Eight Mile Trail

First off, this trail is not 8 miles. I was like, "Why are Washingtonian's always naming things Eight Mile for no apparent reason?" - so I finally just Googled it. Turns out, just like in Leavenworth, one thing is named Eight Mile because it is actually that distance from town, and then several things (like Eightmile Lake) get the same name. Seems people are not very creative when it comes to naming things. 

But I digress; I didn't choose this hike because I was looking to hike 8 miles. I only wanted to take advantage of a beautiful day and I didn't want to drive more than 2 hours. Because I don't typically like to re-do hikes, I did my scavenger hunt on the WTA website to try to find something that suited my needs. 

Sammie loved the big stumps

As I explained on my Pharmaceutical Hiking post, this is a technique where you bring up the Hike Finder Map and just start clicking. It's not efficient, but it's surprising what you can find this way. I was very intrigued to find this "Squire Creek Pass via Eight Mile Trail" off of the Mountain Loop Hwy, because I really thought I knew all of the hikes in that area.

A beautiful biggie that is still standing strong

I wasn't expecting much...I mean if it was any good I would have already heard about it, right? The first review I read on Alltrails confirmed my assumptions by saying "Views at end are nice but I don't think it's worth the major effort to get there." But how can a 5.2 hike with under 3k elevation be a major effort? What a baby 😉...so with just an hour and half drive from my house, I went to check it out. 

You'll get some nice views mid trail too!

I was glad there was at least one car at the trailhead because after driving the 6 mile forest road it really felt like I was in no man's land. The trail started off really nice, but progressively got worse and worse. I used my hands in a couple places to climb the root ladders, and tried not to think about how my legs and knees were going to feel on the way down. 

Finally getting out from the trees I came across the other two hikers. "Enjoy the view at the top" they said as we passed each other, but unfortunately that put in my head that I was almost there. And in actuality,  another half mile is not all that far. But if you are a hiker, you understand just how far this can feel. 

A tradition on my Intragram

I started doing my "this has to end, this has to end" chant. Partly just to make noise (this really feels like bear territory with all the blueberry bushes) but mostly because it's what I do when I'm in a bad head space. (Last time was just before the Desolation Peak Lookout.) I was fully expecting the smattering of clouds in the sky to be covering the "nice" view of whatever mountains may have been visible from this pass that felt like I was NEVER going to get to. What a baby.😆

Sammie needed a rest by the infinity pool ;)

I do love when you get your mind blown in a situation like this; I was almost brought to tears. Though I also had to ask myself, "why is nobody here?" Yes, it was a bitch of a hike, but no worse than Mailbox Peak's old trail, and everybody is clamoring up that thing. And IMO, this view is far superior. How amazing to have it all to myself on a glorious Labor Day weekend. 

Driving through Darrington on my way home I passed what I teasingly referred to on my IG story as a "sign from God" and stopped for my post hike treat.

It says "BEER" in case you can't see it

The River Time Brewery is a really cute place with great outdoor seating that I highly recommend. Happy "don't be a baby" trails! Things to know list below for those interested. 

If Jesus turned the water into wine, how could he not like beer?

Things to Know about Eight Mile Trail

1) You should have navigational assistance unless you are very good at reading a trail. It's not that it's super unclear, there are just a couple tricky spots that are easy to miss. 

I almost missed a right turn here because I was so distracted by yet another huge tree ;)

2) A couple people mentioned in comments that they believed the mileage to be longer than stated. Normally I would just say they are being babies 😜but I do have to agree this feels closer to 6 miles RT. 

3) You could make this a thru hike with two cars by hiking out the Squire Creek Trail, but it doesn't sound worth it to me. That trail is even less maintained and has an added 2 mile road walk due to a wash out.

4) Alltrails will tell you that you are at the TH when you actually have about 15 more minutes of driving to do. I'm guessing this is because the road was blocked at some point, but as of 9/6/2026 it's clear all the way to the TH and as far as forest roads go, it isn't that bad. 

5) The Oso Memorial is not far from Darrington. You should stop if you can; they've done a really nice job with it. Hard to believe it's been 12 years, but it needs to be remembered. 

6) I personally cannot imagine doing this with a full backpack, but there is amazing looking camping at the pass. Maybe in a few years I'll forget how brutal this hike was and go back, because seeing that view at sunrise and sunset really might be worth it.

You'll need to know big rock/little rock to camp here

7) There is a rock climbing area about a mile in. Bring a rope if you are so inclined. 

It's called 8'o clock rock...looks fun, right? 

8) Gotta end on eight 😆but I have to point out that you can actually see the Three Fingers Lookout at the pass! I thought it was pretty cool, since I'll never be doing that one. Well, never say never, but I highly doubt it.

