Mt. Rainier NP: Wonderland Trail hike #32 (9/11-13/2020)

The Wonderland Trail, my old friend, with so many memories associated with it over the years. This year’s hike of the Wonderland, which I count as number 32, was very reminiscent of the series of hikes I did in the 90’s….segmenting each day into approximately 30 milers, although going clockwise getting the meat of the climbs on day 1 (8000’ or so). When starting at Longmire and going clockwise, this means over nighting on day one between Golden Lakes and the North Mowich River camp, then night number two at White River. After so may times doing this hike, each milestone I pass triggers memories of prior hikes. I’ve seen changes over the years, even remembering certain log bridges that have deteriorated, aging naturally as all things do. Could this be my last 3 day Wonderland hike? Make no mistake, covering over 30 miles per day on this trail is strenuous and takes a toll on not just one’s body, but also one’s ability to endure. Maybe not for the trail runners I met along the way, young and fit and covering the same distance each day in many hours less. I had to chuckle thinking that my 17 hour days were what it took the latest FKT runners to do the whole trail. I think there’s something in my makeup that embraces the hardship and difficulties of an endeavor like this, and after just one day of recovery I am already thinking of how I can better prepare for next year’s Wonderland hike #33.

View from Indian Henry’s Hunting Ground, Mt. Rainier

Day 1: Cougar Rock to North Mowich River camp. I started with high hopes of better fitness than in more recent years, having about 300 miles of hiking and 50,000 feet of climbing in August alone, not to mention I have been running during Covid. I started at 5 AM and immediately started down memory lane, coming to the sign at Longmire pointing in each direction. At this point I make a mental note of every river crossing and the changes that have occurred over 35 years, Kautz creek being one example. When I filmed the entire trail in 2012, the river had changed course recently and there was little growth in the plain. Now, alders are 30 feet high and the area is getting choked with underbrush. The bridges I crossed are now discarded, mired in silt and rocks, lonely in their isolation and uselessness. The day progressed with passing all the usual milestones; Devils Dream Camp (just a few campers at 8 AM), Squaw Lake, and the mandatory stop at Indian Henry’s ranger cabin. The rest of the day unfolded with the suspension bridge over Tahoma Creek and transits of Emerald Ridge, the South Puyallup and the climb through St. Andrews Park and some lingering at St. Andrews Lake. Smoke and obscured views would be the norm for this hike. When I stopped at Klapatche Park, it was deserted. Aurora Lake had but a mud puddle in the middle, perhaps refuge for any remaining amphibia. In November last I stood on this lake completely frozen, and I couldn’t help but remember Cassie’s and my transit here at 8 PM some years ago where she was recognized by someone from Chicago. I don’t get that anymore; in past years I would do updates on the Wonderland and almost every year I would get the “Hey, are you Willis Wall?” Now I transit the trail anonymously, and that’s OK with me. On this hike I counted 19 trail runners, more than I have seen over 35 years combined. It’s becoming a thing, I guess, and with the lack of walk up permits this year it’s the only way to do the trail legally without advance permits. Exactly what I did. I did run into a ranger as I was leaving Golden Lakes on Friday night, and we chatted a bit. She told me that the North Mowich River camp wasn’t full and if I needed to stay there (vice going to Mowich Lake) it would be OK. So I did, and when I arrived (after night navigation over the cobbled together Mowich river crossing) the shelter was empty. Perfect for my bivy setup. Plus I had stayed here many times in the past, and nostalgia was in the air.

