So, I'm not gonna lie...I was thoroughly disappointed today by the fact that my camera's batteries died a mere two snapshots into my hike. Curse you stupid, unreliable, disposable, AA alkaline batteries! My next purchase???
...A package of re-chargable batteries and a charger. Go team green!
The weather wasn't as nice as I hoped it would be, but it could've been worse, so I guess I can't complain too much. I didn't risk hiking very far today, because we've seen a lot of rain fall over the last week or two, and hiking up steep switchbacks with loose trail underfoot didn't seem like a very safe idea to me. I'll wait until early summer to tackle my way up to Indian Henrey's Hunting Ground, once the ground has had a chance to dry out a bit.
Still, my 2.0 mile out-and-back trek proved to have some stunning views (despite the fact that Mt. Rainier was nowhere in sight). I wish I could've had my camera working so I could've taken pictures, but I guess I'll just have to describe it to you, and take photos later this summer when I go back. The Kautz Creek Trail is relatively easy going for the first mile and winds its way through white birch forests, plenty of woodpecker roosts, and rocky terrain, all the while with Kautz Creek whispering in the distance. Although the rich, red, iron infused creek is fairly small (as of now), the creek bed itself is rather large due to the Glacial Outburst Flood of 1947. Sixty-three years later the devestation is still blatantly obvious. During the summer, I'm sure the creek will be quite a bit larger with all the glacier melt-off. Grey, misty clouds crept down from the mountain side, nestling themselves in the deep fir forests of the foothills. The woods were strangely quiet, without even so much as a chirp from a bird. Perhaps because of the season. I went as far as the Kautz Creek Crossing, then turned back, for fear of rougher trail further ahead.
Here's my weak attempt at footage and pictures of my adventure. Drat those batteries! Hopefully next time I'll be more prepared, and maybe the summer weather will provide better light, flowering meadows, and bluer skies.
Kautz Creek (Take 1)
Karen | MySpace Video
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Well, I have quite a bit of time on my hands over this next week -- due to a very drastic lull in business at work. However, my spirits are high, and I'm greatly looking forward to the amount of time I have off in conjunction with the fair forecast that's been predicted for the next few days. Although fairly rainy today, I'm hoping the clouds will wring out their stores this evening and into the night to produce the sunny skies reported for tomorrow. If that's the case, another trip up to Mt. Rainier is in order with my mom for a quick hike up the Kautz Creek Trail. While I won't be going all the way up to Indian Henry's Hunting Ground (I'll save that for a later date and more preferred, summer weather) it'll still be a good 2.0 mile trek up to the Kautz Creek Glacial Outburst Flood site and back. I finally bought my resevior for my pack, and this will give me a good excuse to test it out.
Trying desperately to prepare myself for the amount of hiking I plan on doing this summer, I've added yoga to my routine to try and build up strength, while lengthening and stretching out my muscles. Doing Moon Salutations in the evening before bed has proven to be a great way for me to relieve stress, and prepare my body for sleep and rest. I'm going to try to incorporate Sun Salutations in the morning to aid me in laying the ground work for the day, and finish off of course with de-stressing Moon's at night. Still, I wish it wasn't so rainy so I could get out and jog a few times a week, but that's the Pacific Northwest for ya.
I'll report back tomorrow, hopefully with footage and photographs of a sunny day up at Mt. Rainier. Until next time...
I just absolutely love spontaneous trips. My mom has always proven to be a reliable companion on such excursions, as we both share like-minded spirits -- and more often than not -- she is the one responsible for coming up with, and executing the ideas. Take yesterday for example.
I awoke early in the morning at 7:00am, and had absolutely no plans whatsoever for the day, except that I had to be at work at 6:00pm that evening. I stumbled down the stairs in a groggy stupor, and imediately reached for the coffee pot. My mom then asked me, "Well? What should we do today?" I knew the wheels in her head were already turning as we dicussed many options over our morning coffee. We came up with tons of ideas, but one remained constant: Zuki (my mom's dog) had to come with us! She needed a day out of the house too! Still not settled on one particular idea over the other, we decided to get ready and take it from there.
Once I was ready, I bounded down the stairs once more, completely convinced that we might just be going into town. "I think we'll go to Mt. Rainier," my mom said as we gathered our things, "Longmire is still open even though it's winter." My reaction was estatic! Mt. Rainier?! Are you kidding me?! I didn't think I was going to make it up there until well into spring! I certainly wasn't prepared for that, but that's what's so great about my mom. She'll always surprise you. So, I raced upstairs, grabbed my backpack, threw on another layer, changed into my boots, and off we went.
