. As always, I stocked up on pastries at the Stehekin Bakery before heading home.
Dirty Harry’s Peak – Seeing this little guy helped break up the slog in the snow.
Billy Frank Wildlife Refuge – Lots of to see in the late spring.
Icicle Ridge via 4th of July of Creek – Between the variety of wildflowers, expansive views of the Enchantments, and good early season workout, this is a favorite of mine.
Chiwaukum Creek* – I’d seen the sign for this on Highway 2 many times, but I finally checked it out after a couple friends recommended it for the flowers. I turned around when it started getting too brushy because some folks hiking out had warned me about a rattlesnake, and the last thing I wanted to deal with was a rattlesnake I couldn’t see.
Enchanted Valley – This is another good early season backpack when the bears are still in the valley and the waterfalls are still flowing down the valley walls.
World’s Tallest Hemlock Tree* – This is a short hike from Enchanted Valley. On the way there, we learned the top of the tree had fallen and was no longer the world’s tallest. There were some nice mountain views along the river below it.
Annette Lake – I know it’s almost summer when the days are long enough for me to do this one after work.
Earl Peak & Bean Creek Basin – The combination of expansive mountain views and a flower-filled basin make this a late spring favorite of mine.
Pratt Balcony* – This is a short hike right off the road, but very few people do it. Really cool view from the top…and maybe next time I’ll bring dinner!
Thorp Mountain – It’s always a bummer when you do a lookout hike and get fogged in.
Icicle Gorge River Loop* – This is a nice short and scenic hike right off Icicle Creek Road.
Windy Pass* – I spent two nights car camping in Leavenworth to do a long hike on the middle day, and this was it. I had done the first part of this hike to Lake Caroline before, but the trail above it to Windy Pass was even more spectacular. A couple hours of the hike down were in a torrential rainstorm, making the hike even more “memorable.”
Alpine Lookout* – This is a spectacular remote and lonely fire lookout. I saw only two other people on this 10-mile trail. I saw millions of mosquitoes though (and ate at least one of them).
Rattlesnake Ledge – This was a first for me – a work event that was a hike. Nice way to spend a weekday morning!
Johnston Ridge via Hummocks/Boundary* – A road washout several weeks earlier blocked normal access to this area, so I went up to Johnston Ridge a new (for me) way. When I got up there, I saw the dozen or so cars that were trapped behind the road washout. I spoke with a ranger who told me the people were helicoptered out.
Lake George* – I had a backpacking permit for this quiet corner of Mt. Rainier over 4th of July weekend. It served as a great base to day hike to some more remote areas of the park.
Emerald Ridge* – This was one of my favorite spots on the Wonderland Trail, and it was “close” enough to Lake George that I headed up the South Puyallup trail and made an afternoon out of it.
Gobblers Knob* – Both roads that would make this a short day hike are no longer drivable, so this is now a pretty remote fire lookout. But it’s close to Lake George, so I did an after-dinner hike up there. As an aside, as I look at my list of hikes, I can’t believe I backpacked to Lake George and then day hiked to both Emerald Ridge and Gobblers Knob all in the same day – it was 18 miles and over 5,000 feet elevation gain on a hot day.
Klapatche Park – This (and St. Andrews Lake along the way) was another one of my favorite spots on the Wonderland Trail and also day-hikable from Lake George.
Frog Mountain* – This wasn’t just a new-to-me hike, but also a new trail. The views from the top are nice, and there are meadowy open slopes near the top. I did this in the summer, but I’ve heard the fall colors are pretty good.
Gothic Basin/Foggy Lake – I always have to work for this one, but the payoff is sweet.
West Tiger 3 – One of the benefits of the recent clearcut was a superbloom this July.
Sauk Mountain* – It’s hard to believe this was my first time hiking this one. It was a perfect hike to fill the morning before meeting some friends up north in the afternoon.
Loowit Falls – I did the long drive to the Windy Ridge area of Mt. St. Helens to see the lupine superbloom up close. It was pretty impressive!
Thunder Mountain Lakes & Nimbus Mountain* -These are remote lakes that are becoming more popular for backpackers. I did it as a day hike, but I saw a campsite on the way up to Nimbus Mountain that makes me want to stay there sometime.
Phelps Basin – Most day hikers stop in Spider Meadows, but it’s worth the extra effort to get to Phelps Basin. It’s always so peaceful there.
