Monthly Archives: June 2013

Mt. Dickerman Hike, June 2013

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Mount Dickerman
Date: June 22, 2013
Difficulty: 7 out of 10
Distance: 8.6 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 3,875 Feet
Time: 4 to 5 hours
Location: Near Verlot, Washington (Mountain Loop Highway)
Users Group: Hikers & Dogs Only
Permits: Northwest Forest Pass
Trail Conditions: Dry To Packed Snow.
Hiking with: Linna Freeman, Emelie Espling, Paul Bates, Mei Yin, Alyssa Yin, Tamara Chinn & Macho the dog wonder.

Since my wife Linna is getting bored with the I-90 hikes out of Seattle, we decided on Mt. Dickerman www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/mount-dickerman on the Mountain Loop highway for a couple of reasons. The 360 degree summit view is to die for and on the most part this trail is never crowded. Not everyone is willing to drive 75 miles from Seattle to stomp through snow and exhaust every muscle in their body as they consume every bit of energy they might have.

We were a party of seven ranging from Alyssa Yin of 12 years old to me…53 in about 3 weeks. I knew there would be snow on the trail but, I didn’t think we would be stair stepping straight up the mountain; this turn a moderate hike into adventurous alpine ascent. The descent was much faster taking advantage of the snow slides; we had some great laughs and even some scary moments.

I think Emelie Espling had the most unexpected turn of events. First post-holing on the descent when her body was still moving forward this could have been disastrous. Second, she had an uncontrollable slide and fell four feet on her ass in a tree well. All seven of us made it back to the cars in one piece….just a little sore!

Annette Lake Hike, June 2013

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Annette Lake
Date: June 15, 2013
Difficulty: 4 out of 10
Distance: 7.5 Miles / 12 Kilometers Roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1,400 Feet / 427 Meters
Time: 3 to 4 hours
Location: Exit 47, I-90
Users Group: Hikers & Dogs Only
Permits: Discovery Pass
Trail Conditions: Dry to Packed Snow At The Lake
Hiking with: Linna Freeman, Shudan Zhu, Steve Machin and my wonder dog Macho

I was in charge of picking out today’s hike for my wife and a couple of friends Steve Machin and Shudan Zhu. I chose Annette Lake for its tranquil stroll through the dense forest to the beautiful lake at the base of Abiel and Silver Peak.

I was not the only one that decided on Annette Lake today because the parking lot was so full that people were parking along the road. Even with a full parking lot, the trail didn’t seem that busy. I actually thought about taking a quick dip in the icy waters, but it was more fun to throw snowballs in the slushy waters for Macho to chase.

We ended our day at the Little Sheep Hot Pot in Bellevue…perfect way to end a perfect day.

Mt. Si Hike, June 2013

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Mt. Si
Date: June 14, 2013
Difficulty: 6 out of 10
Distance: 8 Miles / 13 Kilometers Roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 3,400 Feet / 1,036 Meters
Time: 3 to 4 hours
Location: Near North Bend, Washington
Users Group: Hikers & Dogs Only
Permits: Discovery Pass
Trail Conditions: Dry all the way to the top
Hiking with: with my wonder dog Macho

I needed to get my wonder dog Macho out for a little exercise so I chose Mt. Si to accomplish this task. There were only a few cars in the parking lot, normal for a Friday morning. I decided to relax and just take my time ascending…keeping the heart rate around 140. When I reached the 2 mile marker I noticed an individual creeping up on me at a nice pace. I am not one who appreciates getting passed on the trail and I wasn’t about to let it happen today.

So I picked up my pace and soon enough my heart rate was up in the 160’s. After a quarter of a mile I noticed the individual was actually gaining on me….from here it was game on baby! I put my legs into overdrive and shoved my heart rate into the high 180’s. By the time we reached the top he was only 50 yards behind me. I was totally exhausted and was pleased with the win. I reached a personal best for my heart rate at 189.

I spoke with my so called competition on top after I caught my breath. He too saw me in my bright red shirt at the two mile mark and he thought he would catch me like he usually does with most hikers. For my winning prize, I stopped at the North Bend Bar & Grill for a cold beer and a cup of jambalaya soup.

My Highest Heart Rate Ever!

Camp Muir Hike, June 2013

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Camp Muir
Date: June 4, 2013
Difficulty: 9 out of 10
Distance: 10 Miles / 16 Kilometers Roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 4,600 Feet / 1,402 Meters
Time: 6 to 7 hours
Location: Near Longmire, Washington
Users Group: Hikers / Climbers Only
Permits: National Park Pass
Trail Conditions: Snow All The Way
Hiking With: Me and Gustav Brandt

I told myself that the first sunny day in June, I was going to knock off Camp Muir….well that sunny day happened today. I usually hike up to the base camp once a year only when I know it’s going to be a beautiful sunny day. Damn….was it sunny too, I thought I applied enough sun block but I must have been wiping it off with my glove because I ended up looking like a cooked lobster on my forehead and nose.

Hiking up a long snow route all day can be boring unless you have another person to enjoy the pain with you. My hiking partner today was Gustav Brandt, a young man from Malmo, Sweden. He is currently an exchange student living with a co-worker friend of mine in Seattle in the Capital Hill neighborhood. This was his first time on Mt. Rainier and I know he will be back next year to ascend beyond Camp Muir for the summit.