Kendall Katwalk (and Beyond) – Hike

Left: View of the Kendal Katwalk, Looking North; Right: Hike KML Profile from Canon GPS Logger

Hike Notes

Length: 22.1 miles (according to Garmin HCX)
Duration: 10.5 hours (7:30 am – 6:00 pm)
Elevation Gain: 4,565 ft (total), 5,583 ft max elevation, starting @ 3,058 ft
Location: Snoqualmie Pass

For our fifth hike of the 2014 summer (and bringing us to 72.5 total miles this season), we decided to tackle the part of the Pacific Crest Trail that starts at Snoqualmie Pass and heads north over the Kendall Katwalk. WTA reports it as 11 miles roundtrip to the Katwalk. We decided to push on through since the scenery was so spectacular. We made it around Joe Lake to the Huckelberry-Chikamin saddle. There were parts of the trail after Kendall Katwalk that were outstanding in terms of wildflowers, in particular, as the trail passes above Lake Alaska and Joe Lake.

The only downside is of this hike is the first few miles where you don’t escape the roar of I-90.

As to the “katwalk” it isn’t all that scary. It’s a short stretch (200/300 feet?). It’s wide enough to let people pass. And, in my opinion, it was no worse than sections of the trail north of it.

Plants

Format: [Family] Genus species (Common Name). Links are to WTU Image Collection, which I found useful for identifying a couple of plants that stumped me here. My standbys for plant identification are given in the post Mount Rainier National Park, Summerland – Panhandle Gap Hike.

[Apiaceae] Lomatium sp.
[Asteraceae] Agoseris aurantiaca (Orange agoseris)
[Asteraceae] Arnica lanceolata (Clasping Arnica)
[Asteraceae] Artemisia campestris (Field Sagewort, Field Wormwood)
[Asteraceae] Artemisia ludoviciana (White Sagebrush, Gray Sagewort)
[Asteraceae] Hieracium aurantiacum (Orange Hawkweed, Devil’s Paintbrush)
[Asteraceae] Luina hypoleuca (Silverback Luina, Littleleaf Luina)
[Asteraceae] Rainiera stricta (Syn: Luina stricta) (False Silverback)
[Caprifoliaceae] Sambucus racemosa (Red Elderberry)
[Caryophyllaceae] Silene parryi (Parry’s Silene, Parry’s Catchfly)
[Crassulaceae] Sedum oreganum (Oregon Stonecrop)
[Ericaceae] Pterospera andromeda (Pinedrops)
[Ericaceae] Vaccinium membranaceum (Black Huckleberry)
[Orobanchaceae] Pedicularis ornithorhyncha (Bird’s Beak Lousewort)
[Orobanchaceae] Pedicularis contorta (Coiled Lousewort)
[Orobanchaceae] Pedicularis racemosa (Sickletop Louseword)
[Polygonaceae] Polygonum davisiae (Davis’ Knotweed) syn. Polygonum newberryi (Newberry’s Knotweed)
[Pteridaceae] Cryptogramma acrostichoides (American Parsley Fern)
[Rosaceae] Luetkea pectinata (Patridgefoot)
[Rosaceae] Sanguisorba stipulata (Canadian Burnet, Sitka Burnet)
[Saxifragaceae] Micranthes ferruginea (Rusty Saxifrage)

Rainiera stricta (Syn: Luina stricta) (False Silverback) plant (left) and flowers (right)

Left and Center: Sanguisorba stipulata (Canadian Burnet, Sitka Burnet); Right: Pterospera andromeda (Pinedrops)

Left: Agoseris aurantiaca (Orange Agoseris); Right: Hieracium aurantiacum (Orange Hawkweed, Devil’s Paintbrush)

Left: Arnica lanceolata (Clasping Arnica); Right: Lomatium Flower Head with Fruits

Artemisia ludoviciana (White Sagebrush, Gray Sagewort) flowers (left) and plant (right)

Left: Cryptogramma acrostichoides (American Parsley Fern); Right: Luetkea pectinata (Patridgefoot) along a talus

Left: Luina hypoleuca (Silverback Luina, Littleleaf Luina); Right: Luina with Paintbrush

Left: Pedicularis contorta (Coiled Lousewort); Right: Pedicularis ornithorhyncha (Bird’s Beak Lousewort)

Left: Polygonum davisiae (Davis’ Knotweed); Right: Vaccinium membranaceum (Black Huckleberry)

Silene parryi (Parry’s Silene, Parry’s Catchfly) front view (left) and side view (right)

Left: Sedum oreganum (Oregon Stonecrop); Right: Micranthes ferruginea (Rusty Saxifrage)

Views of Alaska Lake

Left: View from approximately the midpoint of Kendall Katwalk, looking north; Right: Mountains to the west from south end of the Katwalk including Red Mountain

Left: View from the Pacific Crest Trail near Joe Lake, looking toward Huckleberry Mountain (left in the photo) and Chikamin Peak; Right: View from Trail near Ridge Lake, looking north


Left: View of the steep ridges of the Cascades; Right: View south from the Pacific Crest Trail toward Mount Rainier, with Tinkham Peak in mid-ground of photo

A Working Sofa?

How's a sofa supposed to support itself? Truly a love seat?

