Mount Dickerman

 

I left work an hour early on Friday, and shot out the Mountain Loop Highway for an early evening hike up Mount Dickerman.  The trail is pretty much all switchbacks going up, with limited views until near the top.  The trail has about 4000 feet elevation gain in four miles.  The views up high are terrific, with Glacier Peak being a highlight.  I did this trail some 15 years ago—good to be back.

I didn’t quite make the summit this time. I should've left an hour earlier. I became a little leary of descending completely in the dark, without anyone there to catch my fall.  (Billy I. reference, catch that?)  The trail is a rocky one, with sudden one or two foot drops, and some steep slopes off the side—not a problem in the light, but it didn’t look fun in the dark.  

As it turned out, it WAS really fun in the dark.  Friday was a hot day, 95 degrees, and walking down the hill in early dark was perfect.  It’s been too long since I’ve done a headlamp adventure. 

Bottom line, I got a great workout to end the work week, plus a nice drive up the Mountain Loop Highway.  I'm calling this a hike, but I pushed hard going up, jogged a bit on the down. I managed to see some North Cascade peaks and wildflower patches, and still got home by 10:30.  This left me time for home, work, and family stuff over the weekend. 

I could take a few more weeks of August this year. 

Hike details:

Hidden Lake Lookout

 

Last Saturday I went up to Hidden Lake Lookout in the North Cascades with friends Craig and Greg.  We got an early start, meeting in Burlington at 5:30 AM, which was key to the day.  Empty trail, empty lookout, quiet on the mountaintop. Maybe 30 folks were coming up as we headed back, midday.

The lookout sits at 6900 feet elevation, and the views on Saturday were peerless.  Glacier Peak, Mount Baker, Mount Rainier, all clear and near, not a cloud in the sky.  We could see the Olympics, Marblemount, Skagit Valley, and all the peaks around Cascade Pass.  

It was hot out, and the sun took a bit of a toll on me.  We crossed many tame snow fields, from about halfway up.  Hidden Lake is still frozen, but has cracks of azure blue, crissing and crossing.  By now, it probably has little icebergs floating, after the 80 degree weekend days. The snow fields were melting fast as we came down, with patches of watermelon ice in the drainages.  An avalanche occurred across the trail sometime between when we went up and came down.

The lookout is really a work of love for volunteers.  It has a bed, a desk, a stove.  A stool to stand on in lightning storms.  A little library.  Log books going back decades.  I recognized a few signatories.  It is open to all, first come first served.  I might try to get back this year.  

Wildflowers are on.  This year, I seem better at naming them.  The hike itself is about 9 miles total.  Trailhead is about 15 miles or so east of Marblemount.

Annie’s Pizza afterwards.  Came home and watched the other Olympics.

 

Anacortes Art Dash

Last Saturday I made it out to Anacortes to help out with the annual Art Dash. 5k, 10k, and Half-marathon options, kicking off the annual arts festival. Terry helped make another race in the Skagit happen, with Stan, Delores, and many others helping out. This little event is getting bigger and bigger, with over 600 people running this year. I held a timer and went click, click, click.

Afterwards, I did a jog around some of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands. Anacortes has some terrific trails, circling Heart Lake, Whistle Lake, Mount Eerie, and other parts.  I mostly ran around the Whistle Lake area, which is a beautiful lake. Many were headed up that way to swim.

While u-picking Sunday, we came across a small nest, tucked high in the tayberry bush, with five tiny, little soft-blue eggs. Had to include a picture here. The weather has finally turned summer, the berries are happening, at $1.90 a pint, and the high country is opening up.

Congratulations to all those who were out there running White River last Saturday. A part of me really wanted to be there, but I think I need a refresher 50k first. And congrats to friend Seth for finishing his run across the U.S. And Terry, for his incredible Badwater run. If I start this, I won't be able to stop--very inspired by my friends these days.

Happy summer!

Loggerodeo

 

The Great Sedro-Woolley Footrace is a Fourth of July tradition in Skagit County.  I just call it Loggerodeo, after the name of the small town festival that Sedro-Woolley puts on every year.  The week long Loggerodeo festival is known for its chain saw art carving contests, dancing in the street, the footrace, a rodeo, and a Fourth of July parade.