St. Andrews Lake, Mt. Rainier

Silver Forest, this time with day light

Day 2: North Mowich River camp to White River. I should mention what I had for equipment….I used my Zimmerbuilt custom Big Step pack, a Klymit 3/4 length pad, a Borah Gear Cuben Bivy (4.7 ozs) and a Nunatak 40 degree quilt. I carried the original version of the Zpacks pocket tarp (3 ozs) and some stakes for safety, although the weather forecast over my 3 day hike was for no rain. My go to jacket is an OR hooded Polartech Alpha Ascendant, plus I had spare socks, hat and misc. clothing items. I’m always wearing some iteration of Inov8 trail runners. What with food and and a filled 24 oz water bottle, my total pack weight was somewhere around 10-12 pounds. This light pack weight is one of the key reasons I can pull off this kind of endeavor at my age. So with another 5 AM start, I transited Mowich Lake….fairly full campground, and the most people I had seen. One of the reasons was the supported groups of trail runners all stayed here, and there were some Wonderland backpackers also in the dedicated spots…not my first choice for sure. When I reached Ipsut Pass the smoke was thicker than the day before and views were even more indistinct. I had a nice chat with one of the trail runners (waiting for his 3 partners to catch up) at the junction at 2600’. They passed me somewhere on the climb past the Carbon suspension bridge, not to be seen again. They promised me a beer at White River but I arrived too late to find their van. It’s a long climb up to Mystic Pass from 2600’ to 6000’, but the pain ends with the transition to Moraine Park. Usually there’s a fantastic view of the mountain here, but my namesake Willis Wall, and in fact the whole mountain, was absent in the background. Weird. The rest of the afternoon rolled by with me arriving at Skyscraper Pass while it was still light, yet weirdly eerie with the barest outline of the mountain visible through the smoke and layered vistas. I was alone, Saturday night…in September….transiting the area as it became dark, seeing no one near Sunrise or Sunrise camp. I made my way in the darkness down to White River, once again arriving at 10 PM. Now, my usual place to bivy here is on the side porch of the cabin, but, of course, the entire cabin was cordoned off due to renovations. Right next door, however, was an empty campsite with a nice picnic table and a bear locker. Brings to mind the time I stayed here years ago, on a picnic table, staring up at a blazing star show. I laid out my bivy on the picnic table, putting two rocks on either side. I did not want a recurrence of a few years ago when I fell off a table when orbiting Mt. Baker. Not a good feeling, waking up whist airborne and smashing into the ground in your cocoon. This is one of the reasons I brought the Klymit pad, as it’s wider than the NeoAir and is much harder to roll off. Once the twitchy legs settled down I slept soundly, awaking at 4:30 AM.

Day 2: Mowich Lake, Mt. Rainier

Eerie Mystic Lake in the smoke

Layers from Skyscraper Pass

Day 3: White River to Cougar Rock. There’s a sign advising hikers to use the alternate route down the road vice the log bridge over the White River. I think this is due in part to the fatality this year of the person crossing the Mowich River on a sketchy bridge that was awash on one end (with no handrail). However, I had confidence that the bridge was OK at 5 AM and indeed, was no problem. Most people don’t realize that it was only a matter of some years ago that the log bridge over the Carbon, and the trail paralleling the river to Fryingpan Creek, was built. Wonderland hikers always had to walk down the road, cross the bridge, and then take a short connector trail to the Wonderland (if you’re wondering why that trail is there). I think I discovered this around 2005 when I was filming for my Wonderland DVD. Well, it’s a beautiful manicured trail up to Summerland, and when I arrived there….it was empty. On Sunday morning in the middle of September. When I left I ran into another group of trail runners that I had seen the day before, and we yo-yo’d until sometime after Panhandle Gap…devoid of snow. Soon after they whisked away and were not to be seen again by this old man. Oh, to move like that. The worst part of the day was enduring the incessant down steps to Indian Bar. You better hope your knees are up to the task, even with poles. When I arrived at Indian Bar there was a group of backpackers enjoying the shelter and I chatted with them. They had stayed at Summerland and were heading for Maple Creek, and in fact I saw them the rest of the day. I was having dinner at Maple Creek when they arrived, around 5:30 PM. Guess I wasn’t moving as quickly as I thought I was, with my 10 pound pack vice their 30 pounders. After Maple Creek it was the “Final Fog” of finishing the trail, climbing out of Stevens Canyon. I always underestimate the length and the difficulty of this climb to Reflection Lake….which was deserted….on Sunday afternoon/night in the middle of September. Just unusual. The Fog: watching footing on the descent with a very rooty trail, waiting for the “pipe” to appear signifying the approach to the Nisqually River, feeling the air change as a way of gauging one’s closeness. I had to chuckle crossing the bridge to the Nisqually; there was a mouse on the bridge, trapped by this towering biped. I stepped back and encouraged him to continue on to the safety of terra firma. Reminded me of the time I stepped aside to let a deer pass on the North Puyallup trail. Or the time I had to gingerly pass a bear on the Cowlitz Divide with little room on either side, who was thankfully too engrossed with eating blueberries. Or the time I was sitting on a rock in Moraine Park in mist and was passed, within 10 feet, by an elk and calf. And the time I turned 8 Y/O Cassie around In Spray Park, telling her “look!” as a cinnamon bear ran past us. Why do I come back to the Wonderland after doing it so many times? The memories are etched in my soul to the point it has become part of me. As the years pass I may have to adjust my itineraries, but I can’t imagine not coming back to this trail and this park; until I can’t.

Click Here for the video journal of my 2020 Wonderland Trail hike.

