Bayley Stejer
In June, I watched as nearly 50 drool-inducing trip reports rolled in, making the tough job of choosing just 10 even tougher. But alas, the deed had to be done. With dried drool still on the edge of my mouth, I happily offer a collection of trip reports that highlights the most tasty and delicious views of early summer. Read on, dear friends, for marmot greetings, the infamous cheese rock, a river in good flow, snake-friendly sunbathing, and directions that are occasionally diagonal.
Alpine Climb - Mount Rainier/Disappointment Cleaver - 6/1
"Successful climb in clear conditions," taking "advantage of an ideal weather window to summit Mount Rainier via Disappointment Cleaver." -Isley Gao
When I say you have literally everything to gain and nothing to lose from reading this trip report, I mean it. Read on for an up-close-and-personal perspective of summiting Tahoma via Disappointment Cleaver.
Bikepack - Cle Elum Ridge - 6/1
"Fun 2-day adventure with our mountain bikes." -Jessica Todd
Tune in for an adventure on wheels, featuring the infamous cheese rock and enjoyable trails names like rat pac and beer can.
Day Hike - Upper South Fork Skokomish River - 6/6
"The trail was clear of obstructions, and the river was picturesque after a few days of rain." -Mike Forsyth
Read on for a pleasant, perfectly detailed, and picturesque day hike along the Upper South Fork Skokomish River.
Packraft - Grande Ronde River - 6/6
"Moderate flows made for a fast pace with little effort and some very fun wave trains." -Logan DeGrand
Highlights of this trip report include snake-friendly sunbathing, Mergansers feeding their babes, precise maneuvering, and generous doses of birdwatching. Not to mention the 66 uninterrupted miles along the Grande Ronde... But that's a given.
Sea Kayak - Steilacoom to Toliva Shoal - 6/7
"It was great to see how confident the Mountaineers were in jumping into the scenarios and providing valuable realism to the training." -Caleb Fitts
A busy day on the water practicing incident management scenarios, including kayak rescues, on Fireboat Endeavor.
Glacier Climb - Eldorado Peak/Inspiration Glacier - 6/9
"Memorable trip, successful summit with a steep and varied approach." -Klare Frank
A successful summit of Eldorado Peak starring soft snow, nearly perfect weather, veggie belays, and a collection of glad and glorious alpine images.
Alpine Scramble - Mount Ruth - 6/14
"A serendipitously all-women strenuous snow scramble of Mount Ruth." -Emily Goren
An all-in-all sweet time climbing and sliding in the snow. Join this women's crew for a strenuous and successful scramble of Mount Ruth.
Rock Climb - The Fang - 6/19
"Fantastic climb in clear conditions, bolted generously for the aspiring 5.9 sport leader." -Isley Gao
A thrilling and thoughtful climb of The Fang.
Glacier Climb - Little Tahoma/East Shoulder - 6/21
"Little Tahoma is a beautiful climb, in a spectacular location, offering a little of everything alpine as far as features throughout the route." -Laurel Geisbush
A classic summit of Little Tahoma boasting immaculate views, a headlamp start, kick-stepping, helpful beta, more kick-stepping, and varying alpine terrain.
Alpine Climb - Gilbert Peak - 6/26
"A rarely done, adventurous route via 2 receding Glaciers to the highest peak in Goat Rocks Wilderness." -Liana Robertshaw
Props to this crew for the ambitious tackling of a rare route on Gilbert Peak.
Want to see more top trip reports? Check out our Top Trip Reports Library to get ideas for next week, next month, or next year!
