See recently posted trip reports or reports of trips from 2010, 2009, 2008.
Rex Himes (12/2/2008):It was hard to believe it was the last day of November. We were hiking in shorts and tshirts on a trail with only a little snow and ice, where there was already several feet of snow last year. We took the side trail to Source Lake instead of going all the way to Snow Lake, and had lunch amid steep cliffs and multiple waterfalls, basking in the sun! There were only three of us, too bad others counldn't have shared this bonus day.
Rex Himes (10/27/2008):Six of us headed up to Snoqualmie on a chilly but sunny fall morning. The PCT trailhead parking lot was filling up when we arrived, with many other hikers seeking to take advantage of probably one of the last days of this year's hiking season.
We warmed up as we headed up the PCT before branching off into Commonwealth Basin. This was a new trail to all of us and we were impressed by it. There was a flat area in the basin with some nice clearings, before the trail started seriously climbing up to Red Pass. It was nice breaking out into the sun, with views back to Mt. Rainier, but then the wind picked up. We went as far as the narrow spine dropping off northwards towards Mt. Thompson. There was a sign "trail abandoned" where the old PCT continued over the pass. A couple of British women were heading up nearby Mt Lundin. One of them said it was an easy ascent with great views at the top. The consensus, however, among our group was to head down out of the howling wind. There was relative shelter next to Red Pond, just a little ways back down. We sat on rocks there for a brief lunch stop and comptemplated how nice it would be on a hot summer's day to take a dip in the pretty pond, shallow enough to probably warm up nicely.
With a few snacks and drinks back at the trailhead, we marked the probable swan song of mountain hiking for this year.
Rex Himes (10/21/2008):Seven of us met at Volunteer Park on a chilly and slightly foggy morning. Crossing Snoqualmie Pass, the signs showed temps right around freezing, but it felt warmer as we got into the sunshine on the east side. The trailhead parking lot for Ingalls Lake was almost full when we got there, partly because the area had been featured in the outdoor columns of both Seattle newspapers the previous week, one focusing on good hikes to see the larch trees turning gold.
The larch trees up at Headlight Basin, just before reaching the lake, were indeed at their peak, brightly lit in the warm midday sun, with Mt. Stuart towering above. On the way there we also had great views of Rainier, with Mt Adams visible in the distance. The basin was the destination for many hikers but we pushed on to the lake. The cool breeze up at the lake made our lunch stop somewhat brief, however. On the way back down, we ran into a couple of other gay hikers some of us knew from Seattle. They joined us for our little after party back at the trailhead before the drive back to Seattle. This spectacular hike might have very well been the finale of this year's hiking season, with around five inches of snow falling the very next day at this elevation.
Laura Shoe (10/23/2008):Karen, Judy and I met for this event. It was a great morning for it, partly sunny and not too cold. We walked at a good pace and were done by 10:45. It was a nice feeling to get some exercise and still have the whole day for other things.
Rex Himes (10/14/2008):When we met up in the park to form carpools, it appeared that we were going to have a repeat of the earlier hike I led up Silver: The early morning weather reports indicated it was raining at Snoqualmie and that it would be mostly cloudy all day in the mountains. But it looked like the rain was moving quickly south, so the group of 13 of us went anyway and had clear blue skies most of the day. It was just a bit cloudy--and very chilly--when we started up. The autumn colors everywhere were spectacular in the sun and we did have great views this time from the summit ridge, although the top of Rainier was mostly shrouded in clouds. We saw Baker and Stewart and everything in those directions, plus all the surrounding peaks. It turned out that on the earlier hike, we didn't make it to the true summit of Silver--it must have been hidden in the mist. It's a slight scramble getting up that final push, but it was not a problem except for the one small dog accompanying our group. Coming back down some steep stretches a little lower, however, required some careful stepping in places where the mud was a bit icy after the dusting of snow a few days before followed by some very cold nights, a sure harbinger of the changing seasons.
Overall, the hike was a lot of "bang for the buck," since it took us only an hour to drive to the trailhead and less than two hours to hike up to the peak, with an even quicker descent. Back at the trailhead, it was so warm and sunny that it was quite comfortable lingering for a little while over wine and snacks surrounded by mountain peaks and fields of berries ablaze with autumn color. Everyone seemed happy to make it out for one of the last few nice days of this year's hiking season.