The Green Tarn above Summerland, Mt. Rainier

The Wonderland Trail on Sep 13, 2020

Ohanapecosh Glaciers, above Indian Bar, Mt. Rainier

Olympic NP: Upper Lena Lake 9/3/2020

A section of the “trail”

I am hanging (parking) with a few friends over on this side so decided to do a hike whilst here. I was in Brinnon for a couple of days and the Lena lake trailhead was a short distance on good road. I had been here back in 2012 with my daughter doing the marmot survey...we camped at Upper Lena Lake and staged everyday out of there. It was a pleasant time with pleasant weather. I kinda sorta remember the trail being a bit tough but it was driven home this time. The topography dictates the limited places a trail can go here, especially on the last mile or so. The trail to Lena Lake is on NFS land but as one climbs to Upper Lena, you pass a NPS boundary sign. Sometimes very steep, rocky, rooty, brushy, and wet...with blowdowns. Don't misunderstand, it was, after all, a trail and not cross country. Most of the time. But once on the quest, there was no turning back, so I endured to the lake, had a nice snack, refilled my bottle and beat feet. I ran into 4 backpackers who were surprised at the condition and ruggedness of the trail, especially carrying large packs. On the way down I came upon a solitary day hiker who told me she had to turn around due to heart arrhythmia. Since we were near the regular Lena Lake trail I stuck with her to the parking lot, just in case she needed assistance (I had my InReach). Although having to stop just a couple of times, all was OK and she had a relatively short drive to her home in Olympia (she was a semi retired nurse). Now I'll just chill with the rear doors open to the water this weekend, as the influx of cars to the peninsula was astounding on Friday. I'll save further hiking for next week and beyond. Stats: 16 miles/4200'

Dewdrops on Fungi

Mt. Rainier: Crystal Mountain 2 Loops 8/29-30/2020

Ah, back in the PNW! Stopped by to say goodbye to the house, visited with the neighbor, registered the van in WA state (ouch!), other chores. Then it was, what to do for the weekend? I'll try to go snag a spot at White River at Rainier and do some training hikes. Ha Ha! I passed a few trailheads on the way, packed to the gills (Saturday morning)....even Poo Poo Point had no parking as I left Issaquah. And then I turned into the White River entrance and soon came to the backup with a glaring sign that said "Sunrise Parking Full." There goes my backup, just park at Sunrise and hike out of there. So I quickly did a U-ee and headed back down 410 to the Crystal Mountain turnoff. I know they have 40 spots in the B lot with electrical hookups ($40/night) and when I got there, I was surprised to see just 9 RVs. I snagged a good spot, plugged in and had lunch. Back in 2018 when I was doing the "Mt Rainier All Trails Project" I had planned on a nice loop to include the Crystal Mountain Trail and Northway Trail, as a portion dips into park boundaries. However, the weather was iffy and a buddy and I actually took the gondola up to check it out. While we were eating it started to snow (Sep 14). So we headed out on Northway and I did just enough to cover the portion that was inside the park boundaries.

Now the weather was fine, so I decided on a short loop before dinner as a pacing trainer. Yes, there were plenty of people on the trails, especially as the Silver Creek trail (along with the Crystal Mountain Trail) is how people descend from taking the Gondola up. However, it was getting later in the afternoon and the crowds noticeably thinned by the time I was back at the van 3 hours later. I felt good on the hike and looked forward to a longer loop on the morrow. Stats: 9.5 miles/2500'.

Climbing away from the lodge area at Crystal Mountain on the Silver Creek trail

Ah, van life. I woke up to no alarm, cranked the heat (36 in Enumclaw), made eggs and avocado garlic toast, watched a movie on NetFlix (good coverage here), then finally got out the door at 10 AM. Today I planned on the long loop, essentially starting the same as the day before but proceeding past Henskin Lake to the Crystal Mountain Trail, eventually taking me past the Gondola UMJ crowd to solitude on the Northway trail. I always thought a spot right before Grand Park had one of the best views, with the White River visible 2000' below streaming from the mountain. But this day there was a new contender; the mountain wasn't as near, but I could see a huge swath of the White River drainage 2000' below me. Awesome. I continued on solitary trail until it started the switchbacking descent all the way down to Sand Flats (3900'). Here I stopped for a break, then continued across the road to start another long ascent up to Norse Peak. Eventually one comes to the remainders of the Norse Peak fire in 2017, and the white spindly sticks still standing against the intense blue sky was pleasing to my eyes. I wasn't sure how much altitude I had done to that point, but I did not plan on doing the offshoot Norse Peak. The maps (and gps) showed that I would have to backtrack to get to the connector trail to the PCT, but I went past this point a bit anyway. Interestingly enough, on Strava it shows a trail connecting from Norse Peak over the other side, so perhaps I backtracked for no reason? As they say in Maine, WHATEVER, so my poor old legs went a striding to the PCT and I started southward. I finally ran into two northbound hikers, but otherwise, the trail was greeting only my feet at the moment. The day before I had climbed on the short loop to the PCT heading north, then taking the Boullion Basin trail back to the parking lot. Same heading south, but there was a short, steep connector trail to the Boullion Basin trail, saving me a little time. When I finally arrived at the van, there were less RVs (the following morning I was just one of 6). Some of the trails were gullied dust bowls so I had to whack the shoes and socks until the clouds of dust subsided before I could go inside to the waiting hot shower. It was only when I uploaded the Strava info that I knew how much I had done, and it felt like it.....24 miles and 6200'.

