Posts Tagged ‘rainier’

While away for the past week visiting my hometown of Seattle, WA, I labored daily on the sad fact that I had not posted much on my site in a while. My trips back home always keep me busy with seeing friends and family and visiting my old hangouts (the University of Washington district, Capitol Hill and this time up north in Bellingham, near the Canadian border, where my very adorable (and very loud) niece and nephew live).

Lake Washington near the U of Washington

At a beach in Bellingham, WA looking across to British Columbia, Canada

An old boat at the Semiahmoo Resort just outside Bellingham

Unlike most of my visits back home, not to mention like most days in general in Seattle, the weather was nice this time, yes–nice. It wasn’t the 90+ degrees that I have been used to the past couple weeks here in the NE, but it was in the low 70′s and not a drop of rain fell (I know, pinch me, right?) These “dry spells”–even the short ones– I think apply some sort of magical spell on the locals and expats like myself because during them, one questions why they would ever complain about Seattle. Surrounded by a natural fortress of mountains in every direction with the ocean and lakes populating the city and surrounding suburbs, the air is clean, the people are friendly and the atmosphere feels organic–as though you can’t imagine NOT buying your veggies, fruit and even meats fresh from the local markets while dressing in your Birkenstock’s and fleece (& I am so not making fun-this is a very comfortable attire, one I had to sort of give up when moving back east to save myself from the horrified looks and assumptions that I was some sort of modern day hippie–a label I was quite proud to have while living in Seattle).

view of Mt Rainier over Lake Union. Photo credit: Tim Knight

Of course, these moments of sun are short lived and even the most die-hard Seattlite will tell you that at times, the weather can be a real downer. Many of my friends have been inflicted with severe vitamin D deficiency requiring prescription level meds (and if you are reading this right now and finding yourself getting angry at this statement–don’t blame me, blame the lack of sun and get thee to a doctor for some prescription Vit-D pills) and large vacation bills to take them away from Seattle to seek sun (a Seattle local and friend of mine told me on this recent trip she wished her family could go geo-caching (a very popular hobby/sport in the Pacific NW) for Sun).

So–to celebrate the nice weather while I was there I felt it only necessary to broadcast that fact to help offset the common belief that the sun doesn’t come out much in my home town.
In fact– here is the weather forecast for the next few days. Is that partly sunny, or partly cloudy? I never did learn the difference of this common Seattle forecast.

With Spring officially here and the snow finally melted, I’m ready to get outside! Lets hike!

Growing up in the Pacific North West, it was hard NOT to hike. The outdoor co-op company REI has it’s headquarters in Seattle, the mountain ranges are populated with gorgeous waterfalls, canopied by enormous evergreen trees and thick with rain forests and mountain lakes–some not yet reached by humans. The year-round moderate temperatures in the area allow for enjoyable hiking in every season (just be prepared to spend some money on the Gortex gear as it does rain; a lot.).

Seattle with Rainier in the background flickr: jim914109

University of Washington with mountains at sunset.

In Seattle, where I lived, one can look in every direction (on a clear day of course), and see snow capped mountains encircling the entire city with the gem of the state, the highest elevation point in Washington towering above all the rest: Mt Rainier–nearly 15K feet at the summit. While impossible to hike to the top of Rainier causally as much planning is required due to the conditions and elevation gain– it is not uncommon to go on a day hike in and around Rainier or in other areas just outside of Seattle and reach an elevation gain of 4000 to 5000 ft. Aside from Rainier National Park there are dozens of other hiking spots that are easily climbed in just a few hours including the still active Volcano Mt. St. Helens and one of my favorite spots, Mt. Si which tops out at 4166 ft and is 8 miles round trip.

Mt Rainier flickr: pjink11

Oregon and Vancouver BC make up the rest of the NW and also have their share of hike destinations including Mt. Hood and Crater Lake just outside of Portland, Or and endless trails in Whistler BC –a couple hours drive from Vancouver. Both Ski resorts in the Winter, Whistler and Mt Hood boast nearly as many visitors in the summer for hiking and mountain biking as they do in the Winter due to their reputation for reliably sunny skies and accommodating village environment with lodging, restaurants and nightlife .

Crater Lake

Mt Hood

Whistler

In contrast–here in my new state of New York–the highest point is Mt. Marcy in the Adirondack Mountain Range at 5134 ft. The Adirondacks, in the NE part of New York, boast many lakes and hiking trails, was the nation’s first preserved wilderness and the closest distance for Manhattanites escape the concrete forest and experience the “real” outdoors.

Lake George is one of the highlights in the Adirondacks (popular not just for hiking but also fishing and swimming) and other spots I’ve had the time to discover in the area are Lake Placid, home of the 1980 Winter Olympics and Stowe, VT.

Stowe too is a ski mecca in the winter but caters to the spring and summer crowd with Gondola rides to the tops of the peaks and well kept trails with names like Hogback Mountain and Emily’s Bridge to bring you down.

Stowe, VT

While the elevation gain of these North East locations cannot be compared to the West Coast, one benefit out East is traveling far distances is not required to find hiking opportunities in many different states. The states in the NE are much smaller in size and are in closer proximity to each other than are the states out West, so East Coast hikers generally hike different spots more often.

For example, driving from New Jersey to Vermont takes about 4 hours, but the different routes and states traveled during that drive all have varying trails and scenery (not to mention historical and cultural landmarks). The same time span traveled in the West Coast may get you to the edge of a bordering state, but likely you will still be within the same state you started in.

So which area has better hiking? West or East? Of course it is based on personal preference. If elevation gain is your thing and you don’t mind a little soggy hiking, head West. If covering more area quicker without sacrificing beauty is more appealing–come out East. Either way– go, hike!

the author, hiking Whistler, BC

For more information on any of the trails or locations mentioned, please leave a comment and I will get back to you!

All pictures by diana ellefson except where mentioned.