Inspiration With Few Words

Here are some ideas for places to visit. Here is a hint - they are all in US National Parks. I could caption them all, but it's better you just go to all the parks yourself. Enjoy!

 

 

Some of these places are easier to get to than others, but they are ALL worth the effort.

 

Be very well and more soon....

Unexpectedly Enjoyable Hike

Pam and I were on out way to Prosser for a Wine Club party at Airfield Estates Winery Saturday. She picked out a hike from WTA.org that sounded like a bit of a diversion, but not much else - Umtamun Creek Trail in the Yakima Canyon off of HWY 821 between Ellensburg and Yakima.

It was 6 miles with 700 feet of elevation gain so I figured it was a light pack, trail runner kind of trail that I would think was not very pretty and boringly flat desert terrain. I was right about the distance anyway.

This trail begins at a bridge that crosses the Yakima River and then heads back along the Umtanum Creek. It is much more green than I thought it would be, and at times a little overgrown.

I remembered when the rubbing started at about 2 miles in that my trail runners require double socks and not the single pair I wore. I carry blister repair, but I have never used any on myself yet. I have used it on lots of fellow hikers including an Australian girl we trekked to Machu Picchu with. Now I can't say I haven't used any on myself anymore.

We had 3 creek crossings and turned around just before the 4th. We saw 3 snakes which now it seems were small rattlesnakes based on their color. Luckily we didn't try to pose with them or anything. There were tons of birds singing the whole way and we were swooped a couple of times by what looked like an Osprey. We also saw a bunch of butterflies.

 

All in all we got in 6 miles in about 2 hours and did get sweating a little. I now would recommend this hike to anyone interested in a break from the car on the way to central Washington. I would do it again myself.

Be very well and more soon....

Forget The Mumbo Jumbo And Experts

Every day a new diet book or training DVD comes out that guarantees your success. There are a million different plans that use their take on "science" to sell you their program.

A really good way to look at this stuff is that if it costs money it is a product that someone is selling first. Whether it has any value or not as a diet or exercise program is secondary because they are selling you a product. So what is one to do?

The key to health is simple and sometimes we overlook things that seem too simple. You need to eat for nutrition primarily and exercise regularly and with effort. Walking at a stroll while you talk on your phone is not the exercise you need. It may be better than nothing, but just barely.

Some trainers will tell you that you need to push yourself to the breaking point ala Jillian Michaels and others will have you take almost the opposite approach. The reality is that the most important thing to find in an exercise program is something sustainable. If that means walking in circles at the local schools' track then do it. If the only way you can do it is at the gym then do that. The key is that you do it whatever it is.

Dietitians and nutritionists also have lots of information to offer, but what you need is simple. You need to eat for nutrition and avoid eating junk that your body is forced to fight off instead of absorb.

The human body has 2 basic functions. It sustains itself through nutrition and it heals itself of disease and injury through nutrition and exercise. If you provide quality nutrition you get quality of life. If you provide your body with bad nutrition no amount of supplements will compensate for the damage you do.

There is this idea that if you exercise you can eat anything with no issue. That is just not true. Your digestive system has to decide when food comes in whether to absorb the nutrients in it or fight off the poison. That is how it works. If you eat a non-nutrition item your body has a white cell reaction to remove that item from your system. You become inflamed and are then prone to diseases like diabetes, asthma, heart disease, etc.

The idea here is to eat as well as you can with as many whole raw foods as possible and exercise regularly with a an eye towards more vigorous activity and you WILL  be healthier. It is within your ability to heal and improve your own health.

Be very well and more soon....

Some Places To Start

Maybe you are reading this blog thinking you might like to start hiking or get back to hiking, but you aren't thinking you want to join our group of crazies quite yet. You need to start with something a little easier and work your way up. I wasn't as lucky as you. I was "Adventure Pammed" into hiking, but that's another story.

Here are some of my favorite easier hikes and I'll also include a list of stuff you should always carry with you.

Easier hikes:

Lena Lake. Lower Lena lake is a trail that lots of Boy Scout troops frequent. On the Olympic Peninsula, Lena offers great photo opportunities with a reasonable amount of work. The 5 mile round trip has only 1300 feet of elevation gain and a high point of 2000 feet, but the scenery is spectacular.

Driving Directions:

From Hoodsport travel US 101 north for 14 miles. At milepost 318 turn left (west) onto Hamma Hamma River Road (Forest Road 25). Continue for 7.5 paved miles to the trailhead.