 

 

Sucks Getting Old

We humans grow old. It's a tough pill to swallow. But it's a reality none of us will escape...unless of course we die before we get the chance to age. I used to teasingly use the mantra "die young, stay pretty," when I was a teen. How dumb is that?

Thankfully my years of worrying about retaining my youthful beauty are behind me. In fact, age itself has become quite beautiful to me - it's given me perspective and wisdom that my childish self could only mock.

Though there is something about becoming old I could really do without: having your body fall apart on you. My dear friend, Heidi, has really had to deal with this lately. But thankfully, with the help of modern science, she is being rebuilt! Back to back knee replacement surgeries. Ugh. It's been a really tough summer for her. I know Julie has had her health struggles too. Sucks getting old.

Though Heidi has been completely out of commission for the entirety of this year's hiking season, and I know it has added tremendously to her already large amount of pain. So I've been trying to think of ways to help her enjoy the summer that don't involve double digit miles and sleeping on the ground. I know my friends will help me out too when life decides to put me on the bench. 

So if you are a person that for whatever reason wants low miles and no tent, this trip report is for you. I didn't think I'd write anything up for this short girl's weekend getaway, but both trails we did are in my Alltrails App so I figured, why not?

A trail is a trail, no matter how short. Happy "for creaky and healing knees" trails. Oh, and stay tuned for Heidi's master plan for adventure requiring no major hiking coming up soon. It's going to be good! 

LOG: 

1) It's a long drive to Squamish, so a stop at The Beach House in West Vancouver for brunch is a nice break. There's some very nice boardwalk beach walking you could do here, but we opted to just be ridiculous instead.

We chose to stay at the Howe Sound Inn and Brewing Company in Squamish because of it's proximity to the Sea to Sky Gondola, NOT because of the beer 😉though if you do have a couple beers, there is a bus you can catch just a block from the Inn, and it's free on weekends! Plus it's much easier than dealing with the parking at the Gondola. 

You could actually hike up to the summit and take the tram down, but you can also go after 4 pm and get 40% off a round trip fare, which is of course what we did. Our only hiking was the less than half mile Spirit Trail Loop you can walk after crossing the very cool suspension bridge at the summit. I think it may even be wheelchair accessible? I know you can at least get a chair across the bridge because we saw it done, though it took a few helpers and did not look easy. 

2) We tried to stop at the Shannon Falls Lookout on the first day, but it was a madhouse with not a parking spot in sight. But now that we had mastered the bus system (and knew it was free!) we used it again and went to see the falls after all. This is also only about a half mile of walking (maybe wheelchair accessible too?) though there is a short side trail that is mostly stairs that will take you up for a closer view. Heidi pushed herself to do that too, even though her knee was really hurting. She is such a beast! An old beast 😆but still a beast.😍 

Heidi's bionic knees will be fully activated in no time!

To end I'll give a shout out to the Copper Coil Still and Grill as being a super cute and quirky place to eat, and a warning that even though you see a line out the door at the Fox and Oak doughnut shop all weekend making you think they must be amazing...they are not.  

I even did some rock climbing! I just needed to push the children out of my way first 😉

 

Scott Paul Deserves the Best

How cool would it be to have a trail named after you? I mean, I would settle for a bench...heck, even a port-o-potty (reference to an old story of mine) but having your own trail puts you in the big leagues. So I did a little "research" -- which is simply asking AI nowadays -- on why Scott Paul got his own trail. 

"Scott Paul was a dedicated Forest Service ranger, visionary trail builder and coordinator for the Mt Baker district." No shocker there. But what I was surprised to read was that the Scott Paul Trail is a secondary tribute to his name. His main memorial is a plaque at the 240 feet suspension bridge at Drift Creek Falls in Oregon, where Scott lost his life while helping build it. 

A private construction company finished the bridge after the tragic accident - and get this; the company was owned by Scott's close friend and fellow trail builder, Carroll Vogel. Around the same time, Vogel's crew secretly put an official looking sign renaming the Sulphur Moraine Trail to the Scott Paul Trail, and the Forest Service kept it.

Sammie says, "Take a right!"

 

Unfortunately, Scott Paul has to share his trail with the HIGHLY popular Park Butte Trail. At only about a tenth a mile you make your turn to get on the Scott Paul, though hardly anyone does. You will have another chance at the two mile mark with one more intersection, but the masses continue on to the left...either to Railroad Grade (and maybe a Mount Baker summit) the Park Butte Lookout, or even all the way to the ocean if you are doing the Pacific Northwest Trail. 

But I would encourage anyone and everyone to get off the well beaten path and try out this beauty of a trail for themselves. The only hiccup with doing the full 8 mile loop is that a pretty important suspension bridge is gone.  

After hearing Scott Paul's story, this seems...I know ironic is not the right word, but I can't think of one that fits. So I'll just say it seems wrong. I don't think he would be too happy with having his trail missing a bridge that could possibly put someone's life at risk. (Some years it gets put up, some years it doesn't...although one of the supports is gone, so that will need to get fixed before it gets put up again.)

