Smokin' Sofa

Sofa out the back door of the Da Spot Hooka Lounge. For other mural walls from the lounge, see Da Spot Hookah Lounge Murals. And, finally an entry that includes the category "outdoor furniture" and "mural".

West Fork Foss River and Lakes

 

Left: Green Insect on Angelica; Right: Google Earth Hike KML for West Fork Foss River


Hike Notes

Length: 15* miles roundtrip (WTA reports it as 13.0)
Duration: 9.25 hours
Elevation Gain: 5,841 ft (starting 1,658 ft, max 4,938 ft)
Location: Central Cascades, Stevens Pass West

* We recorded 15 miles because we took the detour to Lake Malachite, and we walked a bit further around Big Heart Lake. Our measurements come from a Canon GPS logger.

Our third day hike of the 2014 season and a tough one at that. We had sunny skies, warm temperatures, lakes, incredible terrain, and relatively few mosquitoes, what’s not to like about that. On the hike, we visited five lakes, in order: Trout Lake (elev. 2,000 feet), Lake Malachite (4,098 feet), Copper Lake (3,961 feet), Little Heart Lake (4,204 feet), and Big Heart Lake (4,545 feet). In our opinion, Copper Lake is the prettiest and most accessible.

Plants and Fungi
[Family] Genus species (Common name)

[Pteridaceae] Adiantum aleuticum (Western Maidenhair Fern)
[Asteraceae] Anaphalis margaritacea (Pearly Everlasting)
[Apiaceae] Angelica genuflexa (Kneeling Angelica)
[Cladoniaceae] Cladonia macilenta (Lipstick Cladonia)
[Orchidaceae] Corallorhiza mertensiana (Western Coralroot - Orchid)
[Ericaceae] Elliottia pyroliflorus (Copperbush)
[Rosaceae] Geum macrophyllum (Large-leaved Avens)
[Ericaceae] Hypopitys monotropa (Pinesap, Dutchman’s Pipe)
[Liliaceae] Lilium columbianum (Columbia Lily)
[Caprifoliaceae] Linnaea borealis (Twinflower)
[Lobariaceae] Lobaria pulmonaria (Lungwort)
[Scrophulariaceae] Penstemon serrulatus (Cascades Penstemon)
[Lamiaceae] Prunella vulgaris (Self-heal)
[Rosacaea] Rubus lasiococcus (Dwarf Bramble)
[Rosaceae] Rubus parviflorus (Thimbleberry)
[Rosaceae] Rubus spectablis (Salmonberry)
[Adoxaceae[ Sambucus racemosa (Red Elderberry)
[Asteraceae] Senecio triangularis (Arrow-leaved Groundsel)
[Rosaceae] Sorbus sitchensis (Sitka Mountain-Ash)
[Liliaceae] Stenanthium occidentale (Mountainbells)
[Rosaceae] Spirea douglasii
[Rosaceae] Spirea spendens (S. densiflora)
[Saxifragaceae] Tiarella trifoliata (Foamflower)
[Melanthiaceae] Xerophyllum tenax (Bear Grass)

Butterfly: Parnassius clodius (Clodius Parnassian)


Anaphalis margaritacea (Pearly Everlasting)

A Bug’s Single Bar: Kneeling Angelica

Trout Lake


Malachite Lake


Copper Lake


Little Heart Lake


Big Heart Lake

Viewing Malachite Lake Behind the Photographer (miniature effect) and a Tree Hugger on the West Fork Foss River?


Corallorhiza mertensiana (Western Coralroot - Orchid)

Left: Adiantum aleuticum (Western Maidenhair Fern); Right: Vaccinium ovalifolium?


Left: Elliottia pyroliflorus (Copperbush); Center: Geum macrophyllum (Largeleaf Avens); Right: Sambucus racemosa (Red Elderberry)



Right: Hypopitys monotropa (Pinesap, Dutchman's Pipe); Right: Lilium columbianum


Penstemon serrulatus? (Cascades penstemon)


Left: Rubus lasiococcus (Dwarf Bramble); Right: Prunella vulgaris (Selfheal)

Left: Rubus parviflorus (Thimbleberry) Immature Fruit; Right: Rubus spectablis (Salmonberry) Flower

Senecio triangularis (Arrow-leaved Groundsel) Leaves and Flower


Left: Sorbus at Lake Malachite; Right: Thistle Trailside


Left: Spirea douglassi (hardhack); Right: Spirea spendens (by Lake Malachite)


Stenanthium occidentale (Mountainbells)


Tiarella trifoliata (Foamflower)

Johnson Ridge Hike

View from Scorpion Mountain Peak, Looking East


Left: Johnson Ridge Meadow Slope; Right: View from Scorpion Mountain, Looking South


Hike Notes
Length: 9.9 miles (WTA reports it as 9.0)
Duration: 6 hours
Elevation Gain: 4,723 ft (starting 3,700 ft, max 5,540 ft)
Location: Central Cascades, Stevens Pass West

Our second hike of the 2014 season. A pleasant hike under misty, cool skies. We made it to Scorpion Mountain Peak and then on a little more to Joan Lake, which was still snowed in. This hike made up for the less than idea Crystal Mountain Loop Hike a week earlier. The Johnson Ridge trail has you following a ridge that unexpectedly has very large trees on it, lending a sheltered feeling. You are literally weaving between trees as you follow the ridge. Then you poke out onto a meadow for a bit, and then back into trees. Very magical.

Plants
[Ericaceae] Cassiope mertensiana (White Heather)
[Portulacaceae] Claytonia lanceolata (Western Spring Beauty)
[Liliaceae] Clintonia uniflora (Queen-Cup)
[Onagraceae] Chamerion angustifolium (Fireweed)
[Liliaceae] Erythronium grandiflorum (Yellow Glacier Lily)
[Liliaceae] Lilium columbianum (Columbia Lily)
[Boraganaceae] Mertensia paniculata (Tall Bluebells)
[Scrophulariaceae] Nothocheolone nemorosa (Woodland Beardtongue or Turtlehead)
[Ericaceae] Phyllodoce empetriformis (Pink Mountain-Heath)
[Rosaceae] Potentilla flabellifolia (Fan-Leaved Cinquefoil)
[Ericaceae] Orthilia secunda (Sidebells Wintergreen) was Pyrola secunda[Ranunculaceae] Ranunculus easchscholtzii (Snowpatch Buttercup)?
[Ericaceae] Rhododentron albiflora (White Rhododendron)

Left: Phyllodoce empetriformis (Pink Mountain-Heath); Right: Cassiope mertensiana (White Heather)


Left: Chamerion angustifolium (Fireweed); Right: Lupine with small beetle

Left: Claytonia lanceolata (Western Spring Beauty); Right: Clintonia uniflora (Queen-Cup)

Johnson Ridge Meadow Flowers (South-Facing)




Left: Johnson Ridge Trees (at the ridge) ; Right: Orthilia secunda (Sidebells Wintergreen)

Mertensia paniculata? (Tall Bluebells?)

Nothocheolone nemorosa (Woodland Beardtongue or Turtlehead)

Left: Potentilla flabellifolia (Fan-Leaved Cinquefoil); Right: Lilium columbianum (Columbia Lily)


Left: Ranunculus easchscholtzii (Snowpatch Buttercup)?; Right: Mosquito at Joan Lake (buzzing us as we stood on a snowfield)


Trail as View from Google Earth