Rex Himes (9/29/2008):A record 24 OV members showed up for this hike, perhaps due to exceptionally nice Indian Summer weather. We started climbing in the cool forest, but quickly broke out into sunny meadows, ablaze with autumn colors. We continued up the many switchbacks to the top of Nason Ridge, then onwards to the summit of Rock Mtn. There we lingered for over an hour enjoying lunch with views of Glacier, Baker, Rainier, Stewart and many more. A real feeling of being on top of the world.
We reluctantly headed back down to the trailhead, where we had one of the best after parties ever, with many great snacks including fresh-baked cookies plus a variety of beverages including French cider. Thanks to all the participants for their contributions and for making this a very fun finale to this year's hiking season. Fittingly perhaps, we basically took over the trail, as well as the trailhead and road for the after party. On this not-so-well-known trail, we only ran into a handful of other hikers the entire day, two of whom were gay guys some of us knew from Seattle.
Garry Richardson (9/13/2008):We all decided it was a perfect day - the companions, the weather, the trail, the lakes you name it, it was great! Almost no bugs. The water seemed just fine for Jonathon, Paul and Neil - they were really brave but admitted it was cold.
Thanks for the exceptional hike!
Tim Byrne (9/2/2008):Three of us headed out to the Mineral Creek Trailhead via Cooper Pass Road. The road was in good shape and the trail was in pretty good shape too, though brushy and with a sizeable blow down that was fortunately easy to get through.
It took a bit of bushwhacking to get from the trail to the talus field we planned to climb up on, but it wasn't too bad.
Then it was 2,800 of medium to small talus mixed with a bit of third class rock here and there. After that there was about 600 feet of third class gully scrambling to gain the ridge. From the ridge you could see Mt Stuart pretty clearly as well as nearby Mt Daniel. To the West we had great views of Hibox and Alta.
The route wasn't great, with lots of choss in the gullies and some rotten rock here and there. The rock quality seemed pretty similar to rock in the Olympics. This is probably a peak better enjoyed from a distance.
Round time from the trailhead was about 8 hours.
Laura Shoe (10/23/2008):About 10 of us met up for this fairly low key hike. It was kind of cold and foggy, but rain we had seen on the road didn't materialize on the trail ... much to the relief of the trip leader who was completely unprepared without a waterproof layer ... let that be a lesson to all! The views of the falls were beautiful, and the trail wasn't as crowded as it apparently usually is, probably because of the weather. We finished off with a stop for beers on Capitol Hill. Thanks everyone for coming!
Laura Shoe (8/24/2008):It was a gorgeous morning -- mostly sunny and pretty calm waters, despite the forecast. Before heading out we got our first laugh of the morning when our very competent attendant on the dock stepped backwards into the water. Of course we were laughing with her, not at her. Our group of 12 headed out around Portage Bay, through the Montlake Cut, and then into the Arboretum. The Montlake cut was a little more adventurous with the waves from all the boats, but us OV'ers were up to the task. It was very beautiful and peaceful in the Arboretum. On the way back, once we got through the Cut again, we were greeted by what turned into a hard downpour that kept us company through the remainder of the trip, but it just added to the adventurousness of the day. We finished off the event with great fish tacos and drinks upstairs in the cafe.
Thanks for coming everyone!
Kelly Stevens (8/27/2010):Here is the link to our photos on the White Salmon River in 2008. This is down the 14 foot fall. The only person that fell out was the guide. He was standing on the back of the raft, trying to keep his head from going under. Ha Ha! He flipped out and we did not know he was gone at first.
Here are the photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/luckykelly/sets/72157606945328248/
OR
http://www.flickr.com/photos/luckykelly/sets
scroll for 2008 Rafting set
Lyle Rudensey (8/25/2008):Tim Byrne (8/24/2008):Great killer hike Rex.. best views ever.. pics here and at: http://picasaweb.google.com/biolyle/PyramidPeakAug232008
LyleThanks for a great hike Rex. Tweaking the route for switchbacks and detours I get about 13 miles and about 4300' vertical for the Pyramid Peak route.
Seven of 13 ultimately summited via a class-one route (hands not required for progress anywhere). It was a long way but the path was relatively clean and stable. The peak was a nice wide grassy table. Everyone made it at least to Indian Henry's hunting ground - in full bloom.
The trail was indeed in surprisingly good shape for a trail that is not maintained and is frequently washed out by jokulhaups. It's worth taking if only to get a sense of the sort of energy stored up in the glaciers on Rainier. If a little jokulhaup can do all of that, imagine what a major lahar could do.
The one downside was the bugs, but one more or less gets used to the equation between insects and flowery alpine meadows.