2. Ranger Falls - This is in the running for the biggest payoff for the effort in the area. Located in the Carbon River entrance to Mt Rainier National Park you walk 3 miles up the road to the trailhead because of a major washout in 2006. The trail then goes up 1 mile to Ranger Creek Falls. If you feel energetic continue on to Green Lake - as additional mile and you will only gain a total of 1600 feet of elevation. The payoff is huge in both cases, and the real hike is only 4 miles as the other 6-7 miles is a walk on a road.

High Rock Lookout - It only sounds scary. High Rock is 3.5 miles roundtrip with 1400 ft of elevation gain and has 360 degree views. It is a hike often chosen for moonlight hikes. Near Mt Rainier's Ashford entrance, you can hike it in the snow or wait for the late spring and summer.



Driving Directions:

From Tacoma, drive State Highway 7 east to Elbe and continue on Highway 706 to Ashford. Continue east and turn right onto Kernahan Road. After crossing the Nisqually River, at about 1.5 miles, turn right onto Osborn Road and keep left onto Forest Road 85. Proceed 5.8 miles to FR 8440. Take the left fork, you'll see the sign for High Rock Lookout, and continue 4.5 miles to the trailhead on the left.

An alternative route to get the family sedan to the trailhead. Take Hwy. 7 east from Tacoma to Elbe, then turn east on to Hwy. 706 toward Ashford. Make a right turn on Kernahan Rd., then turn left onto FR 52 at 1.5 miles, and continue 3.3 miles to FR 8440, turn right and go about 9.5 miles on FR 8440 to Towhead Gap and the trailhead. Make sure you stay on FR 8440; there are a lot of forks along the way.

Rampart Ridge. Located out of Longmire in Mt Rainier National Park, Rampart Ridge offers great scenery in 4.5 miles with 1300 feet of elevation gain. We did it in the snow not too long ago and found it a nice option to get in a quick hike.

Driving Directions:
From Tacoma, drive east on State Route 7 to Elbe, then veer left onto SR 706 to enter the park at the Nisqually Entrance near Ashford. Continue east to Longmire. Park in the large lot behind the hotel and find the trailhead at the northeast end of the building complex, next to the road on the south side.

Otter Falls -  Don't drive your new car out to this trailhead. It is a long washboard mess that is regularly called the worst Forest Service road around. Allow a lot of time to drive in and out. Otter Falls is 10 miles with only 650 ft of elevation gain. I like it better as a snowshoe because it is too easy as a hike.

Driving Directions:
From Seattle, drive east on I-90 to exit 34 (Edgewick Road). Turn left (north) onto 468th Street and follow it to the junction with the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road (Forest Road 56). Turn right and continue up the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road for 12.5 miles to the Taylor River Road (just past the Middle Fork trailhead parking area). Turn left onto the Taylor River Road and drive to a wide parking area at its end, in about 0.5 mile.

You can find more hikes on WTA.org , PNWHikes.com and other sites.

What to bring. You should carry water, food and the 10 essentials with you when you hike. For a ten mile hike you will need 2-4 quarts of water. An easy way to deliver the water is with a camelback water bladder that you fill and have in your pack. It has a tube to drink from and is easy to use. Carry food that has calorie and nutritional density. Think Clif bars, not Nature Valley Granola bars, or better yet a good old fashioned Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. Include nuts and dried fruits as well. The nuts provide protein, healthy fats  and are filling. Dried fruits provide lasting energy.

The 10 essentials. Your pack should have a kit with these items in it. You hope to not ever need them, but carry them anyway.

Updated Ten Essential "Systems"

1. Navigation (map and compass)
2. Sun protection (sunglasses and sunscreen)
3. Insulation (extra clothing)
4. Illumination (headlamp/flashlight)
5. First-aid supplies
6. Fire (waterproof matches/lighter/candles)
7. Repair kit and tools
8. Nutrition (extra food) 1500-3000 calories of ready to eat food.
9. Hydration (extra water) 
10. Emergency shelter 

Classic Ten Essentials

1. Map
2. Compass
3. Sunglasses and sunscreen
4. Extra clothing
5. Headlamp/flashlight
6. First-aid supplies
7. Firestarter
8. Matches
9. Knife
10. Extra food

The next thing is to buy a pack that fits and has a waist belt. You don't want to carry the weight on your shoulders. You want it on your hips. The pack Uncle Bob left you in his will probably won't fit you well. For day hiking something between 28 and 40 liters of capacity. In the Northwest it is also nice if the pack comes with a rain cover. 

Boots are important as well. Even easier Northwest trails require a stiff soled boot or you risk beating up your feet. If your boots and pack fit well you are likely to stick to it.

Get out there and breathe some fresh air!

Be very well and more soon....