Nathan Barnes - Hiking through History Washington: Exploring the Evergreen States Past by Trail

Hiking through History Washington

Exploring the Evergreen States Past by Trail

Nathan and Jeremy Barnes

For everyone who has supported hikingwithmybrother.com over the years, especially our friends and family for believing in us.

Copyright 2014 Morris Book Publishing, LLC

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.

FalconGuides is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press.

Falcon, FalconGuides, and Outfit Your Mind are registered trademarks of Morris Book Publishing, LLC.

Photos by Nathan and Jeremy Barnes

Maps: Tim Kissel/Trailhead Graphics, Inc. Morris Book Publishing, LLC

Text design: Sheryl P. Kober

Project editor: Julie Marsh

Layout: Sue Murray

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Barnes, Nathan.

Hiking through history, Washington : exploring the Evergreen States past by trail / Nathan Barnes, Jeremy Barnes.

pages cm. -- (Hiking through history)

Summary: The 40 hike profiles in Hiking through History Washington go beyond miles and directions and GPS coordinates for each hike to include rich descriptions of the history underfoot. This book is the perfectcompanion for any hiker with an interest in history, complete with beautifulphotos, detailed maps, and sidebars outlining enough historical informationto satisfy every curiosity along the way. -- Provided by publisher.

ISBN 978-1-4930-1188-9

1. Hiking--Washington (State)--Guidebooks. 2. Washington (State)--History--Guidebooks. I. Barnes, Jeremy. II. Title.

GV199.44.W22B37 2014

917.9704--dc23

2013034600

HELP US KEEP THIS GUIDE UP TO DATE

Every effort has been made by the authors and editors to make this guide as accurate and useful as possible. However, many things can change after a guide is publishedtrails are rerouted, regulations change, techniques evolve, facilities come under new management, and so on.

We would appreciate hearing from you concerning your experiences with this guide and how you feel it could be improved and kept up to date. While we may not be able to respond to all comments and suggestions, well take them to heart, and well also make certain to share them with the authors. Please send your comments and suggestions to the following address:

Globe Pequot Press

Reader Response/Editorial Department

PO Box 480

Guilford, CT 06437

Or you may e-mail us at: editorial@GlobePequot.com

Thanks for your input, and happy trails!

Contents

A magnolia on the shore of Lake Crescent ().

Acknowledgments

This guidebook would not be possible without the unwavering support and encouragement of the whole community that has grown around hikingwithmybrother.com. We are indebted to countless users who contributed their insights to particular hikes, corrected our mistakes, and motivated us to keep hiking week after week.

Many, many people have helped get us to this point, but a few have been there from the beginning or took a chance on a then-obscure hiking blog. In particular wed like to thank Kim Phillips at Backpacker Magazine as well as Nina Pardo and Bob Payne at the Seattle Times for partnering with us to get our hikes out to a larger audience. All of our friends and family continue to be endlessly supportive and encouraging, and a few have put in the extra time to help us make the blog that much better: Diane Barnes, Emily Barnes, Margaret Barnes, Deborah Hoyer, Megan Manthos, April Von Allmen, and Alysha Yagoda. We cant thank you enough.

And of course wed like to thank all the volunteers and stewards of the outdoors for maintaining the trails we love.

Finally, we thank Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web: Without the Internet, we would never have had the opportunity to put together this guidebook.

Twin Lakes ()

Introduction

Thousands of miles of hiking trails have been carved into Washington State. They switchback up glacier-carved mountains, wander through quiet forests, and follow rivers to their sources. With a relatively mild climate and diverse landscapes, Washington is a playground for anyone who loves the outdoors.

Each year Washingtons trails welcome millions of boot steps of hikers and backpackers looking to escape the daily grind of urban life, just as they have for well over a hundred years. With so much to take in and see, it is easy to forget that there is a story behind the creation of every trail. There is a reason that a trail existswhether it be a repurposed railroad line, an access trail to an airplane beacon, a fire road blazed to fight a wildfire, or simply a path leading to a lofty summit. Often, a trails story is wrapped up in the history of the area. Learning about that history provides a little context and helps connect the hiker with the trails past.

In this guidebook we tell the stories of forty-plus trails around Washington State while lending a little historical background to these hikes. Yet this is not a book of history. It is a guidebook designed to give hikers everything they need to explore and enjoy these trails. The historical background provides a glimpse into the past, a flavor of the local history to enhance the experience. We selected hikes with particularly interesting backgrounds and that have a wide variety of popularity, difficulty, landscapes, and locations. The book is organized by region, roughly defined by the major highways that provide access to the trailheads. Every hike in this volume is within a two-hour drive of Seattle, though we hope future volumes will eventually reach every corner of the state.

Weather

Washingtons climate is dominated by a rain shadow that creates two dramatically different weather patterns on either side of the Cascade Mountain Range. Western Washington is generally wetter and milder than eastern Washington. This guidebook directs you to hikes in both of these areas.

Although Washingtons generally mild climate allows for hiking year-round, the best months for hiking are late May through late September. In a typical year, snow has melted from most elevations by late May and what remains is usually navigable with ease. Temperatures in western Washington during the hiking season tend to be between 60 and 70F without a dramatic variance between day and evening temperatures. Eastern Washington will get hotter, typically ranging between 70 and 80F and have a larger variance between night and day.