Tuck and Robin Lakes Hike

Left: View of Hyas Lake; Right: Hike Route with Elevation Profile

Hike Notes

Length: 13.8* miles (WTA reports it as 14 miles roundtrip)
Duration: 8.5 hours (9:30 am – 6:00 pm)
Elevation Gain: 3,700 ft (total), 6,273 ft max elevation, starting @ 3,383 ft (WTA: Absolute gain: 2900 ft. Highest Point: 6300 ft.)
Location: Snoqualmie Pass -- Salmon La Sac/Teanaway

Our fourth day hike of the 2014 season and we were off to new hiking terrain in the Salmon La Sac / Central Cascades area. To the west was last week’s hike, West Fort Foss River Hike, and to the east, some of our other Central Cascade hikes (2012 Lake Caroline, 2013 Central Cascades– Colchuck Lake / Aasagard Pass Hike, and 2012 Ingalls Creek Trail - Butterflies and Balsamroot). The hike divided itself into three parts:

• The lower part from the trailhead to the turn off to Tuck Lake, which includes walking along Hyas Lake. In this part there are lots of interesting plants to look at as well as views west toward Cathedral Rock.
• The middle part is the grind up to Tuck Lake. This trail (1376A), is not well maintained, hot (no breeze), and with not much to look at. We didn’t feel safe or inspired to pull out our camera to photograph anything in this section of the hike. We were too busy minding the trail.
• The upper part is from Tuck Lake to Robin Lakes. Yes a scramble in parts (we measured 56% incline at one point), but views and breezes reward you. On the way up to Robin Lakes, over the granite slabs, the plants get much more interesting to look at, including some from the genera Phlox, Lewisii, Veronica, and Polygonum. At Robin Lakes, you’ll find plenty of subapline plants, including some from the genera Antennaria, Dodecatheon, Micranthes, and Kalmia.

Our non-flower pictures are a bit bland because it was a pretty gray day. Thunder and occasional lightening hounded us all the way on the hike. We were rained on twice, once briefly and once for about 10-15 minutes. (Love our rain ponchos!)

Plants

Along Hyas Lake – Lower regions ~3500 feet. Images below list.

[Ranunculaceae] Aconitum colubianum (Columbian monkshood)
[Ranunculaceae] Aquilegia formosa (Red Columbine)
[Pyrolaceae] Chimaphila umbellata (Prince’s Pine, Pipsissewa)
[Caprifoliaceae] Linneae borealis (Twinflower)
[Phrymaceae] Mimulus lewisii (Lewis’ Monkeyflower)
[Scrophulariaceae] Pedicularis racemosa (Sickletop Lousewort)
[Orchidaceae] Platanthera dilatata (White Bog Orchid, Bog Candle)
[Rosaceae] Rubus spectablis (Salmonberry)
[Lamiaceae] Stachys cooleyae (Cooley’s Hedge-Nettle)

Robin Lakes, subalpine ~6100 feet. Images below list.

[Asteraceae] Antennaria lanata (Woolly Pussytoes)
[Ericaceae] Cassiope mertensia (Mertens’ Mountain Heather)
[Primulaceae] Dodecatheon jeffreyi (Jeffrey’s Shootingstar)
[Ericaceae] Kalmia microphylla (Westernn Bog Laurel; Alpine Laurel)
[Montiaceae] Lewisia columbiana (Columbia Lewisia)
[Rosaceae] Luetkea pectinata (Patridgefoot)
[Saxifragaceae] Micranthes ferruginea (Rusty Saxifrage)
[Scrophulariaceae] Pedicularis ornithorhyncha (Bird’s Beak Lousewort)
[Scrophulariaceae] Penstemon davidsonii (Davidson’s Penstemon)
[Polemoniaceae] Phlox diffusa (Spreading Phlox)
[Ericaceae] Phyllodoce empetriformis (Pink Mountain-Heather)
[Polygonaceae] Polygonum bistortoides (Western Bistort)
[Rosaceae] Potentilla flabellifolia (High Mountain Cinquefoil)
[Plantaginaceae] Veronica cusickii (Cusick’s Speedwell)
[Ericaceae] Vaccinium deliciosum (Cascade Blueberry)

Left: Aconitum colubianum (Columbian monkshood); Right: Stachys cooleyae (Cooley’s Hedge-Nettle)

Left: Mimulus lewisii (Lewis’ Monkeyflower); Right: Rubus spectablis (Salmonberry)

Left: Platanthera dilatata (White Bog Orchid, Bog Candle); Right: Chimaphila umbellata (Prince’s Pine, Pipsissewa)

Left: Linneae borealis (Twinflower); Right: Kalmia microphylla (Westernn Bog Laurel; Alpine Laurel)


Left: Dodecatheon jeffreyi (Jeffrey’s Shootingstar); Right: Lewisia columbiana (Columbia Lewisia)


Left: Luetkea pectinata (Patridgefoot); Right: Micranthes ferruginea (Rusty Saxifrage)

Left: Pedicularis ornithorhyncha (Bird’s Beak Lousewort); Right: Penstemon davidsonii (Davidson’s Penstemon)

Left: Phyllodoce empetriformis (Pink Mountain-Heather); Right: Cassiope mertensia (Mertens’ Mountain Heather)

Left: Potentilla flabellifolia (High Mountain Cinquefoil); Left: Veronica cusickii (Cusick’s Speedwell)

Left: View of Tuck Lake on the climb to Robin Lakes; Center: View of Lower and Upper Robin Lakes; Right: Trout in Lower Robin Lake

Breaking Down the Walls - Mural

Location: 1400 Broadway, Seattle WA – on the north wall of Gilda’s Club
Creator: GameNotFame.
Description: The walls are cracking and we are seeing through them to nature. The imagery makes sense when you read the mission statement posted on the GameNotFame site: “we aim to create awareness toward and engage the viewer with three topics representing self-improvement and empowerment, protecting and honoring endangered species, and challenging our existence as modern humans.” And, it’s imagery fitting for the mission of Gilda’s Club as well.

The Sofas of July

When it gets hot in Seattle, sofas take to the street. These were spotted in Ballard and Fremont (the one hitching a ride on a truck).