South Olympics ~ Trout Creek

South Olympics is where there is a treasure trove of great beauty. 

This area is easily accessed but, not a popular choice for the concrete people. It may be that it is a bit too far for the masses because the east side of the Olympics is so much easier to get to for them.   

All the tender little shoots were popping up all over the place, vibrant and lovely. 

Sun and showers both happening simultaneously, water flowing freely, this little stream found it's path right down the middle of an old cedar tree.  

So many water features you could spend a life time here and still never see all the wonders to be taken in.. 

Lunch time,, no prettier place to have some grits

Traveler's Wet Tromp

Soggy woggy walk through the woods :)  

Trav and I went a little over 3 miles, but I forgot to turn on my gps when I left the rig... 

It was real nice till about 1:30 PM and then,, it started throwing it down.  I didn't really want to go and ride in all this wetness, so I threw some rain clothes on, grabbed Trav, who is always game and we headed down to Lake Sylvia.  

All the smells were so wonderful,,,, the colors were more than vibrant. 

Trav, is doing so well, he is checking in with me, and coming back to me every time I call him.  He is very smart and handsome. 

Spring got sprung !! 

yes, mommy !! 

Snowgrass Flats ~ Gifford Pinchot Forest

                   Birthday Hike for my friend Kellie!!

 The request was Goat Rocks, and the choice was clear, we would head in from the Chambers Lake TH ~~~  Trail #96 on Green Trail Map Blue Lake #334 and GTM, Walupt Lake #335 and lunch at Snowgrass Flats, where the view of the Goat Rocks and the valley would be very rewarding.

Kellie, heading in to the best birthday adventure !!

Goat Creek is stunning any time of the year, the fall colors were great on this day, the trail was in very good shape, for this is a very popular trail. By hitting it later in the yr. we saw great color and the traffic was very minimal. 

Goat Creek Bridge is great, the bridge now has a sign stating no stock, not so many years ago, it was functional for stock. The first time I saw Snowgrass Flats I rode into this area from Walupt Lake. Beautiful country everywhere you look. 

     Great little surprise at Snowgrass Flats, a couple weeks before we hiked in there was a cold snap and the snow levels dropped, in tern it provided a beautiful contrast. 

     Kellie exploring the area, it was so warm out !!  

      Bear Grass poking out of the snow...

      Goat Creek can be heard most of the hike into Snowgrass Flats..... 

      Mt. Adams one of the views heading into Chambers Lake TH

        One of the many views hiking in, Mt. Adams in the distance, this area never disappoints... 

       At this junction your in Snowgrass Flats, wide open space, the valley below, the Goat Rocks, blue sky, snow, so much eye candy to be had. 

       Heading out, Butters runs ahead and then always checks back in to see where we are.. 

Eightmile Lake, Caroline Lake, & Windy Ridge

Alpine Lakes Wilderness has many places that are a must see, one of them is the Enchantment Lakes, there are 5 zones, they consist of *Snow Lakes, *Core Zone, *Colchuck, *Stewart, & *Eightmile.
Starting the adventure in 2011 I procured my permit for the, *Core Zone, *Snow Lakes, and *Colchuck Lake. In 4 days we bagged 3 zones it was spectacular to say the least !! Our permit allowed us to enter at the *Colchuck - *Stewart TH and exit at *Snow Lakes. (3 zones, 4 days, 18 miles, 4400 ft gain)
Then in 2012 the adventure took us to the *Stewart Lake and Horseshoe Lake for 3 days of exploration of more of God's stunning creation. (1 zone, in 3 days, 12 miles, 2800 ft. gain)
2013 is the finale, the last zone *Eightmile Lake, Caroline Lake, & Windy Ridge ,, wheww :)
The 5th and final zone, and I will have been blessed with a most wonderful adventure that has taken me 3 years to finish, many prayers, lots of conditioning, a couple different hiking partners, and the most wonderfully supportive family and friends a person could ask for.
This was the most difficult of the zones for me,, I had planned for 4 days, with extra camera gear, and we altered the days to 3, this made for a very heavy trip, physically and mentally. It is standard to pack 20% of your total body weight, which for me would have been 31.6 #. How ever on this trip I was packing 27% which put my total pack weight at 42.6 #. (camera gear)
Truly by the grace of God I was able to pull it off, I can't stress how difficult the extra weight and shortened days really tested my reliance on the Lord.
It was truly wonderful how God strengthened me each step, each breath, and in my soul making me know I could do this. There were times when all I could do is stare at my feet and think of how thankful I was for my salvation in Christ, how much I love Him for my eternal spirit. 1 Peter 1:8-12
My discomfort, was very small in comparison to a sacrifice as such He gave for me.

The first day we started very early to try and beat the heat, thankfully the weather had been a little wet so the clouds made for some nice shade here and there..

Entering the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, this area caught fire last yr. a couple days after we came out of the *Stewart Lake zone. You can see in the pic above the resent burn, but God replanted and the greens have sprung up making a most beautiful contrast.

Rugged country, scorched by lightening

Couldn't resist the sunrise down on the shore of Caroline Lake :)

Little Caroline Lake

The flowers need friends too

Atop Windy Ridge 7500 ft.

Sleepy Marmots

Beautiful colors

Hiking tools :)

Mt. St. Helens, WA

       

 Mt. St. Helens

Mit standing on Coldwater Ridge, Johnston Ridge is between us and St. Helens.

 
   I remember clearly, where I was the day that this beautiful mountain blew 33 yrs. ago, and took 54 lives, devastating hundreds of acres in beautiful timberland. 
    I was camping up at Sol Duc Hot Springs, in the Olympic National Park.  

  On this very beautiful day, the main road up to Johnston Ridge was closed still, so we parked on the other side of the gate and hiked the mile up the road to get to the trail head that takes you up to Coldwater Lake Ridge. Coldwater Lake was not even there before the mountain blew. The lahar, (mud flow) blocked the Coldwater Creek, and it made the lake.

Coldwater Lake

Much of the land around the mountain has been designated a monument, and was never replanted in timber, the national forest lands have been replanted, and there is a clear distinction of where that boundary is when you are hiking in this area. On the ridgeline in the picture below you can see the boundary line. 

 

 Coming from a long family line of loggers/timber fallers, it was very sobering when we came across the mangled tower and Cat~ to see this mammoth equipment still here on the ridge, all bent and broken, it is hard to imagine the force that was unleashed, such an enormous event, that created a huge lake, flattened hundreds of acres of big timber, and deposited 150 ft. of mud and ash through out the valleys below.  

 There is a tree embedded in the tower above

 In the above picture, the valley beyond is 150 ft. higher than it was before the blast

 Cat~

Bent metal ~ swivel 

The parking lot was almost empty when we arrived.....

 Mit & I

 and when we got back it was a little over half way full ~ 

 Beautiful Mt. St. Helens

Outside The Box Imidges

all of the images here are captured with the sole purpose of sharing God's creation with all who wish to see

The link below, is a window into this wonderful and beautiful world that our Lord and Creator has blessed us with. 
 
http://pinterest.com/powder36/outside-the-box-imidges/

All the glory to our Lord and savior, Jesus  <3

My Updated Trail Cooking System

My Updated Trail Cooking System

http://www.gsioutdoors.com/

 My GSI system, is awesome !! Light, self contained and if you ran out of fuel it can be used on open flame as well. I like this over the Jet Boil for this reason.  I have the Soloist but it is more than enough for 2 ppl. My brother and I used it on our 4 day backpack trip through the Enchantments and it was plenty.