Hill with a view - Round Mountain

This hike near Rimrock Lake leads up to the remnants of an old fire lookout. The fire lookout is gone but the view remains! This goes into wilderness areas, so remember the 12 heartbeats rule when planning your trip (no more than 12 in your party, including pets and stock).

Round Mountain
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Parking permit: NW Forest Pass ($5 per day/$30 per year)
Other permits: Wilderness permit (free), self-issued at trailhead (to keep with you)
Distance: 5.2 miles roundtrip
Elevation gain: 1700'

From Yakima, head East on Highway 12. Turn Left after Naches to stay on 12. After 26.7 miles, turn Left on Clear Lake/Tieton Reservoir Road. Set your odometer to "0" and drive 2.9 miles to turn Right on Forest Road 530; just past Camp Zarahemla. Follow the road all the way to the trailhead at the dead end. There were just a few ruts when I took this road, so I think most vehicles can handle it.

After you self-issue a wilderness permit at the trailhead, you're ready to go. The trail climbs steadily through the forest. There's a large fallen tree that's been cleared in one super-sized segment. Considering chainsaws are prohibited out here, it's a marvel someone cleared it.

Not shown: an approximately 12 foot section of log, cleared off to the side, in one piece

Soon you come to an area where at some point in the past, a wildfire scorched everything in its path. New growth is sprouting up along long-dead, charred trees. It's a beautiful image of destruction and renewal, all in one trail

The trail will start to get steeper at the base of a talus field. Keep an eye out for pika; I saw a few darting around the rocks here, even though it was a warm day.

In late June, I found a few small patches of snow lingering near the top of the mountain. They were easy to cross, but there were so many mosquitoes!!! Bring lots of bug repellent; I thought I was sufficiently deeted up but I was eaten alive.

Keep an eye out for a signed junction; the lookout is signed "Round Mountain L.O. 1144A". If the sign is missing, it's the trail that leads uphill.

At the top, you'll find the foundations of an old fire lookout. From here, you can see over Rimrock Lake, the Goat Rocks, and Mount Adams. There are many places to sit here for a picnic.

Ozzy the Dog, begging for food

Sterling the Lion came along, too

Rimrock and Clear Lakes look scenic from the summit

Mount Adams peeks out in the distance

Explore around the summit for a smaller trail leading southeast, and you'll find decently impressive views of Rainier as well.

I really enjoyed this hike. It's a good distance and elevation; not too long and not too steep. It's also not an obscenely long drive from Yakima either. Mind the season; trip reports from late May this year indicated the trail was still too snow-covered for convenient travel. I went in late June and the trail was fine!

Lots of little lizards - Cowiche Mountain via Snow Mountain Ranch

I've hiked a lot of Cowiche Canyon since I moved here, but I hadn't explored the most recent acquisition of the Cowiche Canyon Conservacy: Snow Mountain Ranch. This land has a whole network of trails so you can make a hike here as short or long as you want. I made a loop that was 5.7 miles long and went all the way up Cowiche Mountain. I haven't explored the other trails yet, but here's the loop I've done so far:

Snow Mountain Ranch
Cowiche Canyon Conservacy
Parking permit: none needed
Distance: 5.7 miles
Elevation gain: 1140'

To get to Snow Mountain Ranch, take Summitview Ave west out of Yakima. As you head out of town, you'll see trailhead signs to Rocky Top and Cowiche Canyon, which are other CCC lands. About 1.7 miles past Weikel Road (there's a log-cabin veterinary clinic at the corner, and it's the turn-off for Cowiche Canyon), you'll take a left on Cowiche Mill Road. Follow it out for about two miles until you see the signed trailhead on the left.

Start out on the entry tail, crossing the creek as Cowiche Mountain looms in the background.

You'll start off in a cool riparian area. Following the signs toward Cowiche Mountain West and Wildflower Trail, you can view some of the old homestead that once stood here.

I branched off of Cowiche Mountain West and took Wildflower Trail. It looks like it gives a steadier, more gradual climb. There were not many wildflowers when I went, but I am sure it is far more colorful earlier in the spring.

Two bathtubs serve as wildlife water troughs.

