Archive for the ‘Pass and Recreation’ Category
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Aug
04
Posted by Larry Cragun
Karen Sykes of the Seattle P I calls Bandera Mountain one of the most popular hikes in the region.
In early July it is one of the few snow-free trails in the Mount Baker – Snoqualmie National Forest.Karen writes about Bandera here.
The hike can lead you to Mason Lake.
Take Interstate 90 east and get off at Exit 45 (Road No. 9030). At the stop sign, turn left, go under the freeway to Forest Service Road No. 9030. Drive about a half-mile to a road junction and continue straight about three miles on Road No. 9031 to trailhead parking and facilities, elevation about 2,300 feet. Allow about an hour drive time from Seattle. A Northwest Forest Pass is required.
Some photos from Flickr to entice you: by grliepixie
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Jun
26
Posted by Larry Cragun
Karen Sykes writes special to the Seattle P I. As I said, it’s summertime and the hiking is popular at Snoqualmie Pass.
from Karen’s article: Four of us squeezed into Bob’s car and headed over Snoqualmie Pass in November-like weather. It felt like winter when we stopped at the Cle Elum ranger station for an update on the Jungle Creek Road….
…….there is hope for hikers tired of the snow. Most of the snow should be gone within a couple of weeks of good weather, at least in the Teanaway. Then experienced hikers with route-finding skills can study the map for loops, obscure summits and one-way hikes with a car shuttle; there are options aplenty.
click here for the P I website and the article on “Hiking In The Teanway With Summer Weather”.
Getting there — From Seattle drive east on Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass to Exit 85, east of Cle Elum. Cross over the freeway overpass and turn right onto state Route 970 (north). Continue about five miles and turn left onto Teanaway River Road and continue until the pavement ends (about 13 miles) at 29 Pines Campground. Turn left just beyond the campground on Road 9701 (Jungle Creek Road) and continue to the Way Creek trailhead at 3,600 feet (no facilities). If the slump before the Jungle Creek trailhead concerns you, park beside the road and continue on foot to the trailhead. From the slump it is about a half-mile to the Jungle Creek trailhead (3,000 feet) and 2 miles to the Way Creek trailhead at 3,600 feet (there is 600 feet of elevation gain between the trailheads).
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Jun
25
Posted by Larry Cragun
How about scenery? Sure. How about a 100 mile race? Sure. You name it, you got it.
How about a 100 mile relay race? Sure. Snoqualmie pass has it all.
About 15 athletes from Sammamish are scheduled to compete Sunday morning in one of the fastest-growing athletic events in Washington.
The Mountains to Sound Relay is a 3-year-old race that combines biking, running and rowing into a 100-mile jaunt. The event is part of the annual Greenway Days festival. Learn more by clicking to the Sammamish Review.
It will begin at Snoqualmie Pass at 8 a.m. June 25th and end at Golden Gardens Park in Seattle later that day.
From Snoqualmie Pass, the mountain bikes go to Rattlesnake Lake.
From there, road bikes travel through North Bend and Fall City, just north of Sammamish, through Marymoor Park and finally to Redmond.
The rowing portion begins with a paddle through Sammamish Slough, before the marathon gets the hand-off in Kenmore.
The final six miles are from Gas Works Park in Seattle to Golden Gardens Park. The winners typically finish the race in about six hours.
photo courtesy of Flickr and p1ggyw1g.
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Jun
21
Posted by Larry Cragun
Building this website, blog, is a dance in memories. Snoqualmie Pass has many for me and probably you too. If not you too, you have an opportunity in the making.
I mentioned yesterday about honeymooning in this heavenly area. Here are some of my favorite memories and then I link to a recent article from the Seattle PI about a couple celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary and remembering skiing at Snoqualmie Pass. Its a cool article, photos and all.
Photo taken near Snoqualmie Pass at Ensign Ranch
First, some of mine: Tubing down the river, learning to ski, skiing with my kids, a day on the side of the river just pondering where I was headed in life, the incredible winter view from the top of the slopes, laughing with the boys at how many times they could pass me on the slopes in one of my runs, quick dashes to the pass in the summer to write in my journal for a couple of hours, hot chocolate in the cold winter in the warm ski lodge, riding horses at Ensign Ranch, camping at Lake Kachess, watching 3 jets whiz my in formation as they skimmed the lake in obvious training mode, staying the night in the motel on the pass when it was just a bit too far to drive all the way home, and there are many more including lots of fun camping nights and memories.
Now for the clip and link to the P I Article:
The tug on the sash of Sylvia Erickson’s dress came from behind that day in Seattle.
She was about 12 and thought Harold Jones, the boy with blondish red hair, was a pest to be ignored.
“I wish you would leave me alone,” the 90-year-old recalled telling him.
“But as we grew older, we started to know each other.”
At a time when some marriages seem to last only a matter of months, two former longtime Seattle residents will celebrate 70 years of matrimony and bliss this Wednesday…………..
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Jun
19
Posted by Larry Cragun
North and West of Snoqualmie Falls is Snoqualmie Pass and Salish Lodge. Long a popular place for fine dining the Lodge is a popular luxury visit. We have had newly married kids and friends choose it for part of their honeymoon.
This show below is a short virtual tour of the Lodge and surrounding grounds. In the sidebar is a slide show of some of our photos in Flickr.
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Jun
19
Posted by Larry Cragun
Its a Music Festival. Summer concerts in Snoqualmie Pass was started in 2000. It is a family oriented event that is out of doors at the Summit Ski Area Plaza. Hey, the concerts are free and the scenery priceless.
July 19, 2008 at 2PM is Magic Bus. Click here for their bio.
Click Here for The snoqualmie Pass Womens Group Site
Note their theme, “Living Intentionally. Valuing Simplicity.” Thanks Ladies.
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Jun
19
Posted by Larry Cragun
In the land of great skiing, of course you would have ski schools. Snouqalmie Pass has a great one for kids. It is the first school we bring to our blog network, Powderpigs. Our sons Michael and Jason are graduates. Is it the red jacket they all wear, the large group, or the teaching that makes them relax? Whatever it was, our sons quickly went from being scared of the slopes to playing the game – “How many times can we pass dad on one run?”
I know this school fills up each year and they recommend you register by the end of June. Click here for the link to the Powderpigs website.
If you have some Powderpig photos you want to share, email them to me at larrykcragun(at)yahoo.com and what credit you want.
Tags: powderpigs, snoqualmie+pass
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Jun
17
Posted by Larry Cragun
Lake Kachess is just over the pass heading east. The lake level is low in this photo. It’s a gret shot. I’m not sure which I enjoy most, this level or with the stumps under water. The comments below link to the sites we take clips from.
Here are some blog and other website comments about Lake Kachess:
Popular activities include fishing, boating, hiking, swimming, birdwatching and water skiing on Lake Kachess.
Kachess Lake is the middle of the three large lakes north of Interstate 90 and the Yakima River in the Cascade Range, the other two being Keechelus Lake and Cle Elum Lake.
Kachess Lake is part of the Columbia River basin, the Kachess River being a tributary of the Yakima River, which is tributary to the Columbia River.
Kissing the Trail: Greater Seattle Mountain Bike Adventures”
Description - Fish species include kokanee salmon, cutthroat trout, and rainbow trout are available at Kachess Lake.
Attractions - Fish species include kokanee salmon, cutthroat trout, and rainbow trout. Boat launching is poor after the reservoir is drawn down in late summer and fall.
Recreation - Fishing and boating opportunities are available at Kachess Lake. Boat launching may be poor if the reservoir is drawn down.
