Pharmaceutical Hiking

I used the caption "my hiking addiction has taken me further than I ever thought I'd go" on a FB post about my last adventure. Someone replied "absolutely true story - hiking- the gateway drug." This really made me laugh; but I've decided to stop calling it an addiction. Instead, hiking is my prescription. 

Doctors legit prescribe nature walks for health. In Japan they call this "forest bathing." An addiction is having a craving that leads to harm, but my soul is simply craving what it needs to remain sane. So from now on, hitting the trail is simply "getting my prescription filled."

And so this time of year, this often means snowshoeing. It is fairly new to me, and so I have been doing a lot of searches on WTA because I don't know where to go besides the places everyone goes. One of my search tactics is to zoom in the "finder map" on the area I'm interested in and start clicking on each hike. This is more time consuming than using a filter search, but it's fun and feels like a scavenger hunt. 

This is how I stumbled upon Oakes Peak Snowshoe. It only had 13 trail reports - about one or two a year - going back to 2016. Reading the official trail description it sounded great...just an easy peasy forest road walk. Then I read the actual trail reports: off trail/bushwack/ice ax/5K elevation in as many miles/unrelenting...holy crap! Who does this shit? The "Big Dogs" that's who! Doing their peak bagging by ignoring the road and just hoofing it straight up. As I read each one, impostor syndrome started hitting me hard. I decided to go anyway. I didn't need to do the Big Dog version - I just needed to plod up the road a couple miles...grannie style. 

On the drive my morning coffee detonated, and Rockport State Park is the perfect stop for such a need. I remembered I still hadn't checked out the trail across the street that caught my eye years ago, so I decided why not do an add on? 

Sweet, stunning and totally solitary, these two short trails are a real treat, especially with fresh snow. I knew I could throw in the bigger loop around the back of Rockport and be good for the day - save myself the extra driving - but I was too curious, so I got back on Hwy 20 going east. 

Bacon Creek Road (FR 1060) is found directly off Hwy 20, and as most forest roads are, it is a pot holey mess. I was hoping to be able to drive the mile and a half up to where the road splits, and if you turn right, where you start the real elevation. But the snow was just deep enough and the thought of getting my car stuck scary enough that I wisely decided to park it right there.

The simple walk next to the river was beautiful, and I didn't even miss not having mountain views. There was not one soul to be found; though clearly I was not completely alone. 

Cougars? Bobcats? Just stray dogs? Maybe I should have been nervous, but I wasn't. It was too peaceful, and besides, I'm convinced the wild animals we tend to be so scared of really couldn't care less about interacting with us. Humans give me much more anxiety. 

Comment if you think you know!

I couldn't resist a post hike burger and beer and stopped at the Upriver Grill and Taproom. Very cozy, and the server was so excited to chat a little about hiking, as she and her girlfriend are determined to start backpacking. The day was a total mind and spirit re-set. Happy "just what the doctor ordered" trails!

Things to Know:

1) Both the Sauk Springs with the Skagit View are only going to give you a mile of hiking. Definitely not Big Dog territory. But there is a "Grandma Cedar Tree" that is worth checking out. 

She's a biggie!

 

2) The WTA lists the Oakes Peak Snowshoe as an 18 mile up and back, so I'm assuming the road goes up another 7.5 from the split, though I only went maybe another mile. The Big Dog reports stated parking before the stream crossing (I did cross a stream over the road which I'm guessing is pretty bad early spring - the time when most these reports were from) then making their own way through the woods to the top, straight up, for about three miles. I know I said my "hiking addiction" has taken me places I thought I'd never go, but I guarantee it won't be taking me there! Though I did start following @thenomadicartist who reported CAMPING up there! I do love when a girl is the biggest dog of them all :)

All these years and this is the first time stopping for the photo

A Cold Night on Mazama Ridge

I know I'm probably over doing it with five snowshoes in seven weeks; what's gotten into me? It's never really been my thing, but I keep falling down the rabbit hole. Before you know it, I'm going to be making a snow cave!

Though it was not my intention to do another snow camp this season...November's adventure seemed like it would be enough "hypothermia mico-dosing" for awhile. (That's actually a thing, even though I'm just trying to be funny.) But Beth reached out saying she was itching to get out there, and how could I resist a trip with Beth? 

She suggested going to the same place we went last time, but as a general rule I don't re-do hikes. Too many trails and too little time. I suggested Rainier, since I miraculously didn't cheap out at Crater Lake and got the $80 America the Beautiful Pass instead of the $15 day pass. So you know now I have to get my money's worth. 