The race itself has a 5.17 mile option and a 2 mile option.  It’s all road, basically flat, and fast.  The two mile option stays in town, running by stores, craftsman homes, and through tree lined streets.  The 5.17 route goes further, out by horse and farm fields, briefly along the Skagit River, past a carnival, and then finishes in town on the parade route, with people watching and cheering from chairs on both sides of the street for almost a mile.  It makes for a fun way to start the Fourth.

Today’s weather was great.  Near spectacular really.  So thankful for the weather we have here in the Northwest, after talking with my family back east and in Colorado.  I’m running mostly on memory these days, huffing and puffing my way down the street, but I’ll keep it up with the baby steps approach.  Glad to get back to this wonderful event.  Been too long.

And, GREAT to see Skagit Runners volunteering, as they always do—people like Kevin, Stan, Delores, Katie, Brock and others.  Great also to hang out after the race with Craig, Heather, Ruth and Dean. 

Happy Fourth of July, all!

Sourdough Mountain

 

Mike and I made a go at Sourdough Mountain this morning, getting up to about 4400 feet before turning around due to snow.  Rainy morning, rain like a rain forest, where the rain is everywhere, but not pounding, with birds still chirping.  But lots of rain.  It was one of those days—rains all day, until you get back to the car.   

The first three miles up were as steep as ever, forcing me to catch my breath a number of times, but ultimately a very good climb.  It seems I don’t really have downhill muscles either these days.  It was a good workout—just what I needed.

We got an early start, leaving Mount Vernon at 6 AM, and were first to the trailhead, but we never saw anyone all day anyway.  I’m sure it’s possible to get up to the top now with the right equipment, but the trail looks to be about three weeks away still.

Stopped for honey in Marblemount, purchased on the honor system!, and then Annie’s flying chicken pizza in Concrete.  

For past reports about Sourdough Mountain, a favorite of mine, click here, here, or here. On a good day, the views from the top are some of the best around. It's also a mountain with some history.

King Tut

In the 1970s, King Tut toured the U.S. courtesy of Egypt. Steve Martin made a lot of moolah with his song King Tut, and the exhibit was a bit of a sensation. As a kid, I always wanted to go, sort of, but it never happened.

Fast forward to 2012. An even bigger King Tut display is in Seattle, perhaps for the last time. Really recommend checking it out. The sheer age of all the exhibits is staggering. Everything is 3500 years old, and yet the workmanship is so impressive. I thought it was very worthwhile. I landed tickets through my alumni association--there are ways to get discounts. Recommend paying the $5 extra for the handheld self-tour recording--lots of extra info.

Scribes below in the stone. Pic above is Tut, and is a stopper for a container which contained one of his organs. Statue below is another ancient king. Below that is a cat sarcophagus, made of stone. Plus some more pics.

Nashville

I went to Nashville for a professional conference a week or so ago. Six days, five nights in the south, in June. Wasn't as humid as it could be, but the thunder rolled a few days. Gully washers. I ran a bit, but mostly I worked sun up to sun down, afterwards making it downtown a few times.

Nashville is a blast. Calling itself Music City, the bands there play all sorts of stuff, though mostly country and whatever will earn a tip. I suspect they'll never get too far from the Appalachian roots. I think I heard seven different versions of Old Crow Medicine Show's Wagon Wheel. Alabama's Mountain Music, Devil Went Down to Georgia, and anything by Jason Aldean seemed en vogue. I realize some would call this the fourth circle of Hell. They'll sing about that too. For a tip.

I'm told the Red, White and Blue trails at Percy-Warner Park are the place to run. Didn't get out there, regrettably, but I'll blog about them anyway. The terrain and flora seem similar to Virginia and the mid-Atlantic, though warmer. I thought the country was beautiful. Really regret not having a car, as I wanted to run the RC/Moon Pie Festival 10 miler, but it was some 50 miles away on a day where I had to be in conference. There is a local running club, for group runs.

Everyone recommends Jack's Bar B Q downtown for eats, and a trip through Robert's Western World and Tootsies Lounge are said mandatory. Learned a lot about barbq on this trip--hit Jack's twice, favor the Carolina Sauce. Toured the Ryman, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and wandered the streets. Popped into Gruhn's Guitars, a favorite of musicians. Caught a night at the Grand Ol Opry, with Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan and Craig Morgan, contemporary stars.