Trevor Dickie
Spring has sprung! Can't you tell? T-shirts and sandals are trickling back into our lives, people are sitting outside just for the fun of it, and all of a sudden it makes sense to buy sunscreen again.
I just bought a new pair of sunglasses to replace the (inevitably) missing pair from last year. And since it was 70 degrees in Seattle in March, I'm planning on 80 for April. Totally normal.
Though it's practically summer in Seattle, your numerous trip reports still look pretty winter-y. Lots of snow and ice, though I see a few hints things may be changing soon for some trails.
This month, we have three hikes, one urban adventure, two snowshoes, two scrambles, one climb, and one kayak report to highlight.
You can find recommendations for how to write a solid report here. The following write-ups are listed in the date that the trips occurred, not ranked in any way. Click on the photos to read the full reports from the volunteers and members.
Urban adventure - Nisqually national wildlife refuge 3/3
"We saw many merganser ducks. We also saw a downy woodpecker and a few trees away on the other side of the boardwalk, we saw a hairy woodpecker (who was really going to town pecking the wood and moss on the tree)."
Anita's report comes from a successful trip with lots of animal sightings, it sounds like a great day out!
hike - anti-aircraft peak 3/3
"Microspikes were handy for the snow, it was hard packed and icy in some areas. This trail is marked well with signs but can be tricky to navigate on the fly."
Game-time decisions can always make navigation a bit tougher, but I'm glad to hear this group was well prepared for the conditions. Amanda's report is detailed and explains the group's process for the day.
snowshoe - Wenatchee crest 3/9
"The group worked on discerning wind blown vs wind deposited pillows in breaking our trail. We did find ourselves on occasion up to the knees on occasion (harder work), but generally were successful on the uphill choosing efficient routes to switchback on. On the downhill, some found areas to get some plunge steps in!"
A nice report from Jimmy Klansnic, depicting a trip with wonderful weather, and great opportunity for route-finding practice!
scramble - sourdough mountain 3/16
"At the junction of the summer/winter trail head breaking point. Snowshoes are required. The trail from groups earlier in the week was visible, but fresh snow meant - we had to break trail in fresh and wet heavy snow."
Ananth Maniam's report details a trip that seems to have required the use of a variety of techniques, as the snow was in its early-spring funkiness. Regardless it looked like a fantastic outing!
hike - mount rose 3/16
"This was a gorgeous day with great camaraderie in our group with lots of talking, laughing, and getting to know each other."
Nancy's concise report comes from a trip that seems to have featured camaraderie above all else!
kayak - anderson Island
"Mt. Rainier was clearly visible as we headed across, paddling slowly for this crowd. I’m not sure why we had paddled so slowly…maybe it was the later than usual launch or we just wanted to prolong such an unexpectedly warm and pleasant March day to have a relaxing paddle!"
A warm day on the water? Count me in. Lisa's report comes from a leisurely paddle with wonderful views and little to complain about.
climb - mount hood/devil's kitchen headwall 3/17
"But it went, and the route is terrific. It's a great feeling, climbing up through a narrow canyon of ice and snow while looking out at the green Oregon landscape."
Stephen's report has some helpful, comparative conditions information and awesome photos. Well detailed, looks like it was a wonderful day out on Mt. Hood.
scramble - axis peak 3/16-18
"We arrived at Eightmile Lake around 1pm, set up camp, and rested a bit before puting on beacons and pointing at the route in excitement."
In my opinion, there's little better than the excitement when approaching a route. Brian Hill's report has amazing photos and some good information on their itinerary.
snowshoe - gold creek basin 3/18
"I've avoided visiting Gold Creek Pond for a few years since it has a reputation of being crowded. But when inspiration struck for a moonlight evening snowshoe trip, its open spaces beckoned... it turned out to be an ideal route for viewing the night sky."
What's better than daytime snowshoeing? Snowshoeing at night on a full moon! Gabrielle Orsi's report comes from an atypical trip, and features a good trick for avoiding the crowds.
hike - dirty harry's balcony & east balcony 3/23
"The hot weather of the past week has been quickly melting the snow and drying the trail (even just compared to Thursday when I did a pre-trip walk of the trail to check conditions). There was continuous snow only for the last quarter mile or so before the Balcony."
A solid report featuring some of the signs of the incoming spring season on the trail. Alex Negrila's report is nice and detailed, there may have even been a few puppies seen on-trail.
Our last Top-10 blog post is also online for you to check out. If you have a trip report you've really enjoyed, or wrote one yourself that you are quite proud of, send them our way at info@mountaineers.org. We may be featuring the best of the best in an upcoming edition of Mountaineer magazine!
