Coyote Wall

3/21/2105
We here in the Pacific Northwest are spoiled. Where else on earth will you encounter such a variety of scenery? We have lush evergreen forests full of cedar, fir, pine, spruce and hemlock. We have rivers and streams lined with maple, alder and poplar. We have mountains that give us their own versions of the above varieties; tempered to the altitude and harsher conditions. We have ocean shorelines of sandy beaches, rocky beaches with tide pools, and sheer cliffs. We have rain forests. We have desert. Then we have the Columbia gorge. Shaped by ancient glaciers as they flowed towards, then retreated from, our coastline. Cut by the once mighty Columbia River, now controlled to a docile nature by a series of hydro-electric dams.

Hiking in the gorge is a unique treat, and Coyote Wall trail didn't disappoint. Around every bend of the trail something new awaited me. From the imposing 300 ft tall wall itself to meadows of wildflowers, groves of mature oak trees to a cave tucked into a wall, the serenading song of a stream to the beauty of a waterfall. We played peek-a-boo with Mt. Hood, who would pop out from behind cloud cover, only to hide again, deep in a game of tag with the sun. We had rock formations of talus and basalt. And last, but certainly not least, there was the Columbia River, ever resplendent in her beauty. Each knoll and hill crest brought a new and more spectacular, awe-inspiring view of her.

 

There isn't a lot of elevation gain to be had on trails in the gorge, but there doesn't need to be. What there is, often comes all at once. The steepest portion of this particular trail leads you to the top of Coyote Wall, where you can look down over the edge. I'd like to point out that there was a vulture circling, whether on the hunt for small rodents or waiting for a tourist to lean over just a bit too far, I can't say for sure. The angle of that portion of the trail is very close to matching what we will face at the scree field of Mt St Helen ... and it was here that I labored. The muscles of my upper legs screamed for oxygen with each step towards the top. My lungs worked double-time, as did my heart, to provide them oxygen-rich blood, which I just don't have. I had to stop, gasping for breath, a few times, but made it all the way. As is evidenced by this writing, I wasn't carried off by the vulture to a nearby oak grove. Although my gasping for air probably attracted him, the size of my pack apparently deterred him. It's probably a good thing I didn't wave around any of the jerky I had in there.

Through this early season of conditioning I have had more difficulty with going downhill than up. Other than a fun little skid on some loose scree on my descent from atop Coyote Wall, I had no trouble. When Holly hauled my trekking poles out of my pack and handed them to me, I didn't really need them for anything more than keeping me from skidding the rest of the way down on my butt. No, I'm not known for my grace. My knees, hips and quads seemed to be handling the stress and strain better than they would have a month ago and I can feel my strength gradually building.

Two days later my muscles ache a bit, which I totally expect. Back, thighs and knee muscles are feeling the exertion. I left my knee support at home, but did fine without it on this trail, and have no joint pain at all. I still need to work on strengthening my upper legs and hip flexors, but progress is being made. I think, by September, I'll be able to say "I got this."

Distance hiked: 8 miles
Elevation gain: 1200 ft

Lena Lake

March 14, 2015

Let me start off by saying Rangers lie. I've been making that statement for about 20 years now. Long ago my then-8-yr-old son and I attempted a hike to Lake Angeles via the Switchback Trail. The trailhead sign said it was five miles. The ranger we met along the trail assured us we were almost there. After 4 hours of hiking we still weren't there. A trail marker said we had 1.5 miles left to go. We hiked another hour and gave up. It was decided then that rangers lie. The trail markers are all wrong because they're placed by the rangers, who lie. Trail guides - uh huh, written by rangers. Guess who draw the maps? Yep, rangers. To this day, we have never found Lake Angeles and are pretty much convinced it doesn't exist. You've hiked to it you say? We say you hiked to a body of water you thought was Lake Angeles, because Lake Angeles doesn't exist.

All the trail guides say that the trail to Lower Lena Lake is five miles. I've naively believed that distance because the trail guide said so, but when I last hiked to Lena Lake, it felt like so much more. This past weekend my friend Chris M. and his son joined me on a hike to Lena Lake ... and Chris was armed with a GPS trail tracker. His GPS claimed a little over 7 miles. I know I average 2 mph hiking a moderate trail such as the Lena Lake trail, and we hiked 3.5 hours. Even by my less than impressive math skills, 2x3.5=7. (Mrs. Hoag will be impressed) My affirmation that rangers lie stands.

That said, we had a great hike. It rained on us the most the way up the 18 or so switchbacks to the lake, but it was a light rain and we were appropriately layered. This is, after all, the PNW. If you're afraid of hiking in the wet, you're going to spend your life on the couch. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with sitting on the couch - for some it's not an option - I'm just saying it's not the life for me.

This trail never fails to deliver. From picturesque log bridges and a cascading waterfall to awesome granite outcroppings and humongous boulders, not to mention a forest full of trees, there are plenty of opportunities for photos. The trail very consistently climbed 1300 feet from the trailhead to the lake, which was beautiful. She lays tucked into the surrounding peaks and reflects their images back to them like a mirror. Her surface was rippled by a chilly breeze when we were there, setting some logs afloat as though they were ships destined for the opposing shore. The sun peeked its face through the clouds and gave us a preview of our afternoon's weather.

