An Ode to Ira

I consider myself a big fan of Ira Spring...even if I thought he was a woman for years. The book I read that he co-authored with Harvey Manning had random pictures of a woman hiker; so it seemed logical. I didn't confess this to Mimi when she looked up to the threatening sky at the start of our hike and apologized to Ira for thinking he was a woman, and to please not punish us with a downpour. I did think to myself though, "you too?"

Of course, Mimi was being funny, because I'm sure Ira was not the type who would have minded being mistaken for a woman. What an awesome guy!! A Washingtonian who grew up in Shelton, his name is on 64 guidebooks (all royalties are donated to the "Family Trust for Trails") his photography has graced Time, Life, and National Geographic, and he co-founded the Washington Trails Association; so it's with good reason he has his very own trail.

I am the Vanna White of fungus!

But, I have to confess I didn't actually pick the Ira Spring Trail to honor this well lived life of his. I picked it because I had to do a drop off at Sea-Tac airport...so why not make the most of the trip and head to the nearest trail! I don't often do hikes in close proximity to Seattle because of the crowds, but it was a drizzly Thursday, so I thought I'd take my chances.

A glimpse of I-90

I have a thing for stone steps

I was so happy Mimi was willing to give me another chance after our last adventure together. (see "First Backpack of 2016" post) I felt like I had failed her with poor trip planning by pushing her too hard with a 14 mile hike on her first time back on the trail in years. I really wanted to make it up to her by choosing something with reasonable mileage...and without a blow down at every mile.(early season hikes can be such a mess!) And the Ira Spring Trail even has a fully functional bridge, so we were set. (I hope trail crews get around to Baker Lake trail soon, because that bridge at Anderson Creek is sketchy!)

Now, this is what I call a bridge!

When we were a little over half way up, with thighs and glutes a blazin', we started jokingly cursing under our breath..."Why you gotta be so mean, Ira?" ;) But I believe Mr. Spring's favor was actually upon us. We may have originally wanted a nice sunny day--but the foggy, misty weather was a real blessing in disguise. Besides keeping the crowds at bay, the clouds kept us from overheating on the last push up. When reading the trail description, I was fantasizing about basking on the "sun drenched" ridge-line, but in actuality those exposed switchbacks (which I'll confess were harder than I expected...sorry Mimi!) would have felt like an oven without some cloud cover. And truth be told, as much as I love the cheery feeling a clear day gives me, I think the mystical quality of the quiet fog is possibly more beautiful.

Just when we were starting to believe Ira was truly out to punish us with a never ending uphill climb, we crested the top and excitedly started the quarter mile drop down to Mason Lake. Although we were tempted to plop down at the first campsite we came to, we both agreed it was worth pushing on to find a more secluded spot. We were so thankful we did, because towards dusk a large group of guys came in, and the spot we left was a perfect fit for them. I know I have complained in the past about having a boisterous gang coming in and screwing up my serenity, but this time I honestly loved hearing their laughter throughout the night. It felt comforting; like I just fell asleep on someone's couch during a great party. ;)

We found a Pokemon! Gotta catch em' all!

One of the party goers, though, had suffered a tough night for being a newbie hiker. Mimi told me she was near the group as they were heading out, and the bedraggled straggler looked up at her and bemoaned, "I didn't think to bring a jacket...oh no...but I brought a chair!!" A tough lesson in packing priorities, indeed.

Chillin' with my "coffee"

A brave swimmer (the small dot in the middle)

The fog never lifted as promised by forecasters (I think we both were hoping for a dip in the lake; the water felt much warmer than I expected!) but it was all good. Even without the sun, the parking lot was overflowing when we made it down; so I would really warn everyone to stay away on a sunny weekend, because I can't even imagine what that looks like. We only had one more thing to check off our list to complete our adventure; find a burger and beer ASAP! We were lucky enough to find the Rogue Ales & Spirits Brewhouse in Issaquah, which I highly recommend. Just be sure to make a toast to Ira for us! 

Thanks for a great trail, Ira!! Cheers!

A Good Day for a Discount

I was wishing I had some "2 Buck Chuck" to take to this "$2 Trail", except that would not have been appropriate when I hadn't even had my morning coffee. But let me start at the beginning.

I don't have many "followers" on my blog, so whenever someone reaches out to me, I get pretty excited. I didn't know Denise, but she said she recognized me from the church I used to attend, and that she would love to go adventuring with a fellow "speed impaired" hiker. 

That was several years ago. Life tends to get in the way of good intentions, and it seemed our schedules were never going to jive. Finally we just decided to make it work--a local, convenient to get to hike we could finish before the start of my 3 pm workday.

