Karen and Tom Wanderings

Broken Top from the south With still more nice fall weather in store, we headed on down to Bend, Oregon (again!).  Why do we keep heading back there?  Sunshine and absolutely perfect (for us) mountain bike trails.  The drive down included some great fall colors in the riparian zones on the east side of the Cascade Mountains.  And of course a lot of big sage-brush country.  We also stopped at Smith Rocks State Park, a rock climbing mecca here in the NW.  And, it being a Sunday afternoon, we got to watch lots of climbing!  It's also quite picturesque in the late afternoon sun.  In Bend, we spent our days hiking and biking, then wandered into town along the Deschutes River for dinner.  Two of the days were spent revisiting a couple of our favorite mountain bike rides (Phils, Mrazek).  Both gave us a great workout, and were a total blast on the decent ... miles and miles of smooth singletrack!  On the middle day, we hiked to the ...

After a spell of cold and fairly gnarly weather, milder conditions returned ... and just in time for a hike to see the larches!  This year, it was a return to an old favorite ... Lake Ingalls.  Reports of huge crowds during the previous weekend (with not-too-great weather) motivated us for an early departure from Seattle.  Even so, we got the last spot in the parking lot.  The few-mile hike up to Ingalls Pass was reasonably lonely, but it was bustling shortly thereafter.  From the pass, the scene was mind-boggling ... the larches, in all their golden glory, filling Headlight Basin below, and Mount Stuart across the valley under crystal blue skies!  Ah, but the magic didn't stop there!  The trail wanders through the basin among groves of gold, giving close up views of the twisted trees.  Finally, a stretch of a steep, rocky trail brings you to Lake Ingalls.  No larches there, but the lovely blue lake surrounded by a combination of jumbled bou...

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...