Hello everyone! It’s been awhile! Wow, so much has happened in my life since my last post all the way back in March! I spent most of my spring doing a lot of wedding planning and enjoying all the fun events with friends and family leading up to the wedding. We got married in June and had the most beautiful magical fairytale forest wedding at Kitsap Memorial State Park in Poulsbo, Washington. Pretty much immediately after that we jetted off to our honeymoon and spent the entire month exploring Thailand and Sri Lanka! It was the absolute best time and I’m so excited to share all of our adventures from the trip soon! Before I get started on that series though I really wanted to go ahead and get up my long overdue spring hiking recap on the blog. We didn’t hike nearly as much as we did in the winter time due to how busy we were but we did manage to get a few great hikes in that I would love to share with everyone. I had a lot of people express interest in wanting to know more on my social media pages so I knew I had to make sure I got something posted! So here were my favorite hikes of the spring 2019 season!
(*Disclaimer: I want my opinions and photos to inspire you but please still do thorough research on your own before heading out to the trails. Most of my fellow Washingtonians know this website but for anyone who doesn’t and those who are not from Washington and are visiting the area, I highly encourage you to look up all of these hikes on the Washington Trails Association website and always try to read several of the most recent trip reports you can find to get a feel of the most current conditions! Also remember to practice Leave No Trace principles!*)
Emmons Moraine (3 miles roundtrip, 900 ft. gain, National Park Pass needed)
This was one of the last hikes I did in the spring season and it was probably my favorite! My sister flew to Washington for my wedding and I knew we had to squeeze in a hike while she was in town because she absolutely loves the landscapes here. She lives in Texas so there isn’t much in terms of gorgeous scenery when compared to the great PNW! The trails were still melting out that first week of June but already there were more options as opposed to a few weeks ago in May. I really wanted to go somewhere that would be easy to get to (no rough forest roads) and really encompass everything that Washington has to offer and I knew that a trail in Mt. Rainier National Park would fit the bill. You get to this hike by entering the White River entrance to the park. It shares the same trailhead as the Glacier Basin hike and the WTA directions will take you to the parking lot you need to be at. From there you walk towards the campground and you’ll see a sign for the trailhead. In the summer most people will do both the Glacier Basin hike and the side venture to Emmons Moraine. The Glacier Basin hike still had a lot of snow and my sister didn’t have the gear for that. We were also short on time so we did the Emmons Moraine portion only. This is a great little hike that is short but with incredible pay-off. You get a little bit of a forest walk, a river crossing, mountain views, and of course a fantastic view of a bright milky green lake. You can also get to the lake via boot trail and have a nice lunch there.
Swakane Canyon (6 miles roundtrip, 1470 ft. gain, Discover Pass needed)
We love doing Central/Eastern Washington desert hikes during spring when it’s hotter than the rest of the state but not unbearably hot and the snow is sure to be gone off the trails. In the summer it can be a little too hot since the trails are very exposed but springtime is just right! We did this hike in April and the sun was shining which was perfect for us Washingtonians slowly coming out of winter hibernation and craving some sunshine. We only saw another couple the whole time on trail so we got plenty of solitude as well. It was great to get out there for a change of scenery than what people are used to when they think of Washington. I really loved that the hills still had a little bit of snow on them and also the small trees that dotted some of them. There was absolutely no snow on the trail though. You can see a view of the Columbia River, and although it’s not as in your face as some other hikes it’s definitely very pretty situated amongst the green hills. I hear the wildflowers are pretty great a little later in the season too. Be aware though that you can go shooting in this area and there were definitely signs of that (casings on the ground and holes in signs). When we got back down to the lot there was someone shooting there as well. I just thought I should mention that as most people who go out into nature are looking to escape any noise and get some peace and quiet and also for anyone who has kids who might be worried about someone who isn’t safe with guns practicing out there. Overall though it was a gorgeous hike although the drive was pretty far for us!
