6.04.2009

Crystal Lake Hike...

My husband Tim and I just started "training" for our big 10 mile Cascade mountain hike in August...

We can see Mt Rainier from our home, so this is where we do most our training...

Last weekend we headed up towards Rainier to hike the Crystal Peak/Crystal Lake areas. We chose to go to the upper lake which is 3 miles up... Some people say this is a "easy " hike but the people who say that are in great shape~ This hike literally kicked my butt!

Right from the get go this trail enticed us~This is Crystal Creek it greets you at the very beginning of the hike and you can hear it pretty much throughout the whole hike.



So we are just minding our own business hiking along when all of a sudden our dirt path ends and the snow begins-We didn't think it would amount to much....





Wrong again... It never ended and we hiked in 4 to 6 feet of snow all the way to the top... Tim said with all the snow, it felt like it added a mile more to our hike!




But oh!!!The amazing views we had made it worth it in the end. This is Mt Rainier and below it is the White river.




When it was all said and done the last laugh was on us (once again) because once we got to the upper lake it was still frozen over. But we made the best of it....There was a big rock sticking out of the snow so we sat and ate lunch together on that rock. I'm glad we brought 4 bottles of water-It was very hot! But what a gorgeous day~The snow was so bright we couldn't take our sunglasses off! The sky was so blue and Crystal peak was stunning. After we ate we started running/falling/sliding back down the trail !-At one point I jumped to clear a rock and one leg went all the way into the snow to my waist-Tim had to pull me out! He couldn't stop laughing~Now he wishes he would have taken a picture! Me: "Tee hee hee, very funny honey."



We decided to check out the lower lake on our way down and once again we were not disappointed. We had so much fun we are going back this weekend~ Maybe we will see you there?

Directions to Crystal Lake/Peak Hike: From Seattle take Interstate 5 South to 405 North. Take 405 North to the Highway 167 South. Go about 20 miles South, go East on Highway 410. Follow 410 through Bonney Lake, Buckley and Enumclaw up for about 25 miles. Go about 3 miles "PAST" the Crystal Mountain Ski Resort turn off(heading towards "into" Chinook pass)- Look carefully on the left for the trail-There are two dirt parking lots on each side of the road and cars are usually always parked there.

15 comments:

  1. That looks like a lovely way to spend the day!
    You should have brought one of those roll up toboggans to sled back down on!

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  2. Heff: There were only two other guys we saw up there and they had packed their skis up-We had fun watching them pretty much "kill" themselves! I did enough sliding down on my buttocks without the toboggan-But I think my husband will bring "something" to slide down on- I'm taking walking sticks with me next time just to be able to stand up!

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  3. oh my....SNOW!!!

    I LOVE SNOW!

    pretty pics!!

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  4. That is the most gorgeous scenery I believe I've ever seen! I'd give anything to experience it in person! What a fun day and a great workout!

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  5. Robin- Your pictures are gorgeous! Totally worth the hike- if you survive- lol!:) How are you feeling today? Better, I hope.:) You look like you have a bit of an "attitude" in that picture. Was that after your "dip" in the snow??;) Lori

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  6. Beautiful pics, Robin. I'll have to tell Rachael, her & Keith love to hike.
    Pam

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  7. This is going to be so great. Even if it takes you in different directions. Just gorgeous in every step.

    Have fun trainging together. So nice.

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  8. Hey Lori,
    I'm not sore anymore! Ready to go out for the next hike!
    I look like I have an attitude in the photo because - I did! Tim kept telling me to back up more for the photo and I told him if I backed up any farther I would be IN the lake (that's when he took the picture!!!!) :)

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  9. Look at all that snow!!!! It is GORGEOUS there and I can see why you enjoy going there to hike. How NEAT!!

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  10. Oh Robin what amazing views. Mountains and streams and lakes are my favorite vistas. Makes me long to go back to the White Mountains right now.

    You have a loft goal ahead of you with that hike. Looking forward to reading about you and Tim finishing it!!!

    hugs, Linda

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  11. Extraordinary pics! Breathtaking! What wonderful fun you guys had! I wish I could be there this weekend, but it's kinda far! Have a blast!

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  12. Awesome pictures! Beautiful! I have never been to your state would love to go but I know there is no way I could hike up that mountain with my arthritis. But thanks to you, I can still see the views! Good job!
    Thank You!

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  13. Hi Robin
    Your pictures from the hike are really amazing. The views are stunning. Thanks for sharing them all. I really enjoyed seeing them and imagining you being pulled out of the snow!!!
    I hope you enjoy another hike this weekend. It's raining and raining and raining here. Yuck.
    Lindsay
    x

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  14. Thanks you for the great pictures, good luck on the training.
    Have a great weekend

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  15. Robin, Gorgeous pics!!! One of these days I'm going to visit Washington state to see the mountains.

    Tammy

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