Western Washington BPLers Unite

[Joshua Gilbert]

I've noticed several regional hiking threads starting, northern CA, and some eastern PA groups, and it got me to thinking, there are a ton of us in Seattle/Tacoma area, and we should get together to go hiking rather than just surf these cursed boards all day. (any eastern WA people who want in are welcome of course, or anyone who travels into the puget sound area for that matter.)

So, maybe a snowshoe day trip in early march, or if anyone feels like testing out their raingear, a late March trip out to the Olympic coast or Hoh river?

what say you all?

[Kathleen B]

Great idea! Saturdays work best for me for a day trip. I'm all for something in the snow. I know the Stevens Pass area best. If one particular day doesn't work out for everyone, maybe we could have several options. However, I really need to go on a day Sarah can go. I've got this quart-sized jar of nasty, dehydrated fungus riding around in my trunk that needs to move on.

[Peter Kazarinoff]

This is a great idea. Who can believe it's been sunny for the past couple of days in Seattle. It's time to get outside!

I'm in Seattle (Wallingford) and try to get out once a month, but winter worries me without any companions. Early march up to Steven's Pass and Skyline Lake could be a great snowshoe trip.

Hope some other Puget Sounder's are interested as well.

My fiance just got me Sarah's FBC book for my birthday. I am ready to give the ziplocks a try too.

[Doug Johnson]

I'm there! I'd be totally into a trip- even better if it was an overnighter!

Doug in Redmond

[Joshua Gilbert]

I've heard Skyline lake is cool, also heard good things about Valhalla lake over around Stevens. Kathleen you're the one who knows Stevens pass pretty well, I'm more of a Snoqualomie guy, as far as winter fun goes.

I was thinking we could do a day trip as a way to get to know each other (although, full diclosure, Pete and I are alseady accquainted), and then plan some kind of overnight, either in the mountains, like something in the park at Ranier, or maybe an early spring trip to lake Ozette, see if we learned anything from that hiking in cold rain article last year.

Graduate school has kept me inside too much for the last couple of months.

I live in Wallingford in Seattle. Just to get that out there.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

Kathleen just wants me to show up to take all her tasty mushrooms off of her :-D Yay!

I'd be happy to show up….I have met maybe 150 forum posters over the years from BP.com and NWHikers.net so far. Not scared of you all ;-D

You all name it and I probably can show up!

[Kathleen B]

It sounds like the consensus is to do a day trip first and then plan a backpack trip.

If you're interested in Skyline Lake near Stevens Pass, we could hike to the lake (it's only an hour or so from the Pass and not much of a destination in itself), up and over Skyline ridge, down Moonlight Bowl, hop onto the PCT, and hike back to the Pass for a nice loop trip. Edited for clarification – this is a snowshoe hike. Both the Skyline and Lake Valhalla suggestions are subject to monitoring the avalanche danger.

Or if you'd prefer Lake Valhalla and a different route than the standard Smithbrook Road route, we could do the long version from the Pass on the PCT, or drive 1.5 miles past the Pass to Yodelin and snowshoe to the lake via Nason Creek. I could show you Burns Butte that's right by the lake!

Hopefully we can come up with a good plan that includes as many as want to come and isn't delayed by holding out for a perfect plan.

So we need to pick a destination, then a date. I've already got a trip planned on the 7/8 of March. Who's going to spearhead all this? And should we do emails rather than clog the BPL site with planning?

[Mark Bishop]

A snowshoeing trip sounds like a great idea, I'd be up for that.

[Tori Darnell]

Hi – anyone know of a snowshoe route that's not too challenging in the area between Vancouver, WA and Seattle? A few of us are hoping to meet "in the middle" and snowshoe. Thanks!

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