Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on October 25, 2024
I have lived in Washington for 32.5 of my 35 years of life, but it wasn’t until this year that I finally saw the golden hue of the larches. It’s well known amongst the outdoor community that these trees are sacred, and because they only shine bright for a limited time, people flock from all over to find them. One of the best spots to find them in Washington is in the North Cascades.
There are a few trails up north best known for larches, and this year my pal Caitlin and I knew we had to make the trip to see them. The North Cascades are a minimum of 3.5 – 4hrs away by car, so this had to be an overnight trip. When I told Duncan the plan he wanted to come too, so the three of us found a dog friendly place to sleep (Caitlin brought her pup), and made the plans.
The drive there was beautiful, and we stopped along the way to see Diablo Lake, a popular overlook on the North Cascades Scenic Highway.
We stayed in the town of Mazama, 20 minutes away from the popular hiking area. Likely the most popular trail in the North Cascades is called Maple Pass. People line up for miles along the main road for this hike (we saw the masses driving in), and it’s said that during larch season there are upwards of 2000 people who visit…DAILY.
While I would like to do this trail one day, we opted for another trail that we knew would be less populated. We chose to hike to Cutthroat Pass, a 12 mile climb that meets up with the PCT. After our long drive north we checked into our cozy accommodation, and stopped by the local market for an overpriced dinner.
Caitlin and I ended the day with an evening walk, followed by a few games of UNO.
After a mediocre night of sleep we woke up around 0530 with the plan to be at the trailhead by 0700. The trail was just around the corner from where we stayed, and we arrived to find the parking lot mostly empty. It was a frigid 33 or 34 degrees and I worried I would regret wearing shorts, but there was no turning back now. “Be bold, start cold” is a motto I live by through the end of October.
The first two miles of this trail are relatively flat, and lead you to Cutthroat Lake. We stopped here for a quick breakfast break, and then continued on. The first half of this trail was so/so. Nothing to write home about, but I knew there had to be expansive views eventually. The climb was gradual, and no one ever felt like they were overly fatigued. Eventually the forested canopy opened up and the colors started to change.
The sun came out, giving us one last bluebird hike before the autumn rains.
Cutthroat Pass is the knob in the middle of the photo.
When we finally found the larches it was like finding the golden ticket in a Wonka bar. The recent trail reports mentioned that the trees were not at peak color, but none of us had any complaints about the colors we saw. We ooed and aaed at the beautiful surrounding view, and when we made it to the pass we spent a long while enjoying the massive mountains that engulfed us.
Caitlin and I had a summer full of hiking, and we both decided this would be somewhat of a final hoorah before slowing down for the season. Neither of us plan to stop hiking all together, but the weekly or bimonthly planned hikes are on pause until next season. Last October we ended our hiking season with a trip to the North Cascades as well, and this is certainly a tradition I plan to keep.
Our hike back down was even more beautiful as the lighting changed with the midday sun, illuminating the yellow trees brighter than before. We saw some people as we came down (including a handful of bikers), but overall our choice for a less populated hike was a success. We made it back to the car 6.5 hours later, and drove the 4.5ish hours back home.
These further hikes make for long days, but the reward is always worth it.
And just like that, hiking season (for me) has come to a close. As I said before, I still plan to hike sporadically throughout the fall and winter, but I plan to transition back into running for these colder months. It’s been two weeks since we embarked on this adventure, and the weather has taken a turn. I’m ready to put some cookies in the oven, socks on my toes, and sip coffee with a good book.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
Q: If you live somewhere with four seasons, what is your favorite thing about autumn?
Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on October 16, 2024
Before ironing out all the details for our short trip to Banff, Caitlin and I both decided there was one hike we could not miss. The Lake Louise area of Banff is well known, and for good reason. The stunning blue waters of both Lake Louise and Lake Moraine (they’re neighbors) bring thousands of tourists each year. While Caitlin and I don’t love big crowds, we knew we had to hike in this area at least once.
Lake Louise is accessible without any reservations, the only catch is that the parking lot fills up early. Lake Moraine on the other hand requires a shuttle reservation of which we did not obtain. We knew this ahead of time and planned to attempt booking a shuttle two days prior (the earliest we could through the park website) and unfortunately we did not succeed.
We had to skip the hike we wanted to do starting near Lake Moraine, but we knew we could hike starting near Lake Louise no matter what.
For people who enjoy long hikes I would argue that the Plain of Six Glaciers, Big Beehive, and Lake Agnes Tea House loop is the most popular trail starting in the Lake Louise area of Banff. This trail hits all of the popular stops, but if you’re not up for the full 11-12 mile loop there are options to visit just one, or two of these stops and skip the full loop.
We of course opted to do the whole loop, and although AllTrails recommends starting counterclockwise we accidentally started clockwise. We later learned this is what the local employees recommended, so it all worked out. Starting clockwise took us first to the Plain of Six Glaciers.
We arrived in the parking lot with enough time to snag a spot, and our plan was to hit the first of two tea houses before the masses.
We arrived at the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House, the quieter of the two tea houses on this loop, and we quickly started kicking ourselves for forgetting a very important detail. In all the hubbub of trying to secure a shuttle to Lake Moraine/finding other hikes for our previous days we both completely forgot that these two tea houses are CASH ONLY.
Neither of us are big tea drinkers, but we did want to sit and savor a cup for the novelty of the idea. We were momentarily bummed, but ultimately pushed on after at least using the facilities near the tea house. It was here I made friends with an older gentlemen who was waiting for the bathroom after I exited. There were two outdoor compost toilets and I thought the one next to me was empty.
So I told him it was empty.