It was opportune that I stayed at Crystal vice White River as, especially on the long loop, there were new and far reaching vistas on basically lonely trail (once past the Gondola), making it a real pleasure for my first hikes back in this area since March.

Norse Peak fire remnants (2017)

Clouds A’gathering towards the end of the long loop from Crystal Mountain

Henskin Lake, which I passed on both loops out of Crystal Mountain

Sisters, OR: 3 Creeks Lake out n' back 8/26/20

I wasn’t sure what to expect on this one. I knew I was supposed to be back in the Seattle area on Aug 27th but my reservation for the 3 Creeks Lake campground showed through the 28th. No facilities, no water…I wondered what the road would be like going to this 6500’ campground? Turns out the road was paved most of the way, with a short unpaved but not too bad section leading past the popular lake to the end of the road, the campground. Most of these limited sites are reserved, and it was cozy enough, nestled in the woods. I arrived in time to make dinner and relax and walk the road checking out the lake as the sun was setting. I had a map of the area and decided on an out and back, heading towards the west to hopefully catch views of the 3 Sisters. Much of this area was burned about 10 years ago; with anticipation of climbing South Sister early the next day with a 1 and a half hour drive to the trailhead, I didn’t want to expend too much energy.

I woke to no alarm, made breakfast, and started out at 8:45 AM with clear skies and cool temps. There is another campground (tents only) further down the lake and it looked to be full, with lots of vehicles parked along the road. The night before there was an airplane circling about the lake for quite some time. I ran into the crew that came in that prior evening and contained the small fire, as they were already packing up and egressing. Hard work indeed, and much appreciated. The remainder of my day was transiting the burn area, pretty in its own right. If not for the burn, the views to the mountains beyond would have been obscured. I crossed some bubbling creeks and took note of the regrowth started in the small firs that had started up in various stages of height. Not quite sure when to turn around, I came across a small tarn with a grassy knoll and decided to have a snack there. 7 miles in, it seemed appropriate to turn back so as not to trash out the bod too much for the next day. On the return I ran into a fair number of hikers, learning that these trails are quite popular and a number of loops are available. Although not shown on the map, there is a loop around Broken Top….a local told me about it. Still, at 28 miles, it would have been a long day. I settled on my 14er and got back to my inviting van early in the afternoon, but as I was talking to my neighbors and drinking a beer, an InReach message came in from my wife telling me I had to sign closing papers at 6 PM the next day in Seattle. So much for doing South Sister before heading that way. However, with the whole permit system here (3 Sisters, OR area) on hold this year and postponed until 2021, I may just come back in September and spend a few days more, including the climb of South Sister and whatever else pops up. Seems every new area I am hitting is as splendid as the last, and the 3 Sisters Wilderness surely rates a return.

Contrasts in the Deschutes National Forest

Still standing

Old signs being engulfed by tree growth

Crater Lake NP: Mt. Scott/Garfield Peak/The Watchman/PCT/Rim Trail 8/23-24/2020

I departed my RV park at 7 AM with the intention of hitting Mt. Scott (8929’), the highest peak in the park, sometime in the morning before checking in to Mazama campground. The drive was relatively short, about 2 and a half hours, and I was able to hit the trail at 9:30. The smoke was thick, making any vistas hazy and indistinct. I really enjoyed this climb, however, as it was relatively mild (5 miles RT/1300’) and I was able to tool along at a good pace. I like being in shape and maybe 15 pounds lighter than my usual winter weight. I’m assuming this comes from the combination of hiking for two weeks with my daughter and the fact that I have to feed myself in the van. Soon enough I was on the broad summit, with hazy indistinct views in all directions….I couldn’t even make out the lake, it was all a white slurry vision. No sense hanging around, though the breezes were cool and stiff, so I descended into mouth juice hell at Rim Village. Packed on a Sunday, as to be expected, so I spent little time here and shot pics of the Crater Lake Lodge, open but only guests could enter the grounds. Nonetheless, this looks like a magnificent stay if the inside is anything like the outside. Luckily, parking was no issue and I left the zoo for Mazama Village and campground. I had booked the campground for two nights but my name was highlighted so I had to go inside and check in. While there I picked up some canned wine, beer and, in anticipation for a longer hike the next day, a very large Crater Lake Ale. Move over cheese, these things are taking priority in the fridge space.