When she said she'd never actually been inside the national park, the deal was sealed. But which hike? It didn't take much internet searching to uncover lots of options, so I just focused on whatever folks were saying was "the best." If this was going to be Beth's first visit, it had better be epic!

Let me tell you, Mazama Ridge lived up to it's reputation and then some. Of course having two bluebird days helped out a lot, except the temps were even lower than we bargained for. I can't say for sure how low it got, but Beth's Garmin made the weirdest sound to notify it was "too cold." She looked up how cold it has to get for it to make that pathetic little whimper, and it's 10 degrees. 

That may be slighter warmer than Crater Lake's micro-dose, but it actually felt much colder. I guess it's true that dry cold is better. Still, I thought I was more prepared this time...I even bought a free standing tent to make things easier. Plus even MORE warmers, and an electric hand warmer to boot!

I'm sure it was on sale because it's white. What a dumb color for a tent! But I do like it. Mountain Hardware - such a random buy for me.

But I was still struggling to feel warm...meanwhile, I could hear Beth snoozing next door. Her secret? I guess I really do need to invest in a zero degree bag. (Mine is 15, so almost, but not quite.) And also maybe a "Honcho Poncho" as an extra blanket, though I don't think I could rock this look like Beth does. 

Ugh, I'm going to go broke falling down this rabbit hole. Anyway, a detailed itinerary is below like always. Happy "time to buy all the things" trails! 

Trail Log:

Day 1: Got to the Nisqually Entrance (only way to get in during winter months) at 11 am and only had to wait a couple minutes.

There is no timed entry from September to May, so that's a plus. Got our permits at Longmire from the slowest moving attendant in history--I think it's usually $10 per person but we got it free because he couldn't get the computer to cooperate. Permits are pretty much unlimited in the winter so you don't have to fight for them, so another plus. A hard sided container is needed to store your food because of small critters, and also this is a Wag Bag area. The good news is you can dispose of them on your way out at the bathroom tunnel bathrooms at Paradise.

Whoever made it so they had to put up the "keep the lid closed" sign...you are a dumb ass!!

You start the hike where they stop plowing the road - just past Paradise Inn. It's a well compacted walk for about a mile until you turn onto the actual trail.

From there it's about a mile with a 500 foot gain until you crest a hill. (video) I used my crampons up until this point. From here you need snowshoes and navigation. We went down just about a quarter mile until we found our spot and had our tents all set up by 3 pm. Then we set off with day packs, determined to get to the view point ending and ended up getting a little off track (video) because there are several misleading tracks and we ended up on one that petered out, but eventually we still made it.

Making our own way to Faraway rock

We made it back to our tents just as the sun was setting which was absolutely stunning. (video) Then it was as if someone closed the freezer door, the temps changed so quickly. Even though I had my bag warming up with my electric warmer in it, I still felt on the edge of being cold until morning - even after sticking warmers on myself all throughout the night. A total of 4 miles with about a thousand gain for the day. 

Day 2: I was awake for the sunrise, and opened both doors for the views.

I tried to manage my water, but it still ended up freezing (video) so I took some time thawing it carefully in my Jetboil. FYI, my old Zip Jetboil (the cheapest one) worked reasonably well in the temps while Beth's more expensive "winter" Jetboil Minimo completely failed. (It's actually only rated to 20 degrees! Alaskans would scoff!) Anyway, we only had the 2 miles back to the car and thought we might hit Alta Vista or another short trail out of Paradise, but we were pooped.

Paradise Inn is very much closed in winter, FYI

We did throw in the .7 mile loop of Trail of the Shadows which is across from Longmire. Interesting history there and well worth the stop. Leaving at around 1 pm we saw the line going in was at least a half mile long, so sometime before noon seems be the sweet spot this time of year if you are planning a visit.

Our stuffies wanted to soak in this hot springs relic, but it really wasn't warm

 

 

Girl's Trip to Start the Year off Right

 

I know we are just a couple weeks in, but so far the "hatsuhinode" is working. The weather turned out perfect for the girl's weekend we planned back when we failed at getting to Grace Lakes.

 

The idea for this trip came as we debated whether we should just keep driving if we couldn't get a parking spot at Yodelin and go all the way to Lake Wenatchee State Park. During that discussion it was decided we definitely needed to do it, but another time when we could continue east to Leavenworth after our snowshoe and make a full weekend out of it. 