The bathroom was in fact not empty, and when he knocked someone replied. He concluded because of this that I must be a YouTuber filming for a prank show and he was my latest target. This caused me to laugh quite hard, and I quickly took a liking to him. We played leap frog a few times throughout this hike, and each time he saw me he warned another member of his party (there were at least two other men with him) to watch out for me because I was a pranking YouTuber.
This was the second to last wholesome interaction I had with strangers while hiking in Banff.
After skipping the tea house we pushed on to the Plain of Six Glaciers viewpoint (shown in the previous photos.) This brought us to a series of glaciers tucked into the mountain walls, and was a beautiful start to our looped trail. We sat here for a bit and enjoyed our first snack while laughing about our knuckleheadedness of not having cash.
The sun finally came out as we headed back towards the main trail, continuing our loop towards our next destination: Big Beehive. Going clockwise meant we managed to have parts of the trail to ourselves at times, and when we did see others they were not in masses. After passing an exposed area of the trail we found ourselves in the woods where we began to climb vertically.
Last views of the glaciers as we head into the woods.
After four days of hiking, this vertical climb was tiresome, but nothing we couldn’t handle. We started to see people coming down this section that we had seen at the very beginning of the hike who had chosen to go the other direction. While we were climbing towards the Beehive we deliberated if we wanted to take a side quest on this hike.
There is an offshoot at the summit near the Beehive that takes hikers along the backside of the area to another summit called Devil’s Thumb. In true Brittany and Caitlin fashion we decided to first get to Big Beehive, savor that experience, and then decide if we wanted to attempt the side quest.
The view of Lake Louise from above exceeded my expectations.
Parking lot where we started and the massive resort below.
We ran into my new friend who told another passing hiker to watch out for me, we said hello, and decided to go to the peak of the Devil’s Thumb. I had no idea what to expect with this side quest, and I was all but hopeful until about 2 minutes into the trek. The normal trail had a section of rock climbing in order to continue, and it took me a long while to commit to this.
The rocks were not on an edge that felt unsafe, but I knew that if this was what the trail entailed I would not be comfortable. A hiker coming down assured me that the rest of the trail did not have a rock section like this, so I held my breath and climbed up the rocks. From here the trail became narrow, and there was a sharp edge that made my stomach drop into my colon for the entire attempted adventure.
Photos do not to justice to the narrow trail nor to the drop off.
Caitlin is far more daring than I, and she doesn’t have the same gut wrenching fear of heights, but she was patient with me as we slowly continued on this sketchy trail. I took it slow, wanting to die each step I took, but told myself that I could stop at any point. I finally reached my breaking point when the trail consisting of scree turned vertical.
The moment a trail requires me to crawl with my hands near a ledge, is the moment I tap out. I encouraged Caitlin to continue on, and she did for a bit longer, but she also called it after she continuously slipped. We both knew that coming back down this terrain without trekking poles or experience would not make for a good time.
The blue dot is where I decided to wait for Caitlin.
While waiting for Caitlin a woman passed me asking if I was coming up or down. I told her neither, and that I was staying put after deciding this trail was not for me. She commended me and told me I made the right choice. She told me she was also afraid of heights and cried twice on her way up. She was clearly a trooper, and her partner helped her the entire way.
More power to her, it was still a no for me.
After Caitlin found her way back to me we happily went back to the main trail. I was ready to wipe my hands of this terrifying side quest, and my stomach found its rightful place once we were back on solid ground. I’m glad we attempted this, and without having gone this way we would have never seen the view of Lake Agnes (our next destination) from above.
This view is hidden off to the side a bit of the way up towards Devil’s Thumb.
The last highlight of this trail is walking around Lake Agnes to the Lake Agnes Tea House. This area was madness by the time we arrived. Because we didn’t have cash we knew we didn’t plan to enter the tea house, but we still sat on a rock to savor the view of Lake Agnes for a bit. I watched a group of Germans feeding a chipmunk, debating if I wanted to engage with them at all in German.
When the man came to show me his photos of the creature I said to him “Eichhörnchen?” This is the German word for squirrel and I always worry I butcher the pronunciation.
He smiled and told me my pronunciation was correct, but then the woman with him corrected me that this was a chipmunk and not a squirrel (duh Brittany) and she told me the German word for chipmunk which is “Streifenhörnchen.” Streifen meaning stripes had me laughing. Of course the chipmunk would be the striped version.
We maneuvered through the masses of people enjoying their cakes and tea’s, continuing to our final decent. By this time I was a bit tired, and a bit frustrated because my Garmin watch had spazzed out (I know, first world problems.) The last bit of this hike was one foot in front of the other for me, but it was still a beautiful walk back down to Lake Louise.
As we made it back to the lake, clearly dirty and tired, a couple stopped us to ask if we had completed the loop. We spoke with them for about ten minutes, sharing how the hike was and recounting each of our experiences in Banff. The last wholesome interaction I shan’t soon forget.
After a shower and real food, we drove into the tiny town of Lake Louise for our reward after completing our final hike.
ICE CREAM. My souvenir for myself was a local bar of chocolate (which was to die for), and a small pin. This was the perfect end to an amazing week in Canada. Five hikes, four days, three national parks, two gals, one fancy meal, and…ZERO BEARS!
It was tough for me to find the excitement for this trip after a long couple years caring for a cat with aging illnesses, but I am incredibly thankful this trip worked out (and my cat was just fine without me.) I don’t see any trips in my near future longer than two nights, but I will continue to relish on these wonderful memories from Banff. It was just the trip I needed.
I look forward to rounding out the fall season with a few more hikes, and then I will be hibernating like all the bears I thankfully did not see.
Q: What is something that scares you in the way that heights scare me?