I spent the afternoon doing chores. Van life is not all relaxing, it takes constant upkeep. I did two loads of laundry in the Scrubba and hung everything out to dry at the back of the van, swept and cleaned the floor, which is under constant bombardment from dust and dirt. Then I spent considerable time cleaning off the thousands of tiny insects from the windshield and front end; on the trip over there were swarms of them. Luckily, they had toasted enough in the afternoon sun to make fairly easy removal with some wipes. Then I orbited the inside, cleaning off my dusty handprints from the seats and generally wiping everything down. All told, I spent about 2 to 3 hours working on housekeeping. But of course, I was also partaking of a few of the beers I had bought, so no bother, I was feeling good. Finally it was time to make dinner. After doing the dishes, I took a nice hot shower and changed into sweats. I set one of my chairs up outside, read some of my book, and sipped some wine as the evening wore into eventual darkness. I experienced a profound sense of peace, thankful for good health and, after a lifetime of hard work, the ability to enjoy retirement without anything to worry about. .

Mt. Scott (8054’) Lookout, Crater Lake NP

No views today from Crater Lake Lodge

Day 2. I got up to my alarm at 6:10 AM….why set even numbers? I was anticipating a minimum 20 mile day and maybe 9 or 10 hours of hiking, so I cooked up a 3 egg omelet with all the fixins’. I had done most of my packing the night before so I merely had to change and head out the door. It’s a 5 mile trek to Rim Village via the Annie Springs Trail and connecting to the PCT. The crowds were noticeably thinner, with fairly empty parking lots, and I made a beeline past the Lodge to the start of the Garfield Peak (8054’) climb. Once again I found a mild trail and tooled up without stopping until the summit. The smoke was still around, although I was catching glimpses of blue skies, and I could actually make out some of the features of the lake. I ran down the trail, as it was very conducive to trotting, and passed through the Village and onto the Discovery trail, which after one mile becomes the Rim Trail. I ran into people near the vehicle turnoffs, but the sections in between were devoid of people. The Rim Trail reminded me of the Wonderland as it proceeds next to Mowich Lake, but the opening views were of course much more dramatic here. There were a lot of steepish ups and downs on this trail, but it generally climbs as it approaches the turnoff for The Watchman (8013’). This too was a gentle trail and I blasted up in short order, still feeling good. The lookout is an interesting stone and timber building, not the original based on the historic photos. These were probably the best views I had seen so far, as the afternoon winds seemed to help with dissipating the smoke. The blue skies were becoming clearer and the blue water was distinguishing itself from the white veil from the day before. Details of Wizard Island started to pop and, on my return leg, I could see the far side of the rim. The Rim Trail is very dramatic, with stone jutting, trees a treeing and steep drop-offs at every turn. Very enjoyable. Keeping track of my mileage, I anticipated a 23 mile day and this was about spot on. As for altitude, I have no idea as I write this….there is no cell service in Mazama campground, so Strava is a big zilch. Seems like I should have more than 3000’ on this trip at least….tomorrow will reveal….4600’ of climb.

The first thing I did when I got back to the van was take off my shoes and open that big Crater Lake Ale. My feet were so dusty I had to wash off outside before even thinking of taking a shower. But 80 percent of that big beer later, I did. I don’t need to get up early tomorrow so I’ll do the laundry in the morning, as my next camp spot near Bend has no facilities, including water. I’m not sure what I’m going to do there, but I did want to climb South Sister, which is 1 and a half hours from where I’m staying. I’ll figure it out. I’m basically on my last stop before arriving at my son’s place in Seattle. Lot’s to do there, but I think I’ll have some time to recreate in my old stomping ground, Mt. Rainier.

Blue is starting to appear from the summit of Garfield Peak (8054’), Crater Lake NP

The Watchman (8013’) Overlook, Crater Lake NP

Finally views across the lake, late afternoon on day 2, Crater Lake NP

Annie Falls, near Mazama campground, Crater Lake NP

Lava Beds National Monument/Klamath Wildlife Refuge 8/22/20

Sometime during the night while camped at Bunny Flat on Mt. Shasta, I could smell smoke. When I got up the skies were hazy and the smell of smoke hung in the air, even at 7000’. I made breakfast and packed up, and while on the down hill there was a distinct layer….the smoke was confined to about 6000’ and above. The tides had turned, my lofty respite from the haze these past two days was now invaded. I gassed up and headed north with an open night; I was thinking the Fremont-Winema National Forest for dispersed camping, then continuing on to my two nights already reserved at Crater Lake. I quite enjoyed Highway 97 with its long straight expanses and, although hovering at elevations around 5000’, not high enough to get into the smoke layer. With no time commitments I was just tooling along and saw a sign for the Lava Beds National Monument and made a spur of the moment decision to go there. The bonus of the day, however, was passing the Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. So much fowl! This looked like a huge expanse of marsh and open water with thousands of birds. I stopped and broke out my telephoto, trying to capture some aerial follies. After a bit I continued on to Lava Beds and checked into the visitor center to get my cave pass. I made sure I only entered caves that were empty at the time….no sense being underground in a confined space with other people during Covid. Turns out there are more caves here than anywhere in the US, so I sampled a few then continued out of the park, stopping to take in the vast expanse of the lava fields. What a remarkable place! Sure glad I stopped, but I figure I can go where I please at the moment….Freedom!

