June 23, 2005
Green River Gorge
With rain steadily falling and the sounds of a rushing stream filling the moss-coated forest, it's easy to see why the Pacific Northwest became the defacto location to resemble other worlds in the Stargate SG-1 series. Far away from city noise and highway traffic, the almost iridescent green coating many of the tree trunks lend an alien feel to the already larger-than-life canopy of conifers towering over the trails below. At every turn blackberry bushes encroach on mucky paths with only an occasional slug on fallen timber to indicate the presence of life on this strange planet.
We picked a rainy Wednesday to visit Flaming Geyser State Park in Green River Gorge, so I only took a couple photos from a dry spot overlooking the bubbling geyser. This is neat spot to take kids on a hike thanks to several different trail options, plenty of access to the river and some educational details about salmon and steelhead trout. In some seasons you can find fish in large numbers swimming the river. For our visit today, the only visible aquatic life was a family of ducks that I think were red-breasted mergansers, but couldn't photograph because of the rain. All were a sort of rusty color with their head feathers fluffed up in a plume, which may have been a result of the rain but is typical of mergansers. It was fun to watch the group swim against the current as they sought shelter under the cover of an overhanging tree.
Flaming Geyser park is named for a 3-foot flame that used to burn continuously from gasses leaking from an old mining tunnel in the park almost 100 years ago. The flame is long gone but the story lives on. Depending on which trail path you select at Flaming Geyser, you can take a leisurely stroll along the river or hike into the forest for 3 miles round trip. There's a short loop through the forest with a footbridge over a stream leading to the geyser and its sulfur runoff. We didn't investigate the site where the Flaming Geyser used to be, but this seems like a good river spot to come back to mid-week in better weather.
The park is almost a straight shot south from Renton on highway 169, about 1 mile outside Black Diamond. A right turn off of 169 onto SE Green Valley Road leads to the park entrance.
Posted by Jake at 07:05 AM | Comments (0)
June 22, 2005
Lewis and Clark Trail
This is a longer hike than most people are willing to make, especially if you're bringing the kids along. Still the Lewis and Clark Trail is a significant part of United States history and the United States Geologic Survey is providing some amazing topographic maps to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the journey. From 1803-1806, Lewis and Clark traveled from St. Louis, MO to the Washington shores of the Pacific Ocean. Individual maps of key points along their route are available with some historic background on each waypoint on their map. This is a good history lesson in exploration or a good background in why it's important to prepare for unforeseen disasters along the way.
Posted by Jake at 06:53 AM | Comments (0)
Snoqualmie Falls Hike
Snoqualmie Falls is a popular tourist destination in Washington for several reasons. It's close - only 25 miles outside of Seattle. The falls are highly accessible thanks to access provided by Puget Sound Energy. The trail leading from the park entrance down to the boardwalk along the river is reasonable for most hikers to manage. The site is also the location for the Twin Peaks series from the 1990's.
In the past, Snoqualmie made a more interesting destination for kids because you could walk on the rocks along the river bed and wade in the shallow pools created between the rocks. Today, the path to the water is restricted to power plant employees only, requiring visitors to remain on the boardwalk path that ends in an overlook of the base of the falls.
Heavy foot traffic makes Snoqualmie Falls an unlikely place to spot any wildlife, but something may surprise you. On our trip, slugs were the only thing brave enough to venture out of the underbrush. Best to avoid Snoqualmie on the weekends when tourist traffic is at its peak. Still this is an easy path to break in younger hikers to the idea of hiking. You may encounter a few other kids to keep your son or daughter's mind off the trek up the hill and a loud and impressive waterfall is encouragement to keep walking to a good viewing spot on the boardwalk.
The park is also a good place to test drive your photography skills. My most recent shots are posted on Flickr.
Posted by Jake at 12:02 AM
June 21, 2005
Shopping for a GPS?
While I'm not ready to take my four-year-old on any excursions that break away from well traveled public trails, having a GPS receivers on hand to know where you are going or where you've been certainly has merit. Based on a recent question over at my tech site, I put together an overview of features to look for when comparing GPS receivers. The feature sets are wildly varied and confusing, so knowing what to look for makes it easier to sort out the stuff the marketers want you to notice on the box from the stuff that will actually improve your hiking experience. Read on for a GPS buyer's guide.
Posted by Jake at 07:22 PM
June 18, 2005
How To Build A Raft
When you run out of steam hiking, find a good flat river with a nice leisurely current (or a large pond) and build a raft to float through the summer. Mother Earth News flashes us back to 1981 showing us how to build a raft approximately 3 feet by 5 feet using wood planks, a few logs, and Styrofoam ballast. A mast and sail help out when the current gets too slow. While this might not be the raft of a young Huck Finn, it certainly makes a good parent-child project for anyone with experience in basic carpentry. Make sure to wear your life vest when taking it for a spin. Thanks to Gadling for the tip.
Posted by Jake at 04:39 AM
June 16, 2005
Sanitation Issues in the Wild
While most hikers won't be put through the extremes of hitting the 20,320 foot summit of Mount McKinley (aka Denali), a recent study outlining the health risks of human excrement found near the peak of the tallest mountain in North America is an eye-opening look at the potential hazards created when people don't take proper safety precautions in disposal of human waste. It's always a good idea to be aware of the potential for human waste in wilderness areas frequented by humans, but steering clear of them to avoid serious health issues is even more important.
Posted by Jake at 10:52 PM
June 15, 2005
Universal Packing List
How much gear is too much? Did you remember to pack everything you needed? Where did that travel toothbrush go? Why does my pack feel like it weighs more than I do? Packing the right gear for a hike is a essential balance between bringing everything you need and not bringing more than you absolutely need. A backpack always seems heaviest as the trail behind you becomes longer than the trail ahead to your stopping point. While the universal packing list fails to account for things like gear weight and tries to be a little too universal at times, you won't be so prone to forgetting things if you generate a solid list of required items before you head for the trail.
Posted by Jake at 01:17 AM