After a full day of hiking, kicking Caitlins butt in UNO, and a surprisingly restful night of sleep, we woke with minimal pressure on our second day in Banff. We knew there was going to be rain in the morning, and while we are from the rainy state of Washington we didn’t want to spend the day feeling like cereal sitting in milk.
We chose instead to go into the town of Banff (about 40 min drive from Lake Louise campground) to look at the touristy stuff, wait out the rain, and go for a smaller hike in the afternoon.
We drove along the Bow Valley Parkway to get into town instead of driving on the freeway. This took slightly longer, but the views were more dense and the possibility for wildlife sightings were higher. We didn’t see any animals, but we did see Morant’s Curve – a beautiful viewpoint where trains pass through multiple times a day.
No trains when we stopped, but we did see a train as we drove past the first time.
We had no plans while in town, other that to wander and possibly find a sweatshirt for Caitlin. Shortly after we arrived we decided it would be nice to find a hot meal. After three days of car snacks, and random foods thrown together it was nice to have a real meal. I’m more hesitant than most to go out to eat, but thankfully we found a farm to table restaurant that had just what we each needed.
I may not like to go out for meals, but traveling with me helps keep your wallet full.
After licking my plate clean I ventured next door for a cup of coffee. When researching the town for good coffee, one website recommended Good Earth Coffeehouse. This was attached to a hotel, which was attached to the restaurant we ate. The interior looked like a Panera Bread or any other comparable big chain cafe with mediocre coffee.
I didn’t have high hopes.
I was in dire need of a good cup after multiple days without, and thankfully my initial judgement did not translate to the coffee. This coffee was delicious (I got the dark roast), and just what I needed to settle my stomach after my breakfast. This java fueled me for a walk along the river, and into the forest to see the Art in Nature pieces.
There were over 65 pieces of art from local artists on all types of mediums.
Me and Duncan in bear form.
We wandered the town of Banff for around 3 hours, ending with a walk around the Cascade of Time Gardens. This was an unexpected treat, and the building on the grounds looks straight out of Europe. No sweatshirts were found for Caitlin, but I did get a Banff National Park pin to add to my collection.
The plan after town was to hike to Sherbrooke Lake in the neighboring National Park of YOHO. This was a very mild 6 mile hike with minimal elevation to another beautiful Canadian lake. No pressure, no snacks needed, and I almost didn’t bring my backpack. I decided last minute to bring it because I was too lazy to carry my water, and it was a good thing I did.
First things first, we had to walk through a Jurassic Park like bear gate and if this doesn’t make the hairs on your neck stand I don’t know what would. I was immediately on edge, as I often was when starting any of our hikes in Canada. We started around 1500 which is much later than we’ve ever started a hike. It wasn’t early in the day, but I knew people would still be on the trail and this calmed my nerves a bit.
We eventually saw a guy who was running down the trail and I flat out said to him: “WHY ARE YOU RUNNING!?” He replied: “oh you know, because it just feels like a good idea.” I then told him I was worried he had seen a bear, we shared a laugh, and he continued on his way. Honestly it’s a good thing I have no shame.
As we were heading towards the lake we passed an offshoot that climbed to Paget Lookout. It just so happened we had previously looked into possible hiking Paget Peak, but decided against it after reading there was scrambling involved. I don’t scramble my eggs and I sure as hell don’t scramble my legs up sketchy terrain. Paget Peak was not an option, but the lookout before the peak suddenly was.
We did what we do and told ourselves we would get to Sherbrooke, and decide how we felt about the side quest to the lookout.
Raindrops on Sherbrooke Lake.
Here’s the thing, we were not planning on hiking an extra mile that was nearly vertical, Caitlin had nothing with her other than a heavy water bottle, and it was close to 1700. Evening hours mean bears come out, which means death and regret. At the same time, we both had the “we’re here we should absolutely do this” mindset.
So we did it.
I shoved Caitlin’s bottle in my pack along with one of her layers and we began the ascent at a pace much quicker than either of us would have liked. Unfortunately for both of us my anxiety was high due to the time of day and the lack of other people around. This caused me to push the pedal to the metal and I was booking it. After about 45 mins we both started to get unsure of how close we were, and unsure if we wanted to continue.
The trail was narrow, the turns were winding and all I could think about was coming face to face with my nightmare.
Then, just as I was sure we would turn around I heard the clanking of trekking poles. Two American angels were coming down and I asked them if it was a worthy trek. They assured us we were close, and that the views were superb. This was the second time I stopped to ask a set of strangers if we should continue or not, and both times I was thankful for the push.
Seeing these trail angels quelled my anxiety and we kept going. Turns out we were about 5 minutes from the lookout. Thank you fellow Americans, you gave me confidence that the bears would get to you before us. I’m kidding, you just let me know I wasn’t alone out there. (I knew they were Americans because they both had REI jackets on, my suspicions were confirmed upon seeing their UTAH license plate when we finished.)
The hike up to this lookout climbs around 1100 ft in 1.3 miles. After two full days of hiking before this we were tired, but the push was worth it. This was the second time we planned for one thing and decided to “send it” adding on another side quest to the journey. I couldn’t be more thankful for Caitlin’s willingness to change things up last minute.
Also, shoutout to our breakfast keeping us full. We brought zero snacks on this 6.7 mile hike, and we didn’t need any.Don’t follow our lead.
As I mentioned earlier, I noticed the Utah plates on the car of the couple we saw coming down. They were sitting in the parking lot when we finished and they were the last car there. I decided to go up to them and tell them the through process I had, and how I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep going. I told them they had given us the confidence to keep climbing and it was so worth it.