Dog was not thrilled to pose for this shot.

I found a single solitary patch of gooseberries on the trail. No where else did I see any berry plants (though I confess, I'm not familiar with all the plant species east of the Cascades yet, so I may have overlooked something).

Edibles

After a mile Wildflower Trail rejoins Cowiche Mountain West. You can take Bench Trail here for a shorter loop, or continue on to the summit. The western trail to the summit is even and well maintained.

The summit gives you a good view of the western part of the valley. It abuts state land, marked by a fence and a wildlife gate.

There's a bench that provides a nice little picnic spot before descending down Cowiche Mountain East. Erosion has rutted out this trail, making it a more difficult descent. It is in need of some TLC soon.

Cowiche Mountain East also had lots of little lizards scurrying about. My dog picked up a couple and was disappointed I made him drop them.

I took Riparian Trail East as I looped back to the car. It follows the creek and provides a bit more greenery than the steppe brush habitat of the hill.

The grasses along the trail were tall and the trail was slightly overgrown, but I was able to follow it all the way.

I can't wait to come back to Snow Mountain Ranch and explore the other trails!

HIKE-A-THON IS COMING!

Hi guys. It's Ozzy the Dog. I'm taking over the blog for a bit to bring you an announcement. I've recovered fully from my back injury, and I'm pleased to say I've registered for Washington Trail Association's Hike-a-Thon this August again!

I've set a goal to hike 50 miles in August, with at least a mile of vertical elevation gain over the course of the month. You can make a flat donation, or make a pledge by mile or by hike. Click here to visit my donation page!

Washington Trails Association is a wonderful non-profit that does a lot of work for trail maintenance and building new trails around the state. They also advocate for funding, conservation, and land management plans to keep public lands open to recreational hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities.

So come on and help a pup out. Donate, will ya? A $50 will get you a WTA membership, but any level donation is welcome! Donations are accepted until September 8th, but don't hesitate. Support my Hike-a-Thon today!

On a crowded edge - Rattlesnake Ledge

As I was heading back from Seattle recently, I decided to stop in North Bend and hike Rattlesnake Ledge. Ozzy the dog seemed to be feeling better, so at only 4 miles round-trip it seemed like a good hike to test him out on. I'm pleased to say the dog handled everything just fine (though he was given pain meds both before and after the hike).

Rattlesnake Ledge
King County Parks
Parking permit: none needed
Distance: 4 miles round-trip
Elevation gain: 1132'

This is a very busy trailhead. There is ample parking, but on a summer weekend it can fill up. I was there mid-morning on a Wednesday and it was rather busy. If you want solitude, this definitely is not the hike for you.

From I-90, take exit 32 in North Bend. Head down 436th Ave SE (aka Cedar Falls Rd) for about four miles. You'll see a well-signed parking lot that weaves around by the lake. The trailhead is near the entrance to the park; you may end up parking a ways off but lots of signage will direct you to the trailhead.

You can see the ledge from the beginning. It looks daunting, but don't worry. There are lots of switchbacks on the way up.

The ledge as seen from below

This is a busy trail, so try and remember right-of-way etiquette: uphill hikers have right-of-way over downhill hikers. Unfortunately, not many people seem to recall this. The trail is wide enough for two to pass in most places at least.

One of the trees on the trail appeared a bit....endowed...

That's a penis!

According to a fellow member of one of the hiking forums I am in, the knob has been gradually becoming more shapely; the slit appeared within the last two years.

At last, you reach the top. There's a wide ledge overlooking the lake (and parking lot). You can sit as close or as far back from the ledge as your heart desires (and as the crowd allows).

I neglected to pack Ozzy's harness so we didn't get too close to the edge this time. Ozzy likes to think he is part mountain goat, but he is bad at it, so he isn't allowed close to tall cliff edges.

On my way back down, I picked up a friend I saw discarded off the trail in the brush. If you recognize him, feel free to let me know! He's on my hiking back now.

On a related topic, this is not mine but someone in one of the hiking forums recently shared this video and I wanted to share it as well. It's a rough and rutty trail at points, as well as steep, so this was quite a feat to pull off!