Baker Lake – Maple Grove (8 miles roundtrip, 500 ft. gain, NW Forest Pass needed)
This is a great hike to do in the late winter and throughout spring if you are trying to avoid snow on trail. The hike is 8 miles roundtrip with only 500 feet of elevation gain so I would definitely recommend this trail for families, beginners, and people who want a relatively easy place to hike to for camping. This is a forest trail with little breaks through the trees where you can get a glimpse of the lake. We loved stretching our legs on this easy hike but I will admit that after awhile the trail can get a little repetitive. When you reach the lake you’ll also be within the Maple Grove Campground which has 6 tent campsites. This campground looked pretty cool and definitely a place I’d come back to camp at with a couple friends. It looked like every site had a fire pit and bear lockers and there are vaults and backcountry toilets. The view of the lake and Mt. Baker are super stunning and it looks like every campsite got to enjoy these views. Definitely a great year-round hike in the Mount Baker area! We forgot our camera for these pictures so please excuse the cellphone quality.
Little Mashell Falls (4.5 miles roundtrip, 500 ft. gain, No pass needed)
This is also a great year-round hike if you are trying to find a snow-free trail. In the springtime the falls were especially raging which made for a cool experience. There are two trailheads you can start at; One is Little Mashell Falls – Pack Forest which is 5 miles roundtrip with about 500 feet of elevation again. There are no facilities at this trail and it can be a bit muddier than the other starting point according to the WTA website. The second trailhead is Little Mashell Falls – Bud Blancher Trail which is 4.5 miles roundtrip with 500 feet of elevation gain. This is the one we ended up taking. There is a portable toilet here and you also get to pass a park and cross 2 little bridges over rivers. This trail is also supposed to be less muddy as mentioned before. Both trails meet up at a junction and they both start off walking on a gravel road trail. The falls consist of the Lower Falls, Middle Falls, and Upper Falls with the Middle Falls being the tallest. For some reason the trail to the Middle Falls is unmarked but WTA does a good job at describing the location which is not far from the sign marking the Lower Falls trail and it is just further up off to the left. Definitely be careful around the falls as it can be quite slippery and dangerous.
Rampart Ridge Loop/Trail of the Shadows (4.5 miles roundtrip, 1300 ft. gain, National Park Pass needed)
We were in the Longmire area looking at some properties for my job so we decided to squeeze in a small trail nearby. If I’m being honest we didn’t finish the Rampart Ridge Loop trail and never intended to. I was sick that week and was doing my best to get healthy before the wedding and honeymoon so I didn’t want to over exert myself but I really wanted to stretch my legs and get outside and the trail was perfect for that! It starts off at the Trail of the Shadows which is a very short loop with lots of great information about the area. We hurried on to the Rampart Ridge Loop which starts off with a steady climb up through beautiful forestland. We came on a foggy day which gave it a great typical Pacific Northwest moody kind of vibe. As mentioned earlier we did not finish the trail but you do get one view of Mt. Rainier on this hike. If you’ve been to Mt. Rainier National Park you know that views of the mountain are plenty here, even just driving on the roads, so this hike isn’t necessarily for the views as you can do even shorter and easier trails in the park with incredible views of the mountain. It is a great “walk in the woods” kind of trail though and perfect for those moody wet spring mornings. Finish it out with the Trail of the Shadows Loop (which we did) and learn all about the springs and Longmire Cabin which apparently is the oldest structure inside the park!
Well that wraps up my spring 2019 hiking recap! It was definitely not a very packed season but my summer adventures have been very abundant and I can’t wait to share that recap soon! I mean wow can you believe summer is almost over?! I’m so sorry once again for the long delay between posts but I’m hoping to get back on track with posting and I’ll have plenty of Thailand and Sri Lanka content coming to the blog soon! Hope everyone’s been having a great summer! Enjoy what’s left of it and let me know in the comments of any epic adventures you’ve been on this summer!
Until next time,
Kelsie
Always a good time hiking with you!
You’re the best hiking partner!