They were a lovely couple who looked to be in their 60’s, and we shared a laugh. I will always remember this interaction. Another wonderful day in Canada. I boiled some potatoes for dinner to pair with a can of sardines and Kalamata olives before climbing into the tent for another night of listening to the trains carrying cargo. By this point the train sounds no longer bothered me.
Our last full day in Banff was spent at the most popular trail of the trip. More on that next.
Bear sightings: 0
Next Up: Lake Louise loop.
Q: Tell me I’m not alone with my incessant fear of the bears? It just never quit…
In my last post I shared about my adventures hiking in Mount Revelstoke National Park, setting up camp at the Lake Louise campground, and attempting to fall asleep our first night of tent camping. I say attempt because we happened to be situated right next to a shipping train route. When I tell you the train was hollering all night long, I mean allllll nigggghhttt looonnnggg.
I did not sleep well this first night, but there was no time to dwell on a lack of slumber. Our first day in Banff we decided to do a double – hike the short trail down to Peyto Lake, and then hop over to Helen Lake and say hi to her. We started with Peyto because while there is a path hiking down to the lake, most people take the easily accessible paved path to see the overlook. This makes for a very crowded spot after 0900.
For good reason, this was one of the most stunning colors of blue I have ever seen.
Please note the lack of sleep sitting on top of my eyelids.
We had the entire lookout to ourselves for a short while, which was something I don’t imagine many people get. As always, the early bird catches the view without throngs of other people around. From here we made our way to the trail, and I do not anticipate many people go down this trail. For one, it was steep as hell. For two, it’s not marked well. You’ll only really see it if you’re actively looking for it.
Thankfully for us we were looking for it and we made our way, down, down, dowwwnnn to the lake. This hike is only 2.5 miles round trip, with a gain of 1050ft. This may not sound like much, but going straight up 925ft of that in 0.80 miles hits the buns with a burn much like a scorched s’mores marshmallow.
Bear spray in hand. Always with the bear spray.
The view from below felt like we were deep within the mountains. We wandered around this open plain for a bit before making the climb back up. I’m being dramatic about the climb, it was certainly steep, but nothing we couldn’t handle. It was a good wake up, and a good warm up with the chilly morning air.
By the time we made it back to the main path we had to dodge so many people I felt like a fish swimming up stream. We clearly came at the right time because we missed all the tour buses. This is one of the more popular spots within Banff, and while it’s worth the visit, coming early is a must.
With our first hike tucked in our shoes we headed towards our second, and longer destination of the day. Banff has so many hikes off the main roads making driving from one location to another incredibly easy. We chose to hike the Helen Lake Trail, and other than a nice photo of a lake on AllTrails we had no idea what to expect.
The sign at the trail head told us this trail lead to a myriad of other off shoots, the closest one being the Dolomite Ridge. I had read a review on AllTrails stating the extra journey to the ridge was well worth the effort, but Caitlin and I decided to get to Helen Lake and decide from there if we wanted to keep going.
A no pressure approach, the kind that always pushes me to keep going.
The start of this trail was coo coo bananas. We quickly discovered that Canada doesn’t believe in the switchback system, and after a night of shit sleep we were both moving slow up what felt like another vertical climb. The hike started through open woods with minimal views, and while I enjoyed the challenge I found myself bored with the surroundings.
Just when I thought this was going to be a lackluster experience, the trail flattened out and the landscape widened. It only got better, and better, and better from here.
We made it to Helen and saw only one other party savoring the view. They asked us if we had binoculars, because on the peak in the above photo there were two tiny human specks at the top, and two coming down the trail. Turns out this was Cirque Peak, and was the most mild peak we ended up seeing within Banff.
Banff doesn’t mess around with the sketchy peaks.
We watched people coming down while debating if we wanted to continue along the trail to the ridge (not to be confused with the peak, no shot we were climbing up that.) I was feeling good, and I had plenty of juice in the tank. I credit this to the constant flow of adrenaline in my blood thanks to the awareness of the surrounding wildlife. I was on slight edge for this hike, hoping not to come face to face with Smokey Bear.
We eventually decided to “send it” and go up the ridge a bit and see what we thought.
A couple was coming back down as we passed, and we chatted with them briefly. They assured us the ridge was well worth the trek, so we eagerly continued on. Chatting with strangers along the way during our hikes became one of my favorite memories of this trip. Each interaction was brief, but a wholesome reminder that people are kind.
The views we saw on this ridge will live in my memories for a lifetime. I am still dreaming of this day, and it will likely be one of my all time favorite hikes. I was enamored. The 360 degree views of the changing landscape is a mental photograph I will forever be thankful for witnessing. It’s moments like this that remind me why I hike.
Starting up the ridge, view of Helen from a bit above.
Views from the ridge.Lake Katherine and her unnamed sister behind her.
The hike ended up being 9.5 miles, and took us 5:24 hours with breaks and view savoring. This turned out to be my favorite hike of our quick trip to Canada, one I would happily do again. About a mile from the car it started to rain, and we were good and soaked by the time we finished. The rain was looming as a possibility for this day, but overall we avoided the bulk of it.
I would have jumped in a lake and hiked back dripping just to see these views.
I quite enjoyed seeing Peyto and Helen both from above and from below. Such differing perspectives.
After a shower, a meal, and settling back into the campsite we decided to go for a short walk around the Lake Louise campground. Somehow we both still had energy in the tank. I blame excitement of a new location. We knew the rain was meant to continue into the following morning, so we planned to spend the first half of the day in the town of Banff playing tourists to wait it out.
We ended the night with a few games of Uno in the tent. I won the majority of them. But who’s counting.
Bear sightings: 0
Next up: Banff the town, and a visit to Yoho National Park
Q: Do you have extra energy when traveling, or does it have the opposite effect?
Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on September 28, 2024
If you read my previous post you will know my friend Caitlin and I took a trip to Canada with the intention of visiting Banff National Park. The entire goal of this trip was to hike as many trails as we could squeeze into four days. We spent our first night a few hours shy of the Lake Louise area in a town called Revelstoke.
In Revelstoke there was another national park we wanted to hike in, so as to experience multiple different parks within the Canadian Rockies.
We chose arguably the most popular trail in Mount Revelstoke National Park, seeing as there are few hikes and this is a very small national park. We hiked the Eva and Miller Lake Trail, giving us 11 miles to explore. We started the hike early as we always do, because trail reports indicated this was a popular spot. We wanted to ensure a place to park and avoid the main crowd.
The trail began through the woods, coming upon small meadows, and eventually opening up to expansive views of the surrounding mountains.
I was on high alert for nearly the entire first half of this hike. It was our first hike for the week, my bear meter was scanning a mile a minute, and within the first five minutes we stumbled upon bear poop right in the middle of the trail. Cool. Caitlin waved her magic hand over the dung to inquire if it were warm or not, and after we shared a laugh we continued on.
Finally when we made it to the first of these two lakes (Miller) I calmed down. We saw two other humans, and more humans always makes me feel better when I am in bear country. This lake was small, and the lighting was horrible so I did not take any photos. I did however take a photo of the facilities at this lake to show my plumber boyfriend.
Most luxurious toilet I’ve seen in the wild.The things I never thought I would photograph.
From here Eva lake is only a wee bit further, and is well worth the continuation. This lake was far superior in my opinion, and the perfect place to stop and eat a snack. The reflections of the surrounding trees provided the perfect symmetrical image to savor while eating my very first gingerbread flavored Larabar of the season. I wait all year for these spicy treats.
The trail makes an entire loop around the lake, offering different views as you go, but this initial view was my favorite. Close to the path leading to the lake sits a cabin where many previous hikers and campers have come. The inside walls are covered with messages and stories of those who came before us. The small table had a notebook for travelers, as well as some old candles to burn.
Many years ago I had a Canadian acquaintance who told me all throughout the trails and mountains of British Columbia sat little cabins like this where hikers could come and sleep. It sounded like it was a first come first serve/communal situation, and I remember being enamored by the idea of being able to hike deep into the mountains and always have a safe place to sleep.
Assuming you didn’t encounter any other psychotic hikers of course.
We walked the full loop before heading back towards the car. This national park had plenty of accessible views for people who were not as active as the hikers, and we wandered around the area near the parking lot before making the drive to our home for the next four nights. I could have sat savoring the views for hours.
We made it to the Lake Louise campground with plenty of daylight to spare, and I watched helplessly while Caitlin set up the tent. I’m half kidding, I did help her, but I had never set up her tent before and it was new to me. While I have camped in my life, it is never my go to choice when traveling.
I slept like hot garbage our first night, but I eventually settled into the routine of a campground and came to enjoy it.
We awoke early the next morning for our first day in Banff, which happened to be my favorite day of the trip. We hiked two trails in one day, the second of which being one I will dream about for many years to come.
Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on September 25, 2024
When I was in my early 20’s I took a weekend trip to Victoria, BC. My pal and I took a boat from Seattle into Victoria where we spent a couple days wandering the city. I can’t recall many trips to Canada prior to this, but it was time I had a proper visit to this neighboring country of mine. At the beginning of the year my dear friend Caitlin asked me if I wanted to go to Banff with her in the fall, and it seemed like a no brainer.
If it weren’t for my sweet geriatric cat this would have been the easiest yes. Someone else wants to drive, someone who hikes just as frequently as me (and at the same pace), someone who is chill and I enjoy spending time with…yes, yes, yes. Although I did said yes, my anxiety leading up to this trip was gnarly. Leaving my cat with my mom for six days was hard.
Thankfully this trip was great, my cat was fine, and I wish I could go back and do it all over again.
Banff had been on my bucket list for many years, and rightfully so. This area of Canada is unbelievably beautiful, but what I learned quite quickly was that the entire journey getting to Banff was going to be progressively scenic. The drive from where we live to where we were staying in Banff was about 10-12 hours depending on traffic, and we decided to break the drive up into two days.
We drove around 8 hours the first day to a mountain town called Revelstoke. We spent one of five nights living large in a nice hotel, and it was in this town we pretended we were royalty. We left Washington around 0500, and arrived in Revelstoke around 1330. With plenty of daylight left we walked around the small town, grabbed a coffee, and headed to a nearby river for a 6 mile walk.
This town was cozy and quaint, and I can see why people flock here in the ski season. Our walk was wonderful, and the perfect introduction for the week to come. Truth be told one of my biggest worries for this trip was entering into bear country. We have bears where I live, and there are sightings all the time, but something about the Canadian Rockies screamed grizzly to me.
I developed a somewhat unhealthy fear of bears after falling down the Grizzly Man rabbit hole. If you don’t know who that is, give him a Google. Since I became obsessed with his story I have been terrified of bears. I carried my bear spray with me almost everywhere, and I even slept with it in the tent. More on that later.
After our long walk through town and on parts of the Greenbelt Pathway we headed to our fancy pants hotel to soak up our last night of luxury before four days of tent camping. We stayed at the Basecamp Resorts property in Revelstoke, but this company has locations all over Western Canada. We stayed in the plebeian micro apartment, but they have luxury suites that were far beyond my willingness to pay.
Overall this hotel was worth the cost, had beautiful river views, a proper kitchen to cook dinner, and the most amazing hand soap I have ever used/smelled. Too bad the small bottle would have been $20. We savored the space for as long as we could keep our eyes open before heading off to bed. Our plan for the following morning was a hike in Mount Revelstoke National Park before making the final drive to Banff.