It's a well-worn trail and only rough (rocks & roots) for the bottom 1/4 mile or so, therefore I had no trouble ascending. Up is not usually my problem, although I usually need to stop for a breather from time to time - due to a lifetime issue with chronic anemia, my muscles don't get enough oxygen. Even at that, I didn't feel myself struggling with the ascent. After a lunch break at the lake, we started down and I pulled out my trekking poles, which help take some of the strain off my joints. I also wore an elastic knee support, which helped tremendously. I'm not positive, but I think I maintained our uphill pace on the return. I felt very much accomplished when we reached the trailhead, as my legs and back were doing great.

I had to take some Advil for some after-activity soreness in the knees Saturday evening, and my hips kept me from sleeping soundly Sunday, but otherwise my body hasn't complained. I am so glad that I am taking the time to gradually and consistently condition for our "big" climb. As soon as I have a few extra $$, I will be ordering some copper knee sleeves which will hopefully help even more. I'm scoring this hike a total success!

Dosewallips State Park

February 28, 2015

This weekend's trip wasn't one of distance or elevation gain, but one of overall conditioning with weight. I loaded my pack heavier than usual and hefted it onto my back for a 5-mile trek through the many trails that dissect Dosewallips State Park. I was joined by my wonderful sister, by good friend Lori, and by two of my awesome grandkids - Buster and Cupcake. At eight years old, Buster has already logged a good number of miles hiking with Nana and has one mountain summit under his belt. This was Cupcake's first real hike, and she kept up like a champ. The weather was beautiful, making the hike even more enjoyable.

The Dosewallips trails loop around, intersect each other, and run all through the park. We walked for a short time along the Dosewallips River, then through some beautiful second growth forest. A portion of the time we were on the old railroad grade, and followed the route of the 'steam donkeys' of days gone by. This area was logged back in the early 1900's and small steam locomotives were used to haul the trees down off the hills, thus the term 'steam donkey'. It is richly steeped in history as portions of the trail were trade passages of the local natives that interconnect and cross the Olympics.

After hiking the trails at the state park, we took a side trip down the road to Rocky Brook Falls. We followed the short trail out to the base of the cascading waterfall. The kids enjoyed playing in the pool and climbing on the big rocks. For me it was the chance to stretch my legs without the weight of my pack.

My body seemed to handle the additional weight well, but then I rather expected it would on this trail due to the negligible elevation gain. I was able to maintain a fair pace with little effort. What surprised me was that the kyphosis in my back didn't affect my ability to carry the extra weight, which was a big plus. Portions of the trail had roots and rocks that had to be navigated, so gave my body a workout with twisting and sideways stepping. My hip flexor ached a bit overnight from the exertion, but worked itself out within a few minutes of waking. Two days later, my left knee is bothering me on deep bends and twists, but it's not overly painful. It may be wise to start wearing knee supports to ward off any permanent damage. My body seems to be bouncing back more quickly from our little adventures, which is encouraging.

Total mileage: 5
Elevation gain: 250' +/-

Talapus & Olallie Lakes; 2/21/2015

February 21, 2015

Winter in the PNW this year has been disappointing if, like me, you enjoy snow. I love it. There is nothing better than snowshoeing down a trail. All sounds are muffled by a blanket of snow and you are truly at one with yourself. It is out on these trips that I find peace and realign my chi. While the rest of the country is being blasted and buried under record snowfalls, there is simply no snow in our part of the country. None. The mountains are so bare they look naked. The positive side to this unusual winter weather pattern is that more trails are available for early-season hiking that are normally inaccessible or open only to those on snowshoes or skis. The trail to Talapus and Olallie lakes is one such trail.

My sister, Heidi, and hiker buddies Jeanne and Holly joined me for a morning hike to these two neighboring lakes in the Alpine Wilderness backcountry area. Oh, and what a beautiful morning it was. The low-laying cloud cover dissipated as we neared the trailhead and we were blessed with clear blue skies for our hike. The trail itself was wet in places, but we survived the Bridal Veil Falls trail, so we can handle just about anything now. As a professional photographer, Heidi is always drawn to sights that others usually pass right on by, so I hung back with her, watching in amazement as she framed in shot after shot. The elevation gain was steady with only a few switchbacks thrown in to temper the steeper portions. When we reached Talapus lake at 1.75 miles in, I was surprised we were there already.

 

Just another 1.5 miles of steady climb up the trail, Olallie Lake awaited us. As we climbed, we started see a little light snow dusting on the side of the trail - the only hint that we were above 3500 feet in elevation. With the climb in elevation there also came a drop in temperature, we had all layered, but were still feeling the chill in the air as we hiked. Olallie Lake was fully covered in snow, in the shadow of snow-dusted Banderos Peak and truly beautiful.