One of the caves in Lava Bed National Monument

Heron on the downstroke

The vast expanse of the lava beds

That’s a whole lotta fowl!

Water Giraffe

Totally Tubular!

Mt. Shasta: Avalanche Gulch to 10,300' 8/21/2020

I fled the unhealthy air of Redding after prepping the van and decided not to return, saving myself almost 3 hours of driving after this day and reveling in clean air and cool breezes. I drove up the Everitt Memorial Highway to Bunny Flat (6950’) with the intention of saying there for the night. After lunch I departed around noon and made my way to Horse Camp, which has the iconic Sierra Club hut. There were a few people about but they soon left and I had a nice chat with the caretaker, socially distanced of course. The Avalanche Gulch climbing route has the quite interesting “Oberman’s Causeway”, a lengthy series of rocks put in place to prevent erosion. I had fun skipping along this path which went quite a distance, and it appears I missed the height of lupine bloom by a week or two. Nonetheless, the flowered meadows still had a bit of charm. Eventually these charms faded and I reacquainted myself with the joys of volcano climbing; scree and rocks. My intention was to reach 10,000’ and this milestone was reached in an opportune place, the last hummock at the snowfield before the climb just continues up to the pinkish top part in view. There are numerous wind break bivy spots here; makes a lot of sense for a two day climb. I enjoyed the cool breezes and expansive views in all directions, looking down on civilization and south to the smoky layers of hills. I also had a nice view of Green Butte, which I had climbed the day before, notable for its light brown shading in contrast to the surroundings. After a snack and some water, I started the descent at 3:30 PM with plenty of time to enjoy the afternoon sun on the way back to Bunny Flat.

The lookout of Oberman’s Causeway

Once again I was able to take a hot shower, change into clean clothes and cook a nice dinner, all the while with the van opened up with cool breezes keeping me company. Not many vehicles in the lot, and those thinned considerably as darkness fell….it is legal to overnight at Bunny Flat, but it seems with the onset of school (in one form or another), the crowds of July have dissipated, leaving me to my solitude on the trails once again. I’m enjoying the cellphone service here and had a nice chat with my wife and daughter, processed a few photos and am able to post this blog before I hit the hay. 9 PM is getting to be my bedtime on this trip, slowly eroding my night owl tendencies. This is not a bad thing. Todays stats: 8.7 miles/3400’

Mt. Shasta from 10,300’

Interesting features on the upper mountain

Shasta: Green Butte 8.20/2020

I’m on my way back north towards the Pacific Northwest, sadly leaving my daughter in LA and feeling a little lonely. I stayed in a hotel in Sacramento due to extreme heat and ash falling from the skies. On this day I had already booked an RV campground north of Redding but was looking at 100 degree days; indeed, when I arrived and checked in, it was 97. Thankfully I had plenty of time to head further north to Mt. Shasta and higher climes, where the temperatures were much cooler. I drove up to the parking lot at 7800’ where the old ski area used to be and found a very pleasant 73 degree temperature. My plan was to get in this short hike/scramble of Green Butte (9193’), make dinner in the van in the parking lot, set the van up for sleeping and depart as the sun was going down for the RV park, 1 hour and 15 minutes away. I figured by the time I returned the temperatures would be in the 70’s.

Green Butte (9193’) is not so green

Well, all went according to plan. I had a very pleasant ascent, with no one else on the trail this time of evening….I started the hike at 4:20 PM. Not sure where to depart the trail and start the scramble, I circled around a bit high but eventually made my way to the base of the butte. I have this propensity for going straight up summit scrambles, and I hugged the wall on steep slippery scree and choss. Not the best line but it got the job done, and soon enough I was on the ridge leading to the easy summit. With the late afternoon sun I enjoyed 360 degree views and chilly winds, quite a change from the over baked environs of California of late. I was also surprised to see I had good cell reception, so I took a chance that my daughter was home from work at 5:30 and FaceTimed her. To my delight she answered and got to share the summit views with me; aint technology grand! After a bit I reluctantly said goodbye and headed back down on a gentler arc, arriving at the van shortly thereafter at about 6:20 PM. Plenty of time to prepare the murphy bed and cook dinner; pasta with spinach, Market herbs (from Pike Place Market in Seattle, great stuff), grated cheese, olive oil and pepper. The sun was going down and there were a few people in the lot taking it all in. I cleaned up and drove away, passing the long boarders in the process. I stopped lower down hoping to get some pics as they passed by, but I didn’t have the camera set quite right and most of the promising shots were blurry. One of them saw me and cut between me and the van whilst hauling ass, these guys were skilled and really enjoying themselves. I descended the winding but very nice road and arrived back at my site at 9 PM, plenty of time to take a hot shower and relax on my bed with the rear doors open, looking at the photos and posting this blog while sipping a nice glass of Pinot Grigio. Welcome to retirement.