Revelstoke was lovely. I would absolutely return to this town and also to this hotel. The coffee shop we visited had multiple Australian employees, and it had me daydreaming of the days I too moved around to different states or different countries to work. I think of those days fondly, and while I may not be getting any younger, I think there are more of those days in my future.
Next up: hiking in Mount Revelstoke National Park
Q: Do you have a normal, healthy fear or bears, or would you be constantly on edge knowing they might cross your path?
Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on September 18, 2024
I try to visit Mount Rainier as least once a year, typically towards the end of the summer or the beginning of the fall. This year due to increased traffic, Rainier required a timed entry for the peak weeks of the summer. I had zero desire to get a timed ticket, and I knew if I wanted to visit I would have to arrive before 0700 when a ticket was not required.
A perk of living in the same state I suppose, more flexibility.
In order to arrive by 0700, my gal pal Caitlin and I left at 0345 on Sept 2, which happened to be the last day of needing a timed entry. It also happened to be Labor Day, and we were hoping the end of the holiday weekend meant fewer people. Thankfully we were right, and overall we did not encounter too many other humans. We didn’t encounter too many non humans either.
We started our hike around 0630, and the dark sky gave the mountain a beautiful blue hue.
We chose to do a trail we had both done before, but I had not done this hike since 2015. The Burroughs Mountain Trail was my very first hike at Mount Rainier, and how fitting that in 2015 I did it on a holiday as well. This time we did the looped trail which took us along the opposite side we came up providing different views I hadn’t seen before.
The hike up starts moderate, but begins to climb as you head towards Second Burroughs. A lot of people choose to stop here because the view is stunning no matter how far you go. We sat here just long enough to refuel our stomachs and enjoy the view, but our plan was to continue on towards Third Burroughs. If you have enough gas in the tank when doing this trail, continuing on is a must.
We encountered a few other hikers, one of which we played leap frog with to Second Burroughs, but overall it was a quiet hike. This is one of the many perks of starting before the sun is fully awake. We made it to Third Burroughs and momentarily had the entire area to ourselves. The climb up is a bit steeper than the climb to Second Burroughs, but the views are significantly more magnificent.
Caitlin for size reference.
The view from Third Burroughs feels like you’re sitting right on top of the mountain. Being this close gives me a false sense of distance, and it seems like the summit isn’t all that far away. In reality I would probably cry attempting to summit Mount Rainier. I do not like snowy crevasses. Or heights. Or snow covered heights.
Basically what I’m saying is that I’m a wimp, and I wear it with pride.
We sat at Third Burroughs for a while to refuel again, and if you clicked the above link to see my first visit to this trail you will see I ate a Larabar on that adventure (you will also see poor photo quality and me with a bob haircut vs a pixie cut.) I seem to have started a tradition of taking photos with my Larabars in beautiful locations, and this trip was no different.
Food just tastes better when you are in nature looking at epic mountains.
Hiking gives me sausage fingers.
After enjoying the view we made our way back towards the trail before splitting off onto the loop. From here the trail became lush and green, and the day grew much warmer than either of us anticipated. We are officially in the season of constantly changing temps throughout the day.
View of trail up to Third Burroughs.
This took us 5 hours and 36 minutes including our breaks at each Burrough, putting us back at my car around noon. We clocked in at 9.47 miles, and the last mile I was powered exclusively by visions of vanilla ice cream. One of my favorite reasons to go to Rainier is the ice cream spot we stop at after we are done. This local shop has amazing ice cream, and I look forward to it the day before we leave.
I brought some butter toffee cashews from Costco to go on my ice cream, and I made the right choice.
I’m not sure if I will make the trek to Rainier again this season, but maybe I can drag Duncan just for another excuse to get this ice cream. He too is motivated by treats, and there are so many trails to explore. I used to drive three hours to Portland and back in one day just to eat, so I don’t see how this is any different.
Just one week after this adventure Caitlin and I packed up her CRV and took a road trip to Banff, AB. We arrived home this past Saturday, and I cannot wait to share the photos and stories from our short week hiking in the Canadian Rockies. It feels so good to have a pal to road trip with for an exhausting yet exhilarating adventure of non stop hiking.
Q: Would you rather fight for a timed slot, or arrive before the sun to avoid the crowds?
Posted at 10:30 AM by Brittany, on September 6, 2024
This summer has been the season of the lakes for me. My activity of choice changes with the seasons, and summer is reserved for hiking as many places as possible. While I prefer hiking in the fall, summer hiking means I am far more likely to submerge myself in a body of water. I have managed a few more lake hikes since I last posted, one of which I swam in.
All of these hikes I have done before (and blogged about!) so I will share the link to the previous adventures because I like looking back in time.
First up I ventured to the Olympics for a tromp up to Lake Angeles. I did not swim in this lake because it was under 65 and I was a wimp. We did see one swimmer, and I commend him for his bravery. Caitlin, Duncan, and I had a lovely time on this adventure. We saw a multitude of frogs, very few other humans, and had coffee and ice cream after we finished. I was wild and chose a honey lavender flavor, but it did not sit well. This is why I stick to vanilla.
Hike Highlight: spending time giggling with my two favorite people. Read about my last venture to Lake Angeles here. (I was much more philosophical in that post. lol.)
Next up was a trek to my favorite alpine lake within the Alpine Lake Wilderness. I used to embark on this trail solo after a long week working at Starbucks, and it holds a very close spot in my heart. I wrangled up three of my coworkers (including Caitlin because duh) and we headed to Melakwa Lake on a Friday morning.