Yes, there is a whole lake there,
but Denise says he's forgotten how to be a dog. ;)

Denise had her eyes on Chuckanut Ridge; a 10 mile loop that completely kicked my butt when I did it 5 years ago. I was looking forward to hopefully confirming some personal improvement...but I knew speed was not going to be one of them. We HAD to get going early if I had any hope of getting to work on time. 

After we both texted each other that we were running late, Denise texted again saying the interstate was shut down and being redirected. (later I found out there was a jumper on an overpass...thankfully they eventually got him down) Even with a forewarning, I found myself turning onto the freeway before I could stop myself. (stupid autopilot...I will also blame my coffee deficiency) The visions of vino came to mind as I sat there in parking lot mode, wondering how long it was going to take to get to the exit I could have easily just driven to had I not been such an idiot. But a shot of caffeine was the true priority.

Giving a pack a "test run" is always a good idea.

So, about a half hour later Denise and I were meeting at the nearest Starbucks to revamp our pan. She suggested the "$2 Trail", bringing to mind the specific cheap wine that would have paired well with the day. I hate to say we downgraded on our ambitions for adventure, even though we were going from 10 to just 3 miles...I prefer to say we went for a discount. 


I had never heard of the Two Dollar Trail; which surprised me because I thought I had exhausted almost every hike available on Chuckanut Drive. Turns out it's a wonderful alternative path to Fragrance Lake. It had been so long since I've been to Fragrance that I had forgotten how beautiful it is. One word of caution though; be sure to have a map if you are not with someone who is familiar with the area. There are many intersecting trails, (including part of the Pacific Northwest Trail) so take a wrong turn and you could end up in Montana! (which I would LOVE to do! Last month's hike at Ebey is also connected to the PNT, making me dream about actually doing it. First things first though; let's see if I survive 500 miles of the AT before any further dreaming!)

Which way? Better choose wisely!

The best part of the day was discovering that Denise and I have actually known each other for decades. When I told her my maiden name, she shouted "Shut up! I was best friends with your older sister! I remember you as a preteen!" What a small world. It will never cease to amaze me.

Because we went for the "discounted" hike, we finished much earlier than expected, allowing some time to hit the Bellingham REI, where Denise exchanged her backpack and I found an awesome real life discount on a new jacket. I hope we can put both to good use with a very "full price" backpack soon. 

A Little Disappointed in Leavenworth

Where to go in June when you really need some sun? In my experience, Leavenworth never disappoints. Until this time.

Not that it wasn't still a good time. Six people huddling under a canopy during a downpour trying to make scrambled eggs is strangely amusing; but thankfully, that was only part of the fun. 

This was a car camping experience at it's extreme. As we drove into the KOA with our girls and their friends, I could feel the spirit of disappointment in the air. I stayed at this campground years earlier, and didn't remember it being quite so...how do I say it...congested. 

Driving past the rows of motor homes and swarms of children everywhere, I was pretty sure this whole trip was doomed. But once we got settled and made sure we faced the trees instead of the lot of RV's, it really wasn't all that bad. 

This is how we do it!! Who needs a fire pit!

 

We did our best to tolerate day 2, which we already knew called for rain, because day 3 had a promise of sun; and being it was Father's day, we thought a family hike was in order.

We did not expect to meet Ranger Rick!

Our friends popped over to join us (AFTER the rain passed...punks) so we packed up all our crap and headed to Ingalls Creek, which is only about 20 minutes from town.

Happy Father's Day!

What to say about Ingalls Creek? It is super easy to find, though you do need to remember to bring your NW Forest Pass. (or you can pay the $5 day pass at the trail head, while cursing the fact that you have TWO passes at home in another car) And it's a beautiful hike; although I do have to say I thought some of the trip reports I read had oversold it a bit. I personally would not call "ever changing scenery" a very accurate description. You hike along the creek, and that is pretty much the view you get from start to finish. Admittedly though, we did only go about 3 miles in. It was hard to convince the troupes to keep going when we didn't have a set destination as a goal; so when someone mentioned ice cream back in Leavenworth, any trace of perseverance was out the window. 

A good camping spot, if anyone is willing

 

Speaking of out the window, that's all I can figure happened to my Neoair X-therm inflatable mattress. (Or in this case--out the tailgate) That is the one major disappointment that Leavenworth has left me with...the loss of the MOST WONDERFUL, MOST COMFORTABLE, BESTEST EVER sleeping apparatus on the planet. I know we weren't the most organized when we packed up camp (are we ever?) but there is no way we left anything behind. The dang thing is so compact and round and GREY (WHY make stuff you are using outside grey? Maybe so you can lose it and have to buy another?) that it rolling out the back of the truck and out of sight as we were pulling stuff out for our day hike is the only theory that makes any sense. 