Jeffrey King (3/8/2009):The 2008 Mount Adams Summit Climb was as a success! I stood atop Mt. Adams in the early afternoon on Saturday the 23rd. Grace, a friend who flew in from Atlanta to hike with me, made it as far as the false summit. Seeing as how she'd never been camping before, this is an amazing achievement for her. No other OV members joined on this hike. The weather could only be described as incredible, blue skies, clear nights, no wind (except on the summits)and temperatures only in the low 40's.
I dedicated this hike to my friend Cookie, to whom I donated a kidney just under 2 years ago. I carried an organ donation flag with me to the summit and flew it in her honor. The descent from the summit was more emotional for me than I anticipated. I was the last man off the mountain, literally. I had the entire summit to myself and did not encounter another person until I returned to Grace's smile and congratulations!
I took a few steps off the summit and said out loud to myself, "I did it!" I stopped and turned back for a look at the summit, forcing back some tears. I could not stop them and I cried. Alone at 12, 270ft in the freezing cold and wind my thoughts were of Cookie and others in her position. How trivial the day to day struggles in my life are and how the challenge to reach this summit cannot even compare to the struggles of those awaiting a donor or living with kidney disease.
We all climb mountains for different reasons, and those who know me know that I do not climb, hike and camp for any other reason than to experience the wonder of the wilderness. This climb will remain a noted exception.
Living on the mountain for 4 days gives you the ability to bond with Adams in a way that a single day hike does not. This will be a trip I remember for the rest of my life. I will remember the challenges, I will remember the laughter, I will remember the wonder.
Tim Byrne (8/20/2008):Three of us headed out on the trail to Melakwa/Kaleetan. We made it to Melakwa in about 90 minutes and were entertained by bathing boys. Two of us went on toward Kaleetan, heading up the talus field toward the S Ridge. We found what looked like a third class gully, but on closer inspection it appeared to have some fourth class bits, and we hadn't brought a rope. We tried countring around the cliff to find another approach, but the next gully seemed to cliff out too. So we decided to backtrack and see if we could find a less direct approach. But it was getting late so we decided to swim instead then head out. We met up with the third party member at the Slippery Slab on the way down, by then littered with loud children.
The trail was entirely snow free, with only some snow even visible in a few shaded areas under steep slopes. Bugs were not too bad considering the season.
Rex Himes (10/3/2008):The clouds never lifted, so we didn't get the superb and easily accessible views that this peak offers. But, the group, of over a dozen, was fun, and we still got to see fields of wildflowers at peak surrounded by cloud-shrouded jagged peaks. I may repeat this hike this fall if we get a clear day on a weekend before snow starts piling up.
Lisa Sokanoff (8/14/2008):We had 32 of us that were seeking adventure on the mighty rapids of the Wenatchee River. Well maybe not so mighty as I was lead to believe because of all the runoff this year. Anyway being Out Ventures members they made the best of this float trip with a couple of class-2 rapids. We had beautiful weather which lended to some fun water fights. Fortunately there were several kayaks on hand so some of us could get in a bit more adventure. We were able to swim into some of the rapids and enjoyed that dishwasher feeling. After rafting we most of us met at Gustav's for some pub grub and good brew. That was a great, fun group. There were several new members that I had met for the first time as well as long time members.
Thanks to everyone that came on this trip and for being good sports. I hope to try this one agian next year only it will be in June! I'll up loading photos soon.
Lisa
Darius Klein (8/15/2008):Well, since no trip report has appeared thus far for this trip, I'll go ahead and leave one, although I was not the organizer.
A torrential downpour in the vicinity of Glacier Peak on Friday afternoon managed to dampen the expedition. Kurt, Ken and myself were unable to pitch camp due to the heaviness of the rain. A desperate search for a campsite on Icicle Creek Rd. outside of Leavenworth yielded no results, and the would-be campers - now including Terry - were compelled to spend the night at a motel in Cashmere.
After considerable difficulty, Mt. Sasse (in the Wenatchee National Forest) was "selected" as a day hike for Saturday. It was a dry, rugged hike, which did at least go through some attractive forest and have some nice views toward the peak. A mix-up early on in the hike resulted in one of the party becoming hopelessly separated from the rest; he did not arrive back to the car for over an hour and a half after the others.
Although the weather had improved by this time, an exhausted and stressed out trip leader put the kibosh on camping for that evening. The expedition headed home and arrived back in Seattle late Saturday afternoon.
