Hiking with Annie
2014
October - December
A note about the Google maps: Because of the way the Google maps work, the marker for the parking lot or trailhead is not always in the right position on the map. However, there is a way to find the exact position. First copy the GPS coordinates from the description below the map. Then click on the word Google in the lower left corner of the map. This opens another window with a full sized map of the area. Paste the coordinates into the search box and hit enter. A red marker appears at the exact coordinates of the parking lot or trailhead. You can also get directions to it by clicking the word "Directions" - just under the box you pasted the coordinates into - and then entering a starting location.
Parking: N47 21.832 W121 31.866 (NAD83) Elevation: 3360 ft Distance: 4.3 miles Elevation gain: 1105 ft Hike time: 10:57 am to 2:13 pm Total time: 3 hrs 16 minutes Permit required: No Pass required
Destination: N47° 21' 50.4" W121° 31' 52.1" Elevation: 4465 ft Total Ascent: 1180 ft
Driving directions: From I-90, take exit 47 just west of Snoqualmie Pass and turn south, crossing the Snoqualmie River. At the "T", take a right onto FR55 and drive about 1-1/4 miles to a "Y" in the road and veer left onto FR5510. Drive for about 3.8 miles until the road is blocked by a gate. Park in the large parking area just to the left.
Hike description: We started out from the parking lot, going through the gate blocking FR 5510 as it crosses Hansen Creek. We walked up the road for about 3/4 mile and took a left at the first side road we encountered. I was looking for a fork in the road, about a 1/4 mile past that point, so we could take the right fork heading up the hill - but the left fork has gotten so overgrown that just staying on this side road took us in the right direction. After one large, sweeping switchback and a 1/2 mile of walking, the road tops the north sloping ridge of Scout Patrol Peak. After another 1/4 mile the road splits - the right fork ends a few hundred feet away but offers a decent view down into the Hansen Creek valley, while the left fork goes about 1/4 mile just over the ridge before it ends. From here, the summit is a scramble up a relatively stable scree slope roughly about 1/2 mile. We only made it about a 1/3 of the way up the scree slope before turning around and heading back.
Oct 19 - Scout Patrol Peak (attempt)
Parking: N47 09 36.4 W119 58 50.0 (NAD83) Elevation: 1020 ft Distance: 6.2 miles Elevation gain: 150 ft Hike time: N/A Total time: N/A Permit required: Discover Pass
Destination: N47° 08' 34.9" W119° 56' 54.3" Elevation: 1173 ft Total Ascent: 815 ft
Driving directions: From Highway 28, turn south at the rest stop about 3-1/2 miles west of Quincy, but instead of turning into the rest area continue on the road around it. In a little over 1/2 mile, take a left onto Road V and continue about a mile to the stop sign. Turn right onto Road 9 and continue about 5 miles to the end of the road and the parking area for the trailhead.
Hike description: We started out with my brother, his wife, his daughter and her boyfriend and her two kids. It was below freezing, but it was mostly sunny with very little wind, so it was actually very pleasant. We hiked along the north coulee wall to Ancient Lake, where we stopped and just hungout for awhile. I wanted to explore a trail that I noticed last time I was here, that went up onto a smaller arm of the coulee wall to the south that separates Ancient Lake and Dusty Lake. None of the other guys wanted to go, so they all headed back to the car while me and the gals headed south. I didn't have my GPS unit or camera with me and it wasn't until about halfway through the hike that I remembered the camera on my phone - so there aren't many photos on this hike. It was about 3/4 mile across the coulee floor to the south wall. From there the trail goes southeast up onto the coulee wall. There are good views from up here of both the north arm of the coulee with Ancient Lake and the south arm with Dusty Lake. We hiked east on the coulee wall until we found a place to head down on the other side to Dusty Lake. From here we hiked west along the north shore of the lake along and around the end of the coulee wall to meet up with the trail to the parking lot. When we got back, the guys were there waiting.
Dec 27 - Ancient and Dusty Lakes
Parking: N47 25 52.2 W121 37 56.2 (NAD83) Elevation: 1320 ft Distance: 6.8 miles Elevation gain: 2455 ft Hike time: 10:47 am to 3:23 pm Total time: 4 hrs 24 minutes Permit required: Discover Pass
Destination: N47 26 43.5 W121 37 14.0 Elevation: 3775 ft Total Ascent: 3100 ft
Driving directions: Eastbound I-90 - Take exit 38 off I-90 east of North Bend. At the end of the exit ramp, turn right onto Homestead Valley road and follow for 2 miles to the parking area. Westbound I-90 - Take exit 38 off I-90 and, at the end of the exit ramp, turn right. The parking area is only about 300 feet, just around the bend near the power lines. Don't drive through the gate to park or your vehicle may get locked in.
Dec 30 - Dirty Harry's Balcony