I almost didn’t make it out the door however, because look at what I had to say goodbye to…
My heart.
I warned my other two coworkers who had not been hiking much that this trail was relatively steep, but they were up for the challenge. Despite the fact that I had done this trail many times, I had not been since they reconstructed the parking. I was thrown off by this and ended up taking us on the adjacent trail adding another 2 miles to our day.
While this made for a longer hike overall, I was jazzed we made this detour because I had never ventured down this other trail. This 2 mile out and back leads to Franklin Falls, and I can’t believe I never took the time to make this detour on my last few visits to Melakwa Lake.
We managed around 12 miles total this day, and while one of my pals was in a good bit of discomfort after, she is still up for another adventure. We spent just enough time at the lake for three of us to swim, snack, and SAVOR the surrounding beauty! No ice cream after this hike, how sad for me.
Next up was a stroll to Snow Lake, one of the most popular trails in the Alpine Lake Wilderness. I was quickly reminded why I do not hike this trail on a weekend, alas I wanted my Monday – Friday working boyfriend to go with us on this hike. I also saw a woman hiking up with a cat in a mesh backpack, so I guess it was worth it.
We started early making the hike up pleasant because we didn’t see many people. We secured the perfect spot on a rock by the lake to drool over the view before heading back to the car. This hike is more of a moderate one, which is partially why it’s so popular. Caitlin, her pup Poncho, Duncan, and I ventured off for this stroll on a Sunday. Never again.
This was another chilly day so we did not swim in this lake either, which is a bit of a bummer. Last summer Caitlin and I hiked to Snow Lake, and continued on further to Gem Lake where we did swim. I have yet to swim in Snow Lake, so next year it will be a must. Coming back down after we enjoyed our snacks was a nightmare. There were more people than a big city train station and I was loosing my mind. No more popular weekend hikes for me, sorry Duncan. Also no ice cream after this. I am deprived.
It was too cold to swim, but much too warm for pants and a baselayer. The back sweat was strong for me.
Ok, but then I got cold.
Lastly a quick honorable mention. My mom spent a week in Glacier with one of her girlfriends last month, which meant I got to stay home with my sister. For those of you who don’t know, my older sister has autism. My mom and I tag team taking care of her, and while she will never be fully independent she is relatively high functioning.
She loves going on adventures, and was keen on the idea of going for a hike with me and Duncan.
We took her to a moderate trial, and while I dressed her myself I was shocked to discover just minutes before arriving at the trail head that she had changed out of her Nike shoes and into her Converse shoes. I refused to turn back, so we hoped for the best. Turns out she was more eager than both of us to get to the top (perhaps because Duncan told her she could have a Beanie Baby from our bin in the garage after), and her shoes worked fine.
Hike Highlight: watching her trail blaze like a pro.
There is a lake in the background, so it belongs in this post.
Q: Do you prefer savory or sweet after a long physical endeavor?
Just on the outskirts of my most beloved town of Leavenworth sits a bumpy, pot hole filled road that leads to one of the most popular hiking trails in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. I have lived in Washington for most of my life, aside from a couple temporary moves for jobs, and the hike to Colchuck Lake has been on my radar for many of those years.
The main deterrents for why I had not yet hiked to Colchuck Lake were: distance (three and a half hour drive to trail head from my house), road to trail head (no way my Toyota Camry would make it), and popularity (trails are popular for a reason, but I loathe huge crowds while hiking.) All that said, I knew I still wanted to hike this trail at least once in my life. Lucky for me my pal Caitlin has a car made for roads like this, and she matches my go getter attitude when it comes to hiking.
This meant we decided to leave at 4am on a Friday, and drive the three and a half hours to the trail head to beat the crowds.
We arrived around 0745 to find the parking lot full, but we only had to park a few spaces down on the road. Caitlin has done this trail before, and she told me parking on the road backs up multiple miles during the peak weekends in the summer. We arrived at a good time. Despite doing this hike at the tail end of July, I was shocked to discover how cold it was at this time of the morning.
The temps were in the mid 30’s and it took me close to an hour to fully warm up my fingers and my legs.
The first couple miles of this trail pass through wooded forests with tall trees and lush green plants. The trail is moderate for these miles and doesn’t begin to climb until you’re out of the trees. From there the lush green disappears, the trees get shorter, and the legs feel wobblier. We took our time getting to the lake, and we arrived around 1020. The downside of arriving this early was that the lighting was terrible.
The upside was that there were minimal people at the lake and we were able to find our own pocket to sit.
We snacked and savored the view for about 20 minutes, all the while I was gathering the courage to get into the water. The hike warmed me up, but it was still slightly cooler than I would have liked in order to dive head first into the water. In all reality, I never dive head first – I walk out and take far too long to commit to the cold because I am a wimp. Alas, I always submerge myself eventually.
After sitting on a rock contemplating when I wanted to shock my body I finally decided to pull the trigger. If the sun is shining, and the temps are above 70 I will without a doubt get into the water. I try to collect alpine lake swims like 1999 Pokémon cards. Gotta catch em’ all.
Caitlin captured my contemplative scowl.
Nothing like getting your hair wet to remind you just how big your forehead is. LOL
Caitlin eventually joined me in the water, and we played mermaids for quite some time. I found it difficult to get out of the water once I was in. There are few things more invigorating than a cold alpine lake surrounded by mountains. I finally dragged my soaked skin out of the water to dry in the sun, and I was thankful I had my jacket once again.
I needed my jacket for another couple miles after we left the lakedespite a comfortable 70 degree wind and sunshine.
Made a new friend, but he wouldn’t swim with me. Rude.