One of the few people I saw on the loop

I was thankful the water was low enough this day that I could cross without incident, but I would recommend you try and ford it earlier in the day; which means going clockwise. But I would also suggest that this trail would be just as good as an up and back...maybe even better. 

In fact, next time I do it, that's what I plan on doing. Make the early turn, avoid the crowds, get up to those amazing two miles at the top where Mount Baker is in your face the whole time, then turn around well before the missing bridge and enjoy those views for the second time before heading down.

IN YOUR FACE!

I think this would only be a mile longer than the traditional loop - and I think it would be more enjoyable. I rarely do trails more than once, but I can actually see myself doing this one multiple times, I was that impressed by it. Thank you, Scott Paul; and I hope that bridge gets put up again soon. Happy "well named" trails. 

Backpacking the Duckabush with my Sis

I've hit the double digits! Ten backpacking virgins are now under my belt. Taking someone for their first time is one of my greatest joys - but this trip was extra special. I'm still pinching myself that my sister actually came with me! 

Vicki has been toying with the idea for quite some time. Our walking holiday on the Cotswold Way proved to us both she could hike 11 miles in a day; but could she do it with a full pack?

Gotta have at least one pic of Sammie

 

Though maybe even more importantly, could she face her fears? Getting mauled by a bear or attacked by a cougar, slipping and breaking an ankle, tripping and falling off a cliff - or even getting impaled by your trekking pole - these are all real possibilities. Albeit they are unlikely, our minds like to fixate on them. We play out the whole scenario and imagine every detail so we can be prepared...just in case. 

I learned a long time ago (lesson #55) that this is a mistake. Of course we should have knowledge about survival; but the disaster movie that we play in our head is something else entirely. It takes time and practice to tame the imagination beast. You just need to get out there and have experiences that didn't include the misfortune you were worrying about, and eventually sleeping in the woods becomes a new normal. And the struggles you did encounter during your adventure...well, you got through them...and felt proud of yourself for doing so. 

I'm so pleased that Vicki got out there; and even if she was afraid during the night and slipped and scrapped her knee on day two, I know she still had a great time. It's important that you moderately set your goals when you first start (my first backpack was a whopping 7 miles total) so you can have the feeling of accomplishment that is so vital to overcoming fears and having a good experience. Thankfully Vicki declined my first suggestion of doing 30 miles on the Sunshine Coast, as I tend to get a bit overly ambitious these days. 

Instead we both agreed the Duckabush River Trail was a perfect fit. Number one reason was no smoke (we are really getting hammered with forest fires here in the PNW) but also it's well maintained and relatively easy to get to. The entirety of the trail is 22 miles (later miles are not well maintained FYI) to Marmot Lake (where you can keep going on other trails) but if you are doing an up and back like us, you can do however many miles you want. 

I'll give our specifics below, but end here with this encouragement: the outdoors are for everyone. And though us humans enjoy making goals and pushing ourselves to do ever increasingly difficult things, being in nature doesn't need to involve any of that. It can simply be enjoying the beauty around you with the people that you love. Happy "from your first to your hundredth" trails!

TRAIL LOG:

Day 1: A little over 2 miles to our camp with around 400 ft elevation gain. I originally wanted to go to the camp at 5 miles in, but I'm happy Vicki insisted she would rather play it safe with the earlier spot. There are three along the river; the first one being the best.

It was taken, so we continued to the third, which is the largest. It does not have a river view though, so we went back to the middle one. FYI, I did find a single spot close to the river that is behind the last largest spot when I went exploring the second day; you just have to search a little for it.  

We loved our spot

Day 2: We left our camp set up and did an up and back to the 5 mile camp for a total of around 7 miles and 1600 ft gain. You have to go over what is called the "Big Hump" which feels more like two humps,  and then back down to the river before turning around to do it again.

Five Mile Camp is very nice, but not as private as our spot was. When we were just above Five Mile Camp, I was too far ahead of Vicki for her liking and she called out to me, "where's the fire?"

I saw the men sitting below us having lunch look up at us with concern, and sure enough asked "what fire?" when we arrived. We explained, but they teasingly chastised us for using that word in the backcountry. Everybody is a bit on edge about fire at this time; which is understandable. 

Having a little fun with AI on my IG story

Day 3: Out the 2 miles back to the car with around 400 ft gain. We left camp at 8:30 am and were through the pot hole maze (driving the road was the hardest part of this day) by 10:30 am. This was perfect because we made it to Harbour Public House just before the noon rush, and that place is POPULAR. 

Scored a great table outside

Then we took a little detour to visit Pia the Peacekeeper before getting on the ferry and heading home. There are 4 other Trolls in Washington, so now we have a new goal! 😉 

Mount Rainer looking ethereal from the ferry