Roping my other friend, Debbie, into the plan meant we could split a hotel stay four ways, which is the only way to make staying right in town affordable. 

Of course, staying in town meant a night of walking everywhere - first to the square where we just missed the fire dancing show because we spent too much time wine tasting - and then to Ducks and Drakes to show off how badly we play pool. Though somehow I ended up showing off my bad dancing skills instead...go figure.

I had someone leave a comment on my last girl's trip post that I "won't get many miles in at a bar," to which I should have replied "So?" Nobody's paying me to hike, and going to a bar after being on trail happens to be one of my favorite things.

Anyway, despite not feeling super great on Sunday morning, we couldn't resist a stop at the new Leavenworth Adventure Park where my hatsuhinode luck continued and nobody got barfed on. 

I was too cheap to buy my picture, haha

I know I haven't written one thing about the snowshoe, but my "things to know" list about the Nason Ridge snowshoe is below for those interested. I'll end here with my hiking blessing: "Happy trails in this new year - filled with friends, laughter, silliness and a bar at the end of the day if you'd like." 

THINGS TO KNOW:

1) There is a snow park pass required which is $25...another good reason to go with a group. You can pay in the lot by using the QR code on a sign by the outhouse. 

2) There are easier options here, but Nason Ridge is the biggest bang for your buck. And it's really not hard, though it is a steady gain of 1200 feet in just under 3 miles to the warming hut. We did get a little confused by the Washington Trails Association's page saying it was 3.6 miles round trip, but they are only counting to "Big Red" which is tree you can't miss. But you really do need to push on to the warming hut at least.

3) It would be fun to keep going if you had the time and energy. We didn't need our snowshoes at all, as this trail is very well traveled; but from the hut it's a different story. My All-trails app showed trails going all over the place, and we did see a few tracks. We put on the snowshoes and messed around a little, and it was worth going up a little hill for an even better view.(Short YouTube video here) The Washington Trails page even suggests skiing down to your car the 9 miles on the obvious groomed trail you will see from the hut. 

4) Don't confuse this snowshoe with the Nason Ridge hike. Same ridge, but very different adventures.  

Hello 2025

Do you ever feel like maybe life is actually just a crazy fever dream? Like we are all going to wake up at some point and say, "Wow, that was really weird!"

I'm actually super grateful for 2024 - it was a wonderful year. But there have been big "WTF?" moments too. So starting off 2025 by ascending Mount Weird felt apropos. Why not embrace the insanity.

On the opposite side of that thought was wanting to celebrate "hatsuhinode" which is the Japanese tradition of watching the sunrise on the new year. It's believed to bring good luck and symbolizes renewal and aspiration. Life might be crazy, but it can't hurt to hope for a good kind of crazy.

And so my friend, Randi, met me in the pitch dark at 6:45 am to hoof it up to the Heybrook Lookout to welcome the first light of 2025. It's only a mile, but with 980 feet in elevation I knew it'd take me close to an hour. 

It was just the two of us, and Sammy, with our chairs and blankets and thermos's filled with good cheer as we awaited the glowing orb to crest the mountain top with shining glory and good fortune. 

Randi's "blanket"...I need one!!

Wah wah...the sunrise was kind of a dud. So much for that...on to Mount Weird! Ha ha, I mean, it was still a fun way to start the year, and a big thank you to Randi for her willingness to do it with me.

But she was off to do her Polar Plunge (a big no thank you for me) and I was headed up to Welldigger's Ass. Yep, that is how you start up Mount Weird. Whoever named these places was definitely having a fever dream. 

After parking at the Yodelin parking area after Steven's Pass, you only need to hike the short road to the upper parking and you'll find the trail in the left hand corner. I renewed my Alltrails subscription because I was worried about navigation (you'll find it under "Yodilin Ski Tour") but it was pretty straightforward. 

Second snow face - Somebody on this trail had a sense of humor

I was able to use my micro-spikes for the first half mile or so, but definitely needed my snowshoes for the last half mile. This trail does not mess around with a steady thousand foot gain, so I was huffing and puffing it. But I really wanted to say I stood upon the top of the weirdest of mountains to welcome this weirdest of years.

 Instead, I waved the white flag right here. (Screenshot below) Too many clouds with too much elevation and too little aspiration granted from the mediocre sunrise. Maybe next year. May your 2025 trails be happy, with only the best kind of weirdness.