Hike-a-thon is chugging along, and I'm keeping up with my goal of hiking twice a week around the Middle Fork. I've also made my Tableau viz, this year adding GPS tracks for my Middle Fork hikes and images when mousing over the calendar. Click here or on the image to get to the viz, which you can interact with (best on non-mobile).
Thompson Lake
This was a solo hike. I'd originally intended to do something a bit spicier, but as the cloudy forecast turned into rain on the drive, I decided that the potential of slipping and falling in a place where there might not be anyone else around wasn't the best choice, so I changed my plan to the Granite Lakes trail.
Clear evidence of trail maintenance
First thought: it's so nice to be on maintained trail! This was a world of difference from last week's Rainy Lake adventure. Both of these hikes made me very grateful for trail work, because I could clearly see how much of a difference there was between well-maintained trail and a non-maintained route. I couldn't believe how much easier and faster the elevation gain was.
Foxglove
By normal standards, it was a gloomy and unattractive day for hiking. But after lots of continuous sun and heat, I was thankful for the overcast weather and occasional drizzle. Flowers on the trail weren't bountiful, but I saw a lot of foxglove that was looking really nice, and I got little patches of other flowers like columbine and tiger lily.
Junction sign
At the junction of Granite and Thompson, I hesitated but decided to go for Thompson, since it was longer, would probably be quieter, and was a lake I hadn't been to before. On the way back, I definitely had the energy to tag Granite as well, but in the interest of time I decided not to. One guy blew by me as I was trying to decide, and he and I leapfrogged a few times on the way there and on the way back.
Foxglove and white aster(?)
hungry slug
There were a few small groups leaving the lake as I arrived. While I was there, it was only me and Mr. Leapfrog, and I moved out of sight range, so it felt very solitary and quiet. I sat on some rocks and ate a bag of Doritos.
Initial view of Thompson Lake
moody clouds
Thompson Lake
The trail actually continues from Thompson Lake on to Mount Defiance! It's interesting to see how the trails of the Middle Fork link to other areas where I've hiked. I knew there was a trail that went somewhere past Mt. Defiance but it never clicked until this trip exactly where that went.
moody forest
I ran most of the way down, since the trail was in great condition and my legs were feeling good. Then out to Popeye's for a well-deserved spicy chicken sandwich.
Popeye's chicken sandwich
Lake Kachess
I took a break from the Middle Fork to do some quick overnight camping trips at Lake Kachess. On the second trip, Shawn and I brought our inflatable kayaks and paddled on the lake for awhile. It was peak time for the Perseid meteor shower, and conditions were favorable since we were east of Snoqualmie Pass, and we saw some really spectacular meteors. A good number of large, slow, and long-tailed meteors this time.
Lake Kachess
We also did some walking along the Lakeshore Trail loop, which gave a few different perspectives of the lake and also introduced us to a hardworking squirrel.
squirrel lugging around a large pinecone
Oxbow Loop
This short 2 mile loop off of the Middle Fork surprised me! It's easily accessible, short, with no elevation gain, and I hadn't heard of it before. I assumed it would be boring. But the scenery ended up being very pretty. The path going through the trees was so lush and green. In the first section, there were dozens of tiny little frogs jumping across the trail. We tried to be careful not to step on them.
so much green!
The hike goes around a little lake that was cut off from the main river. Along the way, there are several nicely placed benches where you can sit and admire the scenery. There's also a side trail down to the river.
peaceful bench
I often focus too much on big hikes that I forget how pleasant the shorter ones can be. I'm definitely glad that Hike-a-thon is helping me remember!
Middle Fork Snoqualmie River
