If you’ve ever lived in the Pacific Northwest, the rule of thumb is: you HAVE to get outside in the summer every chance you get– since the winters are so wet and rainy. After living in the Northwest so long, I couldn’t help but live by that rule of thumb even when I was back visiting.
Don’t worry, I am not do a play-by-play, step-by-step recalling of my experience on each hike— that would be as interesting as people telling you about specific images from their dreams. Honestly, this post is really just an opportunity to share beautiful photos of the Pacific Northwest scenery, and to share the names of a few great hikes you might not have done yet.
My first hike was a butt-kicker — Mount Townsend. A friend of mine (my buddy who likes only the burliest of hikes) suggested it, and off we went with Mac in tow. We took a ferry from Seattle, then drove for over an hour to the trailhead, which was packed. Her pro tip for this one: arrive before 9 AM, or just about 12 noon (which is when the early-morning folks finish this hike and pull out of their parking spaces, so you can snag one of theirs).
At 8.5 miles, and nearly 3,000 in gain— this wasn’t a hike for the feint of heart. While the climb was really beautiful, it was also really vertical– as it ended well above the treeline.
Luckily, it was wildflower season, which helped ease the upward toil– red paintbrush flowers, orange poppies, and lots of other small, pink-and-purple alpine flowers I could not identify. Poor Mac was so tired by the end, he was laying down to rest (and groaning a bit) every time we stopped to sip water.
But the views from the top were spectacular. This hike was hard, but sublime.
I’d absolutely recommend this trail if you want a challenge– but if you do it early in the season, make sure you get a couple training hikes in first. That’ll help. You don’t want to go from zero to sixty (I’m speaking from experience on that one).
Needless to say, I was really proud of my boy at the summit. And I was also pretty chuffed that we got to end our day on a ferry ride home at dusk, watching the city of Seattle’s reflection sparkle in the water ahead. What a delightful day.
The next hike I did was tamer– Annette Lake, a very popular trail that’s right off the I-90, and one that it’s best to start early on account of a parking lot that gets overstuffed very quickly. You’re not hiking in the Northwest unless you get a moody, foggy start at least once– this dreamy, gossamer sky being punctured by too-tall tress was a gorgeous way to begin this day.
The gain is only about 1,900 feet over the 6.6 miles, but it’s the gradual rise of the trail and the tamped-down bootpath that makes it feel easy. I was glad the clouds eventually lifted– pretty much right as I reached the lake, I got to see the last of the wispy clouds burn off the surface.
Annette Lake is one of my least favorite hikes I did– as the payoff is hardly my favorite alpine lake– and it’s crowded as all get-out. But any exercise outdoors always feels spectacular, and the drive is easy. So it’s a certain kind of ‘win.’
One of absolute my favorite hikes is Sauk Mountain, an easy trail relative to its burly Pacific Northwest brethren. I do it at least once a year– at only 3.7 total miles, and only 1,100 gain– it’s a little ditty that cuts into a mountainside, and features switchbacks that incline STEEPLY. So it still feels tough on the hamstrings, and like a challenge, as the altitude at the start means the air is a bit thinner.
Photos don’t do this mountainside justice– wildflowers were peeking up from the long grass in every direction, putting pops of color against the perfect blue sky and lush green grasses. The dots of orange, red, purple, yellow, and other colors on the spectrum were lovely to regard, AND were functional, too– I saw more butterflies on this hike than any other this summer.
Make no mistakes– this hike is EXPOSED. And with a lengthy drive time to get there, it’s one you’ll want to bring sunscreen for. Mac’s way of dealing with the heat was particularly hilarious: he found still-melting snow patches and laid his belly right down into the cold slush (see below). He’d rush up ahead, and then lay down for a short stint in the freezing stuff, while waiting for us to catch up.
The top of the hike has a great payoff, a spectacular view of Mount Baker on a clear day.
Another favorite hike of mine is in the Skykomish area– Beckler Peak, which is about 7.5 miles, but only gains 2,270 feet during that time on a series of gentle switchbacks. The switchbacks are hardpacked dirt with very few roots or jagged rocks, which means one can look up rather than down while walking (a nice bonus).
For reasons I don’t quite understand, the hike is not popular, so it’s never crowded. In fairness, there isn’t much to see on the way up, as you’re hiking in dense forest until the summit– but the forest is both very beautiful and very serene, as the sunlight gleams through the branches.
Though, the summit is definitely is the point of this hike– and the 360-degree views from it are miraculous on a clear day. If one has a map or a mountain-app, it’s easy to point out the dozens of mighty, named peaks snug against the horizon.
It’s worth checking the trail report for bugs, as there are some gnats and flies that can get a little heinous depending on the time of year– while I experienced some annoyance while eating my sandwich at the top, it wasn’t enough to spoil the view.
I’m going to end with a hike I definitively don’t recommend, but one that despite my complete hatred of the experience, had excellent views– the Upper Lodge to Artist Point Trail in the Mount Baker wilderness. The off-highway DRIVE to this trailhead is long and rural, and it feels remote– like one might be the only person at the trailhead. This is a highly deceptive feeling: this trail was PACKED.
Why?
Well, I came to find out the “trail” was so packed because there was a paved, asphalt road that led up the entire mountain to the summit. With small parking lots scattered throughout the “hike” that one had to literally walk through to reach the next section of trail, this was easily the most congested, loud, irritating hike I’ve ever done in the Northwest.
It became clear the OTHER reason this trail was so popular is that one could easily capture alpine-view photos practically from the car, with no effort whatsoever. Rather than hiking miles to reach a viewpoint worth snapping, the viewpoints were just steps from the car door.
See? It did us zero favors to be on-foot for this “hike”– too many people, too many cars, and lots of cacophony, all which added up to robbing the peace-and-quiet from walking in nature. It was a mess.
But gosh darnit, if there weren’t fantastic sights to be seen.
I can’t tell you enough to NOT hike this trail. PLEASE DON’T. If anything, just drive up there on a clear day. Aim to get there just after the burnoff and before the hordes of folks have had their breakfast, and wander around a bit to find the light.
The photos were bangers. But I still think any other trail would bring you more peace.
As a final and important tip for hiking, if you’re going to get out there– I’d recommend taking an Intrepid-Explorer-Doggy-Friend with you. And no, you can’t have Mac– he’s MY explorer-buddy.
Look at that mug.
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