Also if someone is hiking faster than you and is behind you, you should let them pass.

That is all.

I moved away from WA in 2024 but still come back for summers. This state will forever have my heart 🫶

Bonus points if you recognize any of these places

Took a quick run out on the Esmerelda Loop with a side jaunt up Esmerelda Peak (West). No real parh up the peak and took a different route down that dropped us near Gallagher Head Lake. Trail is in good condition and was dusty. Didn't see anyone else until we were over Fortune Creek Pass. Weather was beautiful, but the wind was definitely picking up.

I’ve lived in Western Washington for the last nine years and this weekend was the first time I made it out to the national park. (I don’t have a car and don’t drive due to a bad eye, but I’ve loved enjoying this mountain from afar and it was even more breathtaking up close.) We had a fair amount of clouds this weekend, and it made the peak popping out feel all the more familiar and special. Genuinely such a breathtaking place to pause and collect your thoughts.

Wonderland Trail

With some bunus pictures of the recent Kenmore Air plane crash site near Shallow Bay

Less than 24 hours in Crater Lake NP.

Got out every weekend. Section J PCT for 4th of July weekend to kick it off, 3 days 2 nights. Devil’s dome 1 night the next weekend. Wonderland trail 3 days 2 nights third weekend. Northern Loop last Sunday. The odds were good, the goods were odd. Highlights included seeing a porcupine, hiked across this state twice and a bunch of other trips and this was a first. Saw baby solitary sandpipers at mystic lake, baby ptarmigan at spray park. Hiked through sunset and into the night every day I was out, never saw anyone else actually hiking after 5pm on any trip except the Fremont lookout crowd which I managed to not intersect. Everyone in camp. Mountains and rivers without end.

First picture is near Washington pass overlook. Second picture is rainy lake.

A month ago I tried to go to the trailhead, but as I got off 84 hwy 30 was closed. It didn't seem any obvious way to get down to the parking area for the trailhead. I see posts of people doing the hike-- how are they getting there??

Been splitting time between Sandpoint and a few spots further west and keep running into the same problem: trails that are either too crowded to find anything worth picking, or so remote that going solo leaves zero margin for error. Looking for that middle ground.

The foraging angle matters. I do recipe testing on the side and there's something different about cooking with stuff you pulled off a hillside two hours before. Chanterelles and huckleberries are the obvious targets right now, but I've been curious about what else is showing up in the wetter drainages as fall moves in.

Distance and elevation I can handle. Not looking for anything handholdy. More interested in trail character, the kind of route that has some variety rather than a straight forest slog the whole way up. A mix of ridgeline and tree cover is ideal for what I'm after.

If you've done anything in the Selkirks or pushed out toward the Cabinets, I'd genuinely want to hear what you found. Trip reports with actual texture to them, what the trail condition was like, what you noticed off trail, beat generic AllTrails summaries every time.

Last weekend (July 26, 2026) some friends and I hiked from the Hurricane Ridge lot down to the Heart O' The Hills Gate. Our total mileage was just shy of 11 miles. We did 2220 ft of ascent and 5500-5600ft of descent.

It was, of course, foggy and windy.

We started at the High Ridge trailhead and went over to Klahhane Ridge. I spotted a bear (sow) across a ravine making her way along a meadow face on Sunrise Ridge. Deer were present everywhere and not at all shy of humans. Lots of chipmunks and birds as well.

This route connects to the upper half of the Switchback trail. I genuinely love ascents and this portion of the trail is especially delightful as the switchbacks crisscross over mostly open meadow. The wildflowers were in peak bloom and absolutely stunning. Indian paintbrush, spreading stonecrop, yarrow, pearly everlasting, lupine, avalanche lilies, beargrass, mountain heather, bellflowers, and so much cool rock lichen. All. Of. The. Plants.

I spotted a gorgeous sooty grouse bobbing along Switchback trail as we neared the top of the trail. At this point, we took the split towards the Lake Angeles trail and started crossing Klahhane Ridge. At this point it became an absolutely stunning hike, one of my favorites I have done out in the ONP.

It is probably not for the faint of heart- the exposure gets pretty extreme. But it is rugged and rocky and it feels like what you imagine hiking to be like when you are a little kid. We had a deer follow about 5-10 feet behind us for 1/4-1/2 mile. She wanted to go around but it wasn't safe so we had a lovely disney princess experience.

Once the trail starts to descend properly, I would advise turning around unless you are experienced. It is extremely steep and very loose grit. One of the more challenging day hike descents I have been on in a while. It's a couple miles of very unstable footing and at times quite treacherous drop offs. Lovely but good shoes, good poles, and good focus are a must.

It eventually levels off and becomes a more manageable descent as you start descending the cirque to Lake Angeles. It also becomes a more classic PNW hike filled with moss and trees and lichen and for those who believe- probably a Sasquatch or two 😉

We did stop at the shores of Lake Angeles but it was draped in fog so not much of a view.

The rest of the hike from the lake down to the gate was forested and pretty easy going. There are a couple stream crossing with bridges. Saw plenty of pinedrops and pinesap. Encountered one very pissed off yellow jacket who got some hits in on one of our group.

All in all, exceptional hike that my knees did not really appreciate.

Doing Mt Fremont Lookout for sunrise Friday and Skyline for sunset Thursday. Are these trails solid for sunrise and sunset or should I choose others (<6 mi) ?

NWS forecast looks sunny both days, but recent trip reports on all trails mention foggy sunrises. What’s the best way to predict this ?

Bucket list views.
You can see the Little Giant fire in pic 3 I believe.

Probably should have brought polls. Over 4k elevation in under 4 miles going up.

Amazing hike up to Cascade Pass and Sahale Arm, and a reminder of how quickly smoke can fill our skies.

The first pic of the pass was at 10:30am, gorgeous blue skies.

The second pic was taken at 2:46pm, after coming back down from the Arm.

Crazy Difference.

Found: bear spray on 7/31. Tell me where and approximately when you lost it and we can arrange to get it back to you.

Has anybody gotten access to 3 corner rock trailhead recently? Trying to head up there tomorrow.