Some skilled long boarders doing the upper section of the ski lift road

Late afternoon light highlights the flower fields on the trail for the old ski area

Lassen National Park 8.12-8.14, 2020

After spending two days in a full service RV park, we headed further north to Lassen National Park. On the way we did a food pickup in Sacramento that my wife had previously ordered, restocking the van for the next week. After almost 20 years of camping in my Chevy Avalanche, the luxury of a fridge, standup room, shower and furnace is still sinking in. The Solis has a pop top with a 77" long bed, which is where my daughter slept every night. I would get up and pass up hot tea to her while the van was heating up from the morning cold....I find setting the thermostat to 65 keeps it from getting too chilly. We were staying in a NP campground so no services except running water; I made a few trips schlepping a 5 gallon container to keep us topped up over 4 days. The Butte Lake campground is plenty roomy, with lots of space between sites and nestled in the woods.

Day 1   We got up, not too early, and headed out on our loop right out of the campground. First up and close was a climb up Cinder Cone, very interesting with nice views, and we managed to be the first up....this is THE hike out of Butte Lake, so everyone in the campground plus day hikers were right behind us. However, once we exited the cone, we spent the rest of the day, in August in a National Park, with the trails essentially to ourselves. We headed for Rainbow Lake, then Snag Lake, and finally the east side of Butte Lake for about 17 miles, depositing us back at our campsite late afternoon. To be fair, we did run into two horseback riders and 3 backpackers when we were towards the end of our hike....so crowded! The day was warmish but we were unburdened with small day packs, so very manageable. Back at the campsite we were making pasta in the van and partaking of a big bottle of wine.

Lone tree on top of Cinder Cone, Lassen NP

A little color along the Rainbow Lake/Snag Lake loop out of Butte Lake Campground, Lassen NP

Day 2   We decided to day hike again out of the campground and save the 1.5 hour drive to do Lassen Peak for day 3. East Prospect Peak was on the agenda, pretty lonely but we did cross paths with a group of 4 close to the top. Strava had us hiking 8 miles and climbing 2300' over 3.5 hours on this one, just right for a leg toner but back early enough to beat the heat.

Shasta to the north from East Prospect Peak, Lassen NP

Day 3   The alarm was set for 5:30, as we had a long drive and some construction delays to contend with to do Lassen Peak, plus we wanted to start fairly early. When we finally arrived at the parking lot (8500') there were a fair number of cars and hikers, but the lot wasn't even half full. We found this popular hike rather enjoyable, as the trail is graded well with plenty of switchbacks to make the going fairly easy....it climbs 2000' in 2.5 miles to 10,500'. There is some easy scrambling to get over the snowfield to the summit proper, and we were early enough to have a little time on the summit to ourselves. To this point the majority of hikers were wearing masks, but as we descended the later crowd was a majority of UMJs (Unmasked Mouth Juicers). Is it so hard? Our descent was fast and we were glad to get this done earlier rather than later, but indeed it was a very enjoyable climb with fantastic views, well worth the trip over. From here we proceeded further into the park to enjoy amazing views of the old Caldera, stretching from Lassen Peak to Broken Top Mountain. We proceeded towards the southwest entrance and stopped for a foot soak at Emerald Lake and witnessed the bubbling gray fountain of Sulphur Works. A few times we pulled over to enjoy the very interesting and varied views on this side of the park. We wanted to hike the Bumpass Hell trail (who wouldn't?) but the parking lot here was overflowing with...you guessed it.....UMJs. Maybe next time. This time it was back to Butte Lake and the bumpy 6.4 mile final stretch to the campsite, where we once again relaxed. I cleaned up while Cassie swam in the lake, I cooked dinner, finished off the wine, and generally relaxed and talked about the sights we had seen that day, and how surprisingly beautiful Lassen NP was. As I write this I am back at Cassie's apartment, after driving 2 days taking the scenic Route 1 through Big Sur (gas, $6.59/gal!). Soon I will depart and head north again, during the worst heat wave in CA in 10 years, to hopefully the cooler climes of the Seattle area. Happy Hiking!