It only took us forty-five minutes to reach the Nisqually Entrance Station, and soon we were driving through thick Douglas-fir forests, carpeted with moss, and littered with streams towards Longmire. Shortly after gaining access to the park, we stumbled upon two deer -- a doe and her yearling fawn. I didn't expect to see anything since we were visiting the park in the dead of winter, so seeing those deer was extremely rare, and a real treat. We also stopped alongside the road to take a short video, and snap a quick picture of me hugging a HUGE 300-400 year old Douglas-fir tree. It was so big I could barely wrap my arms around the thing, so you can just imagine the size of it.
Once inside the vicinity of Longmire, Zuki had the chance to stretch her legs and walk the parking lot. Animals are not permitted on the trails at the park, only in zones where your car is allowed (like parking lots, campgrounds, and roadsides). But that didn't dampen her spirits in the slightest, and she was quite content racing around the wooded parking lot and sniffing all kinds of new scents. My mom and I took a few more pictures, and visited the giftshop at the Inn, where she secretly purchased a book for me and surprised me with it once outside. It's called "A Falcon Guide: Hiking Mount Rainier National Park" and it has limitless information about all the trails in the park. I can't wait to delve into it!
I got to look my ultimate adversary in the eyes as I gazed in awe at the trail head of the Wonderland Trail there at Longmire. I just sort of sat and stared at the sign for a few moments contemplating to myself, "I will hike you...eventually. I'm nowhere near ready yet, but I will be. You just wait and see." Ha-ha!
After staring longingly at the Wonderland Trail trail head, my mom and I set out for the Trail of Shadows -- a much, much easier hike. This trail takes you leisurely around the woods and hotsprings surrounding Longmire, and gives you a history of the site itself (when it was discovered, when it was built, various facts about wildlife in the area, and the different landscapes).
After the hike, we drove back down towards the park entrance and stopped at the "Copper Creek Inn" for lunch. The Copper Creek has been there since 1946, and man do they have some good food. Of course, no trip up to the mountain is complete without having a good cup of joe to cap off your day, and the Copper Creek Inn offers a rich, bold blend that's sure to warm you up.
Altogether, not a bad day at all. Not at all...
Thanks mom for a great daytrip, and memories to last a lifetime!
Now, I know some of you are thinking, "Wait a tick...am I on the right site?" Well the answer is yes. Yes you are. I thought my blog needed a little freshening up, so I sprayed some digital Fabreze around and spruced things up a bit. Enjoy!
Well, I was finally able to make it down to REI on one of my evenings off. It's fastly becoming my new favorite store, and I'm cringing on the inside thinking about how much money I'm going to be throwing down over the next few years as I start to collect my gear. I ended up purchasing a really nice, lightweight, technical daypack, because I really needed some type of pack to go hiking with. Even if it's not the Deuter Lite pack I'd like to buy eventually, it's still enough to organize "The 10 Essentials" I need to carry out on the trails, and it's hydration compatible. So...with that being said, I think my next purchase will be a reservior so I don't have to lug around my huge 32oz water bottle anymore. Plus it doesn't hurt that my new pack is ecosensitive, being made from 100% recycled PET polyester fabric, which bascially keeps about 24 16oz plastic bottles out of landfills. Kinda like my ecoSNEAKS from Simple Shoes which are completely made out of recycled or organic materials. Makes me feel like I'm at least trying to do something to help out Mother Nature.
Yesterday after work, I took my new pack filled with all my workout gear, and headed for Bradley Lake Park, just off the main strip of Meridian. This fairly recreational park offers a great 0.8 mile paved track around stunning Bradley Lake, with great views, and really amazing trees (the fishing's not bad either). I went for a 2 mile run, just wanting to be outdoors in the fresh air. I'd much rather jog around oxygen producing trees, then along a thick, exhaust polluted street. Besides, with interesting views to keep your eyes occupied, everything else starts to sort of fade into the background, and before you know it, you don't even really realize you're working out at all. I finished off my workout with some yoga at home, and called it an early evening.
Today I took it easy -- it was my day off after all -- and went into town to just pittle around a little bit. I ended up getting a free coffee at Starbucks (hey...I'm never going to refuse free coffee!), and I just so happened to stumble across a super cute green thermal that was 50% off. Better yet, it has thumbholes in it. I love thumbholes! I think they're soooo cute! I've been known to sew thumbholes in my own clothing, but when I find shirts or hoodies that already have them, it's even better.
All in all, not a bad couple of days. The weather has even been mild, apart from the heavy winds. But, it's back to work tomorrow, and for the rest of the week. I am, however, looking forward to my Uncle Fred's birthday coming up on the 28th. It's always a pleasant visit when my Uncle comes over to this neck of the woods.
That's pretty much it. Not much going on around here. Be sure to check back, though. I'll be adding footage and pictures of my trip to Swan Creek soon.