Sahale Arm – This is the one hike I did twice this year. The first time I saw so many mom and baby goats, and one bear slowly ambling down the trail for quite awhile before finally getting off and letting hikers safely pass. It was pretty much the perfect hike, but when I found a backpacking permit online a few weeks later, I couldn’t resist. It’s always a privilege to camp up there, but wind and smoke definitely increased the level of suffering.
Ruby Mountain* – This is a long and challenging hike, with a lot of it unmaintained trail, some steep elevation, and some gross blowdown sections. Although I don’t think I’d do this one again, the views from the top are spectacular. I shortened the hike a tiny bit by getting a permit for a camp two miles in.
Enchantments – I never have much luck in Powerball or Mega Millions, but I’m a double winner in the Enchantments lottery, getting an early August Core permit two times. It’s such a treat to be able to spend time up there and not have to rush through it in a (very) long day. We camped at Lake Colchuck, Inspiration Lake and Leprechaun Lake, visited by mice at the first one and goats at the last two.
Crystal Lake* – This is the lake you see below to the right as you are nearing the end of the upper Core. It’s a relatively short and easy hike there from Perfection Lake, and it’s very peaceful and has some good campsites.
Little Annapurna – People like to add this onto their thru hikes, but there’s no way I’d have the time or energy to do that. However, it’s a perfect hike if you’re staying in the Core.
Gnome Tarn – I like the views from the ridge behind the tarn at least as much as the tarn itself.
Snow Lake – I did this hike on a sunny summer Saturday, so I knew what I was getting myself into. It was quiet on the way up, but I counted almost 500 people on the way out. An (overpriced) taco truck in the parking lot was a fun new addition this year.
Sprite Lake* – This is the Salmon La Sac Sprite Lake, not the Enchantments Sprite Lake. This is a quiet corner of a generally crowded area.
Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Italy)* – I spent the first two weeks of September in the Dolomites and hiked every day. This hike is one of the most popular, and even on a weekday, the parking lot was full before 8:30. I packed into a shuttle bus to get up there, and many sections of the trail were choked with people. However, the photos show that some solitude was possible.
Lago di Sorapis (Italy)* – This is another very popular hike. There were already people at the lake when I arrived, but I got there early enough to enjoy some peace and quiet. I made the hike into a loop and took the less-traveled way back, which was great, except it required a careful descent down a steep scree slope.
Lago di Braies (Italy)* – This is an Instagram-famous spot, and road restrictions meant I needed to skip my wonderful hotel breakfast buffet to get there before the road closed to cars at 9 am. The setting was spectacular, and lots of people were lined up to rent a row boat.
Lago di Dobbiaco (Italy)* – This was on my way back from Lago di Braies, and had I not just been there, I probably would have found this lake more scenic.
Lago di Landro (Italy)* – This was just a little further down the road on my drive back, the least impressive of the three lakes that day. The bar was set pretty high.
Lago Federa & Croad da Lago Circuit (Italy)* – This has a good variety of scenery and was the site of my first rifugio (mountain hut) lunch – I was so excited about this! It was also on this hike that I realized most of these hikes are very larchy. None had started turning when I was there, but it was fun to think about how pretty it must be when they start turning golden.
Cinque Torri & Rifugios (Italy)* – Cinque Torri are rock formations surrounded by an open-air World War I museum. That was cool to see, but the high point of this hike for me was eating a freshly grilled burger at 8,000 feet. I couldn’t get enough of the rifugios!
Lagazuoi to Falzarego Pass (Italy)* – This was right across the road from Cinque Torri, so after taking the cable car down from there, I took another one up to Lagazuoi and hiked back down. This also had some World War I artifacts along the way.
Lago di Limeades (Italy)* – I did this short quiet hike the morning of my big drive through many windy mountain passes to get from the eastern Dolomites to my new hotel in the western Dolomites. The two sides of the Dolomites aren’t too far apart as the crow flies (think Snoqualmie and Stevens Pass as a local equivalent), but splitting my stay between the eastern and western sides really helped cut down on daily drive times.
Seceda (Italy)* – The parking lot for this one was an absolute nightmare, but the area was so pretty, with one of most photographed views in the Dolomites. In fact, a photo of this same mountain was recently the Windows rotating screensaver.
Puez-Odle Altopiano (Italy)* – I really loved this hike. Amazing views and landscapes, a nice rifugio stop in the middle, and not too crowded.