Colchuck Lake was just as beautiful as I expected, but I think I enjoyed the second half of our hike more than this lake. The trailhead for Colchuck begins at the trailhead for Lake Stuart, another lake within the forested area. The trail comes to a fork about 2 miles in, and this is where most people go to the left and head towards Colchuck.
We decided that we were going to hike to both Colchuck and to Lake Stuart since we were already in the area.
The additional hike to Lake Stuart only added another 4 or so miles, and while overall this was doable, once the heat kicked in and the bugs started to party next to our faces the slog became tough. The main trail to Lake Stuart isn’t anything to write home about, but just under a mile or so into this portion of the trail the forested surroundings open up to one of the most unbelievable meadows I have ever seen. I am still dreaming about these views.
Caitlin is the best paparazzi ever.
The trail is barely visible amongst the brush, but this added to the fully immersed sensations of being in the meadow. If it weren’t for the incessant buzzing of bugs trying to feast on my flesh I could have stood here for hours. We trudged on another mile and some change before seeing Lake Stuart in all his glory. Not quite as in your face as Colchuck, but beautiful nonetheless.
I appreciate a modest lake.
Lake Stuart was quiet and we only saw one patch of campers in this location, allowing us our own pocket of nature. We sat here just long enough for me to eat 3/4 of an apple before making our way back through the meadow, and back to the car. We arrived back to the car around 1545, making this an 8 hour excursion covering 13.1 miles. The most beautiful half marathon I have walked in years.
You can see the official trail details if you click here. Just know AllTrails is notorious for being off on milage.
Just when I thought the hike couldn’t get any better, we encountered a chipmunk at the tail end of the hike with cheeks stuffed to the brim. I am still laughing at the sight of his swollen cheeks, but I was too focused on him begging for more food to snap a photo. This will be one of the mental snapshots that will forever live within my memories.
We ended our adventure with a walk through the town of Leavenworth for a cup of coffee and a scoop of ice cream from Whistlepunk Ice Cream Co. I had been wanting to try this ice cream since Duncan and I were in Leavenworth back in April. I didn’t get any then because I had already eaten a cupcake the size of my face, and while it goes against my intrusive thoughts I do in fact have self control over my sweets intake.
The ice cream was worth the wait, and you may tell me it’s boring to get vanilla flavored ice cream, but I will tell you the best way to test ice cream is by getting the basic flavor. That and I just like vanilla. Too many bells and whistles in my ice cream and I’ll feel 10x worse than ice cream already makes me feel. This pit stop was the perfect ending to an epic adventure. We started the drive back home around 1730, and I arrived back to my fur child just after 2100. A full day, a full belly, and a full spirit.
Q: What is your go to ice cream flavor? Vanilla for me these days, but back in my heyday I was known to go for cookie dough, anything with peanut butter and chocolate chunks, or cookies and cream.
I tend to change with the seasons both mentally and physically. My moods change, my activities change, and my habits change. I find that living in a state with four seasons allows me to appreciate the changes, and allows me to let go of what no longer serves me. When summer hits I know I will stay up later in the evening, feel naturally a bit more joyful from the extra vitamin D, and most importantly my hiking shoes get a lot more use.
I still hike year round when possible, but in the summer I can climb into the mountains that were once off limits because of snow. I appreciate the seasons forcing me to wait for these moments each year. In a world surrounded by instant gratification I enjoy the delay. Waiting for an adventure makes the journey that much sweeter.
When it comes to choosing a hike, I am one who reads trail reports like I am studying for a college exam. I need as much information as possible to feel prepared and to quell my anxiety. Once I find a trail that is up to snuff in my book I wrangle a willing participant and venture to the mountains. Lucky for me, last summer I befriended my coworker Caitlin and the rest has been history.
She is just as eager to hike as I am, which lets Duncan off the hook for weekly excursions.
Our first bigger summit of the season happened to coincide with the first 90 degree day of a very hot week. We left as early as possible to beat the heat, and overall we were successful. Caitlin, her sister Christina, Duncan, myself, and Caitlin’s sweet pup hiked to the top of Mount Townsend, a trail I have done a handful of times now.
This is a great hike to welcome the season, with spectacular views of the surrounding Olympic mountains.
The day was certainly hot, but when we are on mountain time there is no rush in getting to the top. Gone are the days I used to hike just to rush to the top. There was once a period of my life where I hiked solo a lot. I enjoyed this season of my life, but just like the seasons of weather – things change.
I enjoyed hiking alone and going at my own pace, but the reason I started doing it was because I couldn’t find any willing participants. Now that I am older and wiser (and far more anxious) I avoid hiking alone. I am thankful to have met both Caitlin and Duncan in the last few years, because now I never have to go alone.
While summer is likely my least favorite season, I take full advantage of the longer days. Summer months bring early starts to beat the crowds, and less fear of trying to beat the darkness of the setting sun. We only saw a handful of people on this hike, allowing us to find our own pocket of solace at the summit. We snacked, we savored, and then we sauntered our way back to the car.
Day hikes like this are the perfect summer excursion for me because I have something to look forward to on my weekends, but I am home in time to snuggle with my kitty in the evening. It’s taken me a while to appreciate the simpler things in life, but sometimes all it takes is a hike in my own backyard (metaphorically speaking of course) to bring me to life after a long week.
While I am ready for the high 80 / low 90 degree days to go away, I plan to use them to my advantage on some of these hikes. Insert alpine lake here. More on that in my next post. Who doesn’t love a good cold plunge after a grueling hike.
Q: What’s your favorite season? Hands down fall for me. I don’t care that it’s only August, I LOVE seeing all the fall themed items in the stores.
BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long hikes, deep connections, exploration, and lots of potatoes.
If this blog does not meet your standards, please lower your standards.
Blissfulbritt 