Yesterday was so fantastic! I had the day off, and it just so happened to be the only day with some half decent weather. The forecast for the next couple of weeks is nothing but rain. Yes, it was sprinking a tad bit, but that didn't stop me from going back out to Clark's Creek in search of a waterfall my dad told me about. I packed a small lunch, plenty of water, and a power bar -- just in case -- only because I had no idea where this waterfall was, and I was determined to find it. Taking an early start, I set out on the trail at about 11:30am and hiked my way up into the hills following the sound of running water below. Clark's Creek was definitely nearby, even if I couldn't actually see it.
Not too far into my hike, I heard a distant roar, and excitedly rushed through the trees, ferns, mud, damp moss, and rocks towards it. Once I got close enough to see what it actually was, my heart dropped disappointedly only to find out it was the creek's dam. However, I didn't have too much time to dwell on it, because suddenly a huge Blue Heron took flight out of the river and startled me. I wish I would've had my camera handy to snap a shot, but he was too fast. They're such gorgeous birds! Even though I hadn't found the mythical waterfall, I still decided to snap a couple of pictures anyway.
My hopes were dashed that I wasn't able to find the waterfall my father spoke of, but that didn't stop me from having a breath-taking hike. I trekked south from 12th Ave. clear all the way to 23rd Ave -- which just so happens to be the southern border of the park! From there I back-tracked and wandered west, crossing over the creek twice as it snaked through the forest. I even had the rare opportunity to catch a glimpse of a Pileated Woodpecker!
All in all, yesterday really wasn't all that bad weather wise. Despite the insignificant amount of rain, the temps hovered up in the 50's, and I had to take off a layering piece to stay comfortable. I really tackled some steep inclines and some fairly tough downgrades. I'm sure it's nothing compared to what Mt. Rainier has to offer, but I figure this will help condition and get me prepared for what I'd actually like to do. I'm surprised I'm not as sore as I thought I'd be. I guess that Aleeve worked it's magic, or perhaps I'm in better shape than I thought! I was still exhausted, nonetheless, by the time I reached home. After I cleaned up and stuck my muddy clothes in the wash, I crashed hard on the couch with the fireplace roaring. There's nothing like being in the cold outdoors to help you appreciate a plush couch and a warm harth.
While I wait out the storms over the next few weeks, I won't be able to get out much, but perhaps I can take a trip into Tacoma to my local REI store to drool over all the backpacking and camping gear I have my heart set on. It'll take some time to accumulate all the things I need and/or want to have, I'm sure, but I'm hoping by this time next year I'll have some good pieces purchased. Then I can think about attempting an overnighter, or maybe even a three day backpacking trip. My ultimate goal is to sucessfully complete the Wonderland Trail, which is a 10-14 day, 93 mile hike with an elevation gain/loss of 3,500 ft. a day, with the highest recorded point sitting at 6,700 ft. The trail completely circumfrences the base of Mt. Rainier, and starts off at Longmire. It's a beast of an objective to be sure, and I want to be fully prepared, so it's not something I'll likely accomplish in the next year, or maybe even two, but I'd like to hike it eventually. It would definitely be an experience of a lifetime.
Well, I hope you readers are having better weather than I am and are able to get outdoors some. Until next time, thanks for checking in!
Thank God for a day off and some half decent weather! After church today, I decided to visit one of my favorite parks in the area, Clark's Creek Park! This park spans 55 amazing acres of forest, and is home to Clark's Creek (for which the park was named). The north part of the park is fairly recreational with picnic tables, an open play area for kids, tennis courts and softball fields, but I'm more interested in the hiking trails that lead up into the hills. Along the way you can catch glimpses of Clark's Creek trickling through the heavily wooded forest, and you'd be surprised at what else you can stumble upon. At the edge of the park, near 15th Avenue, there's a salmon fish hatchery where they actually raise baby fish, and release them into Clark's Creek where they then work themselves upstream to spawn and live their lives. It's pretty cool. This area is also great for mountain bikers because of all the extreme hills Clark's Creek has to offer. There are lots of bikers out on any given day, so if you ever decide to go visit the park, just make sure you're on the look out for them and stay clear of their path. Sometimes they're traveling at such high speeds coming down the hills that they might not be able to stop in time! And trust me...you'll lose. Ha-ha!
It was fairly cloudy, however, the sun did start to peek it's way out of the overcast skies at the start of my hike. And for that, I was very thankful.
Only a few things have changed since I last visited Clark's Creek, and I'll talk about those in my video blog, which will be posted at the end here. Other than that, it's still the same forest I know and love, with all the old trees and landmarks.
Well, I think my video log best says everything else. Check it out, and until next time -- get out there and enjoy the outdoors!
Clark's Creek Park Hike
Karen
MySpace Video