A section of the Lassen Peak trail, Lassen NP

Daughter on the Lassen Peak summit (10,500’)

Part of the old Lassen caldera, Lassen NP

Yosemite National Park 8.5-8.9, 2020

Day 0    After a day of recovery from our Sequoia trip, my daughter and I drove up to Yosemite with permits in hand for day use and backpacking. Once acquiring the proper tag for the van, our plan was to drive into Yosemite Valley this first day just to see it...our backpack was for the southern part of the park starting out of Chilnualna Falls trailhead. Although we thought the valley was rather crowded, apparently it was much less so because of the Covid restrictions that were in place. We always had a place to park if we wanted to stop and take in the views, and some of the trails were actually kinda empty. Unfortunately, there were still plenty of UMJs (Unmasked Mouth Juicers) but we managed to keep appropriate distance most of the time. We went up the Mist trail to Vernal Falls, and although crowded by our standards we had plenty of alone time on this trail late afternoon, as there seemed to be a mass exodus starting about 4 PM. Once back on the trail paralleling the river there were far less people. As we drove back out of the valley we stopped a few times to take photos in the late afternoon light. We exited the park and stayed at a campground right outside the south entrance.

Yosemite Valley view

The Mist Trail, Yosemite NP

Day 1   This required careful planning food wise, as it is not legal to leave any food in your vehicle, or any scented items like toothpaste. We had planned our food, both dry and refrigerated, to be mostly gone by then and stored everything (including coffee pods) in the bear lockers at the trailhead. Bears have been known to cleverly break into vehicles, walking atop RVs and trying to get in the MaxxAir vents, etc, hence the restrictions....only in California! All buttoned up tight, we started our backpack on the Chilnualna Falls trail.

We scaled back our ambitious original loop due to my daughter's sketchy swollen ankle from the previous trip, capping our days to less than 15 miles. As we climbed ever higher we came across a wonderful granite pool, where we stopped to soak our feet and take in the views. From this point on, over the course of 4 days, we would run into a total of 4 people. My daughter had purposefully avoided planning anything out of the valley (no permits were available anyway) thinking that the less visited southern part of the park would be better. This first day we would spend walking through the Sierra woods, thinking some high alpine lakes (over 8000') on the trail would be like hiking in the Enchantments (or Sequoia). We were surprised to find marshy and wooded lakes at this altitude and became worried that our stopping point might not be so great in this environment. However, after an entire day of forest hiking, we popped up a little higher to the wondrous Royal Arch Lake in time for the evening light show. There were a couple of campers on the other side of the lake (we found out two days later they were there for 4 days fishing). Otherwise, no backpackers, and we essentially had the lake to ourselves, with plenty of time for Cassie to set up her hammock, make dinner and simply relax.

The pool below Chilnualna Falls, Yosemite NP

The marshy Crescent Lake, Yosemite NP

Royal Arch Lake, Yosemite NP

Day 2    This day we weren't sure where to stay or how far to go, as the ankle was always suspicious. We headed towards Merced Pass and decided later on for Lower Ottoway Lake. Again, all day was spent in the forest, but as we climbed towards the lake we could see it would be open with views of surrounding peaks. I forged ahead of my daughter on the climb to make sure I didn't miss the evening light on the lake, and arrived with perfect timing. I dropped the pack and scurried to and fro, capturing different angles of this magnificent lake. Unbeknownst to me, my daughter had a sudden food crash after I was out of earshot, and of course I was carrying all the food. She was not happy, to say the least. I know, I've been there, where I've had to stop on trail and "EAT NOW!" She survived the rest of the climb, and when she arrived I had taken my photos and proceeded to make dinner. And yes, this magnificent lake, nestled in the surrounding peaks that reflected different colors in the slanted evening light, WAS DESERTED. We had the lake to ourselves with a perfect bivy spot once again...in the middle of August in Yosemite…..on a weekend.

Trail below Lower Ottoway Lake, Yosemite NP

Lower Ottoway Lake, Yosemite NP

Day 3   Another glorious night with the waning moonlight had us awaken with no alarm. We lounged until 9 and finally started our journey back the way we came, as our scaled back plans excluded the loop previously planned. Once again we hiked all day in the forest, taking appropriate breaks and enjoying the mostly cool air above 8000'. And once again we stayed at Royal Arch Lake with no other backpackers. A gentleman from the other party did stop by to take photos and chat, so we learned he had been coming here since the 70's and was the same group we had seen two days prior. More photos of the lake, more lounging, more cheesecake.

Sunset from Royal Arch Lake, Yosemite NP

Day 4   Now it was mostly a downhill hike back to the van, and we stopped at the same places to soak our feet. As expected, as we passed the falls we started seeing some day hikers close to the trailhead, but still not so many. When we arrived at our van (thankfully showing no bear paw prints on the doors or windows), we collected our food from the locker and headed out a different entrance from the valley to spend two days at a quaint RV park, nestled in the trees with strung lights and full hook up service. We cleaned up, did laundry and generally relaxed before heading further north to Lassen NP.

A singular bloom across Royal Arch Lake, Yosemite NP