Darius
Garry Richardson (8/3/2008):Hey what a great day! Blue skies, beautiful forest, waterfalls and that wonderful emerald green lake with Silver Peak looking down. Just a tad snow under the trees on the north side of the lake. No more than 8 or 9 other people enjoying lunch with almost no bugs.
Check out the photos.
Elaine Field (8/14/2008):This years scuba part of the Orcas trip was a small but mighty group. Michael, David, Lisa, Claire and I were the only divers this time. Laura joined us as a non-diver but wanted a nice day out on the boat in the San Juans. The visability was great on both of our dives. Lots of cool marine life as there are lots of nutrients that the currents bring in. We had a lot of fun, the weather was good and so was the scenery. Hopefully next year we'll get a full boat.
Rex Himes (8/7/2008):13 of us hiked this beautiful trail on a perfect day. There were many cars in the parking lot but the trail didn't seem that crowded. There were almost immediately beautiful views of the surrounding peaks as well as of some very buff hikers on the trail. We crossed a few, easily negotiable snow patches nearing the saddle above Snow Lake. We decided to lunch at the saddle, since the steep trail down to the lake was completely snow-covered. While picnicking on a nice perch, we also enjoyed the view of a couple college boys diving into the lake, the 5% part that was not snow covered!
Going back down, we took a short detour on the Source Lake trail until it was obliterated by avalanche debris. We found some rocks surrounded by snow and relaxed a bit taking in the view of all the waterfalls spilling down the cliffs that encircled this beautiful spot.
Then it was back down to the trailhead, champagne there, and on to the very nice potluck at Ken's at High Point.
Laura Shoe (10/23/2008):About 20 of us met at PF Changs for dinner. The food was good and the service was excellent. We had a good mix of long time members, new members and women thinking of joining. We had a wonderful time getting to know each other and talking about the club.
Garry Richardson (7/6/2008):Fred, Rich, Tom and I took off for North Bend pretty much on time. Karen Sykes' directions (see URL) were confounded by an impressive traffic modulator under construction which required a detour. A visit to the closed Ranger Station offered no help whatsoever where the road to Mt Si was (keep going east after the station for about a mile) The parking lot was half full, lots of people had started hours before and some were coming down already. The superb trail was cool, the forest comfortable and the conversations were great. At the top, monstrous snow white clouds rose from the valley; silhouettes of mountains across the valley were outlined by rising mists. We climbed and descended in a cloud forest. With the lichens and moss and lime green new growth highlighted by the brilliance offered by a lightening of the cloud cover, it was close to a temperate rain forest.
A treat for me at the top on the rocks with many chipmunks scampering after lunch offerings was the sight of the False azalea or Fool's huckleberry with its pale salmon urn shaped flowers. It's not classified as a rhododendron yet but wait a few years. We followed Tom down in double quick time and were back at the trailhead by 2:30 p.m.
Thanks guys for the fun day!
Rex Himes (6/20/2008):At Bandera on Sunday, we were a smaller group than usual for the OV hikes I've lead, but it was a fun, fit and prepared group. That was probably a good thing on the last steep push to the summit ridge, where there were still deep and slippery pockets of snow. Temperatures, right around 70, were perfect for this steep and mostly unshaded climb
We claimed a nice perch on the summit for lunch and were rewarded by very clear views of Rainier, Adams and many nearby peaks. The latter appeared completely snowcovered still, much more so than usual at this time of year. On the way down, our gaydar went off even before we recognized a group of young Front Runners coming up the trail, with whom we stopped and chatted briefly. Back down, we relaxed at the trailhead with some wine and snacks and congratulated ourselves on a great launch of this year's OV hiking season.
I'm checking the trails reports and access to trailheads as some areas finally begin to melt off and will be posting more hikes soon, probably with only a few days' notice when the weather forecast looks good. So get your hiking muscles toned and stay tuned!
Roy Vermillion (5/31/2008):We had a kayaking great trip to the Mercer Slough. As the 6 of us paddled through the slough we got to see lots of birds - great blue herons, wood ducks, a turtle, yellow iris, and water lilies. At times we had the lightest sprinkle. It was a great day to be out there. I have posted some pictures. Roy
Jeff Schoner (4/28/2008):We had a really great turnout for the kickoff potluck this year. Don gave an overview of the club and the general plans for trips and potlucks this season. Shane enthusiastically encouraged members to lead trips and suggested options that still work with the currently low snow level. I gave a presentation about key features of the new website.
There were a lot of people and plenty of tasty food. Thanks to everybody who came for making it a success!