 

We had lunch there at Olallie then headed back down. Again, my speed on the descent had me well behind my partners. I felt as though my downhill speed was picking up, but I was still lagging. Heidi hung back with me and I discussed my concerns with her, especially about my knees and hips as both were bothering me a bit. She hikes and backpacks far more than I, so had encouraging words and some conditioning suggestions. I have begun some yoga strengthening exercises in the evenings that will hopefully help. Time and persistence will be key in ensuring I come off Mt St Helens feeling accomplished, not whipped.

As of this writing, my left hip flexor is still bothering me and I am looking into some therapeutic massage.

Total miles hiked: 6.2
Elevation gain: 1220 ft

 

 



Rattlesnake Ledge; 2/14/2015

February 14, 2015

Valentine's Day. A day for sweethearts, for those in love. For those of us who are single, it's a reminder of our single status. That is, unless your love is the outdoors, like mine is. Since I don't have a sweetie to spoil and pour myself into, I chose to hike a trail that has long been on my bucket list. In my mind I pictured hiking up to the picturesque ledge with one of my beloved dogs, enjoying the sunset, and heading back down the trail in the dark. With it being Valentine's Day, I didn't anticipate sharing the trail with many others - surely girls would rather be taken out to dinner, right? Apparently I misjudged the romantic nature of my fellow PNW ladies, as the trail was packed with casual hikers from the city ... and their dogs. I had chosen Benny to hike the trail with me, as he is the most fit of my dachshunds, but he's not exactly known for his pleasant social skills, which was more of a hassle than I'd hoped for. My hiking buddy Jeanne joined me as well, with her brother-in-law and son.

The trail elevation was a steady climb with few obstacles. I wouldn't say I powered up it, but only had to stop a few times to catch my breath - which, considering the number of people I had to stop for, I had ample opportunities provided me. Once at the top, the view didn't disappoint. The ledge was packed with couples - there was even a wedding - all with the same thought of watching a romantic sunset from a truly awesome vantage point. Benny and I carved out a spot for ourselves and shared some snacks and water. We decided that although the sunset would be lovely, we didn't want to be stumbling down the trail with the horde of people up on that ledge, so we headed back down early.

I continue to have trouble with the descents and find myself lagging behind my hiking partners. I can see that I am going to need to employ some cross-training to help me in my conditioning if I am going to keep up with my hiking partners on subsequent hikes, not to mention our ascent up Mt St Helens. My hip flexors and knees vexed me the entire following day.

Miles hiked: 4.0
Elevation gain: 1160 ft.

Bridal Veil Falls; 2/7/2015

There's something to be said for hiking in the rain. Firstly, you're bound to encounter fewer people out on the trail - the fair weather hikers are all home watching television. Secondly, the smells of a wet forest are absolutely heavenly. Thirdly, you are able to test the water-repellency of your gear.

With that said, three friends joined me for what would become a water adventure on the Bridal Veil Falls trail on Stevens Pass. It had rained continuously for a few days but we were anxious to get our conditioning under way, so headed out undaunted by the forecast of heavy precipitation. Forecast aside, the amount of water on the trail caught us by surprise. We were basically hiking through a stream on its way downhill. We had to make multiple stream crossings, which wouldn't normally have been a big deal had the volume of water in the rain-swollen streams not pushed them over top of all the stepping stones. My feet were the first to get wet as we skipped our way across stream after stream, but by the time we reached the falls, we were all pretty much soaked. Fortunately, the rain was warm and there was no wind ... until we reached the top. The wind that blew up there chilled us to the bone. We stayed just long enough for a few quick photos then headed back down.

I seem to be really struggling with the downward treks. I fell behind by a few minutes so got to enjoy the solitude and hearing the raindrops hitting the tree canopy above me. My knees and quads seemed to be the areas that were needing the most attention. I have structural issues which lead to additional stresses on my hips and knees that need to be overcome and worked around. Strengthening, conditioning and persistence will be my keys to success.

Miles hiked: 4 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 1180 ft

Grey Wolf River; 1/17/2015

January 17, 2015

All journeys must begin somewhere. My return journey to Mt St Helen's rim began with a hike on the Grey Wolf River Trail outside of Sequim, Wa. with my new hiking buddy, Jeanne.

The trail guides state this is an 8.4 mile trail with 800' elevation gain. What they fail to mention is that it's 800 feet down, then 800 feet up, then 400 down, 400 up, 800 down ... you get the picture. It was my first hike of the year, and a good one on which to judge my current level of conditioning.
There were many trees down across the trail from the winter's storms, which slowed our travel a bit. None posed so much a problem, however, that we were unable to proceed. So over, under and around them we went. It was fun, actually.

The river was spectacular and well worth the effort it took to get there. We stopped mid-way for lunch at the river's edge. At the point near the trail's end, there had been a washout and the detour took us almost straight up. It was here we decided to turn around - we were only about 1/2 mile from where we would have to turn back any way.

 

The weather the entire day had been gray with low lying clouds giving a misty look to the river and forest. It didn't start to rain on us until the last mile. By the time we reached the car our boots were quite muddy, and we were thankful that we'd mostly stayed dry. My legs were tired, as we'd had to crawl over and under a dozen or so fallen trees, but it was a 'good' tired.

 

Points to work on: Endurance. Quad, knee & hip flexor strength. Speed.