Alpe di Siusi (Italy)* – After a week of beautiful sunny weather, my luck finally ran out, and I was totally socked in and eventually rained out on this hike. Alpe di Siusi is the largest high alpine meadow in Europe, and based on photos I’ve seen, the place is surrounded by dramatic views of craggy mountains. I’ll definitely have to revisit it if I’m ever in the area again.
Sassolungo Circuit (Italy)* – This was another hike I really loved for many of the same reasons I loved Puez-Odle, plus there were sheep. After starting five of my last six hikes with a cable car ride, I did this one the old-fashioned way and hiked up and down the whole thing.
St. Maddalena (Italy)* – This was more of a stroll through a village than a hike, but there were dirt and cows, so I’m calling it a hike! Every trip has a money shot, and this was it.
Rifugio Fuciade (Italy)* – I had seen a photo of this marmot statue online while searching for something else, and I knew I needed to go there. Fortunately, it was (somewhat) on the drive back to Venice. There was also lots of other marmot art at this rifugio.
Rampart Lakes Back Door* – While shorter than the standard route to Rampart Lakes, the road and parking are a lot sketchier, and there was a wasp nest at an already precarious spot on the trail. I probably won’t do this route again.
Stiletto Lake* – I had done the first part of this trail to Twisp Pass before wildfires burned down the forest near the beginning of the trail. I was trying to remember how it had been before, but I couldn’t. After Twisp Pass, the approach to Stiletto Lake is gorgeous, especially with the fall colors.
Cutthroat Pass – I knew there would be a lot of crowds, but I was close and I knew the colors would be good. Once I got past the pass it was nice and quiet.
Mt. McCausland – I did this one in the late afternoon on my way to eastern Washington. The colors were past peak, but the views were nice.
Carne Mountain – Always one of my favorite larch hikes.
Heather Lake – Another hike where I was a little late for the fall color.
Marten Lake – The lake was quiet and there were lots of cool mushrooms. This might be the last time I do this hike because for the second consecutive year I fell and injured myself while doing it.
Goat Lake – This lake is always such a pretty destination, and the hike there is pretty nice too.
Cherry Creek Falls – I had forgotten there is a ford required right before getting to the falls. I was too close to not do it, so my soggy feet sloshed all the way back to my car.
Poo Poo Point – There was good fall color in the Seattle area this year, and this shot shows some of it. I stopped by to say hi to Dambo troll Jakob Two Trees on the way back home.
Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve* – I had read about this trail up by Bellingham recently, and it sounded good. It was fine, but when this is the view from the “lookout,” things could be better. The trip was salvaged by a tasty dessert stop!
Mt. Dickerman – The last part of this is a slog in the snow, but the views make it well worth it. I like to try to fit this one in after the first snow has hit but before the road closes for the season.
Lake Serene – It was a truly serene morning at the lake. Lots of scary icy patches in the half mile leading up to it.
Fortynine Palms Oasis (California)* – This is a nice hike in a quiet corner of Joshua Tree National Park.
Wall Street Mill (California)* – This is a short flat hike that has some historical artifacts to see along the way.
Arch and Heart Rocks (California)* – I loved the rock formations on this hike, especially those just past Arch Rock. Another short hike.
Other misc Joshua Tree ramblings (California) – Three very short hikes that I’m lumping into one entry here – Hall of Horrors, Cap Rock, Cholla Cactus Garden. There are a couple slot canyons along the Hall of Horrors, which I checked out but didn’t do thanks to claustrophobia.
South Lykken (California)* – The full trail was a lot longer than I had time for, but I got a good flavor of it (and a steep climb!) by hiking 1.5 miles and turning around.
Murray and Andreas Canyons (California)* – Both of these canyons had running water – what a sight to see in the desert! I really enjoyed the scenery here.
Little Si – An old winter favorite. First time I can remember doing it in the winter and the trail being completely dry/no mud.
Lake Whatcom Park Loop* – I read about a new trail recently added to this park, so I decided to check it out on a sunny December day. Fortunately, unlike my last hike near Bellingham, the viewpoints on this one actually had views.
Teneriffe Falls – Some years this has slippery snow and some years there’s hardly any water in the falls. This year was perfect.
Granite Lake – On a balmy late December day, all the snow from a week ago was gone. Part of the lake was still frozen though.
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