Karen and Tom Wanderings

Mt Baker and The Black Buttes above Skyline Divide After a perfect day at Cascade Pass, we were highly motivated for more.  So, after spending the night in Bellingham, we headed to Skyline Divide on the north side of Mt Baker.  This hike had been on our list for a while, and we were excited to finally go there.  And we weren't disappointed!  A couple of miles climbing in the forest, then miles of up and down ridge walking, with fall colors popping from the hillsides and big glaciers on the flanks of Mt Baker.  And more mountains than you could count in almost every direction!  Another absolutely stunning day!  Twin Sisters Mt Shuksan Mt Baker beyond Skyline Divide Black Buttes Roosevelt Glacier on Mt Baker View back along Skyline Divide Forest Fungus More Photos Activities Hiking - Skyline Divide "Oh Wow!" Moments Eye-popping fall colors in the meadows, consistently there, but constantly changing...

Sahalie Mtn from Sahalie Arm Another window of beautiful fall weather gave us a chance to get back to an old favorite hike:  Cascade Pass.  This is one that we've always recommended highly to visitors, because it's a big bang for the effort.  And our experience this time was no different.  After switchbacking up through the forest for a couple miles, we broke out into a world of brightly colored meadows and commanding peaks.  From Cascade Pass, we headed up Sahalie Arm to further immerse ourselves in this world.  It's definitely some additional elevation gain, but the winding path and constantly changing views of colors, mountains, and lakes is mind-blowing!  Excellent day! View East from near Cascade Pass towards Pelton Basin Pelton Peak and Magic Mtn from Sahalie Arm Unconcerned Bear Doubtful Lake Johannasburg Mountain from Sahalie Arm Western panarama from Sahalie Arm (Hidden Lake Peaks, The Triad, Eldorado Peak, M...

Mt Rainier and Carbon Glacier from Curtis Ridge A short break in the early-onset unsettled fall weather was all the opportunity I (Tom) was waiting for to get back in the mountains.  And for the 3rd time this year, Mt Rainier National Park was the destination.  The Mystic Lake area had long intrigued me, and it had finally made it to the top of my list ... the delay due in large part to the hefty 9 miles and 3200' approach.  In the park, permits are required for backcountry camping, and no walk-up permits were available for the Mystic Lake Camp.  But, I had a secret weapon ... a request for a "cross-country" permit, which requires you to camp at least 1/4 mile from the trail (among other restrictions).  Since these permits aren't widely advertised, they're far easier to get.  I was a bit hesitant, since I'd have to hike further, but the reward would (hopefully) be solitude and camping up high with a view (as opposed to the established camps in the woo...

Ice Lake and Pilot Knob After finishing our backpacking trip in Wyoming, we headed south for what turned out to be a combo driving/hiking/biking tour of Colorado.  We did fun activities most days, and drove, too.  But the continuously changing mountain scenery made the driving a treat, not a chore. Our first destination was Steamboat Springs ... a pretty nice (but not too over-the-top) ski town.  On the way, we stopped at Dinosaur National Monument, which had a big exhibit of dinosaur bones still in a wall of rock/dirt.  Pretty interesting, but not worth too much time or effort.  We spent a couple of nights in Steamboat, resting a bit and planning the next portion of the trip.  We also went on a great mountain bike ride from our hotel.  The altitude really had us sucking wind on the climbs.  And biking through groves of aspens was incredible! Riding through Aspens above Steamboat Springs We then headed south to Breckenridge (anothe...