Cabin Creek to Snoqualmie Pass

In late July, I set personal records for most miles hiked in a day with a full backpack (17 miles). The road to the trailhead was washed out, but we chose to add the extra 6 miles to an 11 mile hike. These two guys and the dog were my companions for about 100 miles of hiking this summer!

Sisyrinchium idahoense (Idaho blue-eyed grass) found along the way.

Near the end of the 17 mile day, we got a glimpse of Mt. Rainier from the clearcut under the power lines.

Nice little patch of two similar plants, Gaultheria ovatifolia (little salal, darker leaves), and Orthilia secunda (one-sided wintergreen).

There is a Yakima Pass, but it is not near Yakima and not at the headwaters of the Yakima River. It is between No. Fk. Cedar River and Roaring Creek.

Lilium columbianum (tiger lily)

View of I-90 snaking its way over Snoqualmie Pass.

My flower experts called this Actaea rubra (baneberry), but the leaves are nothing like the leaves shown at http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php.

The total hike was 38 miles with 6,700 feet elevation gain in three days.

Puget Sound Weekend

I'm still catching up on my summer outings. One weekend last July, we visited Deception Pass State Park and Bainbridge Island. This is the view looking down on North Beach.

This is the view from North Beach of the Deception Pass Bridge, which passes over a channel known for its rapid tidal flows.

Grindelia integrifolia, a beach flower.

Beautiful view looking east from Bainbridge Island.

I'm guessing that this is Gaura lindheimeri.

Bellevue

Have you been to Bellevue lately? If not, then you probably will not recognize these buildings in downtown Bellevue. It looks like a city!

PUSMCJ

Can anyone think of a snappy pneumonic or acronym for PUSMCJ?
Passing for U.S. Marine Corps Justice?
Puss-ma-caj?

I'm trying to have a quick way to remember the streets in downtown Seattle, if you did not know. They are Pine/Pike, Union/University, Seneca/Spring, Madison/Marion, Columbia/Cherry, and James/Jefferson. The other direction is much easier: Alaska, Western, Post, 1, 2, 3, 4, ...