Leavenworth...still a great place to seek the sun, possibly endure a little rain...or go hunting for a $200 sleeping pad in a trailhead parking lot. ;) If you find it, you know how to reach me. 

Step Brother Ebey Steals the Show

If you live in the Northwest, chances are you have at least once in your life visited Fort Casey. It is quintessential Washington state; the perfect place to bring the kids to picnic, fly a kite, and explore. Though, if you are looking to hike...not so perfect. And who would expect it to be? The idea of a military fort does not exactly invoke imaginations of forested strolls. I'm guessing this is why I got such a skeptical reaction when I invited my co-workers to come with me to hike at nearby Fort Ebey; what I would describe as Fort Casey's less known and less loved step brother.

Fort Ebey may not have the notoriety that Fort Casey has, but it has it's charms. Even if you are only interested in the WWII history, the remains of the gun stations and especially the long dark bunkers are pretty cool. But of course, we are talking about hiking here, and I had seen several trip reports touting Ebey as having a spectacular 6 mile loop. So, even though I am mostly over my obsession with loop trails, this one has been on my list for some time.

Because I had convinced my newbie hiker friends from work to come with me, I read as much as I could about his hike so that MAYBE for once I could pull off the "expert hiker" image I've been working at for so long. I really need to just let that go; confusion is obviously my true expertise.

I want to say in my defense that the trail description on the WTA website is stupid. (in my very humble opinion, that is) So, for anyone thinking of doing this hike (and I highly recommend you do) let me try to make things a little more obvious. (in case you are also a pro at perplexity)

Wildflowers and wild woman!

Yes, as stated in the trail description, there are clearly marked signs at the Prairie Overlook trailhead. (you can also park in the "Ebey's Landing" parking lot for a shorter hike; just be sure to have a Discover Pass) The problem is, the signs aren't helpful.

Here is the huge sign announcing "Bluff Trail--.8"
Okay...usually a sign like this is letting you know how long the trail is; but in this case we had to assume that we were go to .8 miles to get to the start of the Bluff Trail. So we go on the strange garden type path and end up in another parking lot. No Bluff Trail. We see a sign directing us down a gravel road towards some weird history house thingy that the trail description said absolutely nothing about. Okay, I guess we'll go check it out; but I fully expected to have to double back and search for the trail we actually wanted. Thankfully we were curious enough about the house to not keep searching the perimeters of the lot for some sort of "clearly marked sign" to the Bluff Trail. 

Does my body language say "Where the hell are we going?"

Let me insert here that when I say I went with my co-workers, we also let Thomas tag along, even through he is an "ex". He left our work place nest to test his photography wings; and I must say, having a professional photographer on a hike is the best! And he didn't even make me pay for using his pics (every single one on here is his--because all mine looked like crap in comparison) so I will give him a shameless plug. HIRE THOMAS!! HE ROCKS!!!
 https://www.facebook.com/HuertaDigitalPhotography/
(another copy and paste; ugh, I'm sorry!!)

Our album cover shot...time to learn to play an instrument ;)

So, after we had some fun photo shoot time at the Jacob Ebey House (it's actually not called "historical house thingy" ;)) we saw the small sign directing us down the side of a fence toward the actual start of the Bluff Trail, where you will find another clearly marked sign. (with so much signage; why not put one in the 2nd lot where it is actually needed? Just sayin') 

Thomas' pictures of me taking pictures destroy my actual pictures

Anyway, you should find the rest of the hike to be far less confusing. (especially if you grab a map from the house) One thing to note is there are a couple "short cuts" once you start the switchbacks down to the beach that I would avoid. The switchbacks are steep enough as it is; which is why you want to do this loop counter clockwise; unless you are looking for a serious thigh burn. 

Me instructing Kimberly on how to skip a rock.
I'm proud to say she did it for her first time!!

A much less burn is had when you finish up the hike on the rickety old stairs (yes Kimberly, we know how awesome Colorado's "Incline" is in comparison) then a bit more uphill and you are back to the start of the loop. There is a beautiful bathroom you can use back at the house, though better to do so on the way in than out because it closes early.

Guess who took this photo? I made one exception
to show you the difference. Maybe I need to start
hiring a photographer for every hike?

What I loved most about waiting so long to finally check this hike off my list is that I got to introduce three locals to a treasure they didn't even realize was in their backyard. I'm happy to say that two of the three have already made a return visit! So fret not, poor Fort Ebey--you will not be the shadow of big brother Casey for long!

Our pretend engagement photo...almost makes me want to propose!
But Thomas can get you an even better one if you're getting married!
CALL HIM!!! :)