Blue's Boots

Andrea's adventures on the trail...

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I’m glad you’re here! I invite you to travel with me to some of the most beautiful places in the world via the Internet. I love being on foot, hiking, backpacking, and snow-shoeing.

I’m excited to see what adventures 2024 has in store for me – I started with a bang at Death Valley, getting to walk out into Manly Lake at Badwater Basin (there hasn’t been water there since 2005). I’ll be re-visiting many favorite places in the Pacific Northwest as well as exploring new locations throughout the year.

As always, yoga is a part of my travels. To learn more about my yoga journey, visit YogaForRealPeople. I’m also taking on a new job as a Health and Wellness Coach at the YMCA, where I get to share my love of movement with others.

Happy Trails!!!!   ~~ Andrea ~~

Death Valley National Park, CA

3 million acres of desert might sound desolate, but Death Valley is so beautiful! It stole my heart when I first visited 4 years ago, and it was so good to re-visit this time. We explored some new areas as well as returned to our favorites. The highlight was being able to walk out into Manly Lake at the lowest spot in North America. (Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 states, is only 85 miles away). Read on for photos:

Knowing weather and high wind was coming in the next few days, our first stop in Death Valley was Manly Lake, a.k.a. Badwater Basin filled with a rare and temporary lake. Badwater Basin is 282 feet below sea level, making it the lowest elevation in North America. Interestingly, Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 states, is only 85 miles away.

We walked out on the salt flats here 4 years ago, but this time it was surreal walking out through water. The last time there was water here was in 2005, 18 years ago. The lake was shallow but huge, miles wide and across. We walked out quite far, with water just above ankles, and enjoyed watching people with kayaks further out. The reflection of the Panamint Mountains to the west were stunning. At the car, our legs were coated with salt, well worth it for this experience.

We were so fortunate, because our second day in the park brought extremely high winds (gusts to 70mph) and the entire lake was pushed over a mile away, shutting down access to it.

One of our two favorite canyon hikes at Death Valley, Desolation Canyon offers beautiful views from above down onto Artist’s Drive and the valley floor below. There are several spots that require a bit of scrambling, help from a hiking partner is much appreciated. Being able to see part of Manly Lake from above was a bonus!

I’m in awe that anything can live and survive in this environment, but Mother Nature finds a way. We saw a few thriving plants as well as lizards. Evening primrose was blooming, one lizard was a zebra tail, the other possibly a juvenile chuckwalla.

The initial section of Golden Canyon is very accessible, especially for those who aren’t comfortable with the minor scrambling that is required in some of the other canyons. That changes once you get closer to Red Cathedral.

The views of canyon walls, with Red Cathedral in the distance and glimpses of Manly Peak are beautiful. There is a connecting trail up to Zabriskie Point above, but we chose to go toward Red Cathedral, requiring more scrambling and ducking through small openings. I brought home a few knee bruises from near the end of the trail, worth it IMO!

Titus Canyon is (was?) a 26-mile, one-way high clearance vehicle road that I would love to drive some day, but for this trip we decided an early morning walk through stunning canyon walls would be a perfect way to start our second day. The gate at the bottom of the canyon was locked, so we weren’t sure if it was open to vehicles or not.

The entrance to the canyon is immediate from the parking area, and very easy walking so it’s possible to take in the huge walls without needing to pay much attention to where your feet are going. We meandered for about 1.5 miles up the canyon, loving the beautiful patterns of rocks in the canyon walls. I had a lovely sit-spot meditation in the sun while DH explored further up canyon. I was serenaded by white-throated swifts and canyon wrens.

Back to the car, where we noticed that the forecast wind was definitely making its presence known.

We had not been to see Ubehebe Crater on our previous trip, so decided to explore since it was in the general direction of Titus Canyon. By this point the wind was becoming much stronger, buffeting our car along the road. This road feels like driving to nowhere, desolate but beautiful. Near the crater the terrain changes to what I imaging the surface of the moon looks like.

By the time we got to Ubehebe, we could barely open our car doors against the wind. Standing in the wind, being pelted in the face by flying sand and small gravel, leaning into the wind at a crazy angle while walking, was definitely an interesting experience! We had planned to walk the entire loop around the crater, but that was impossible under the weather conditions. After a short and difficult stroll up to Little Hebe Crater for a few photos, we retreated back to the car, fighting fierce wind the entire way.

Mosaic Canyon, very close to the Stovepipe Wells area, is one of our favorite canyon hikes in Death Valley. Another one with a bit of scrambling required, and 2 work-arounds when you think you’ve hit a dead end. The NPS Death Valley website gives a good description of how to get around these two spots in their “Hikes” page.

Mosaic Canyon is named for the beautiful patterns and textures of the rock found throughout the canyon. Some is scoured marble or granite, which means scrambling up a 6-foot smooth wall can be a bit of a challenge, another great place where a hiking partner is a handy thing to have!

We had a lovely conversation with a raven part way up the canyon, and noted several flowers blooming as well. Unfortunately at the end of the canyon were 2 large groups that were being ridiculously loud and annoying, so we didn’t linger but immediately turned and headed back down, this time sliding down the smooth walls, much more fun than trying to climb up them!

A beautiful one-way loop road that meanders through the eastern foothills, through varied terrain and colors. Stopping and getting out at Artist’s Palette to see a hillside of beautiful colors is worth it (but maybe not in 70mph wind!)

Perhaps the most popular viewpoint at Death Valley, a short drive from the Furnace Creek area. The short walk from the parking area opens up expansive views to the foot hills and valley floor below. It was possible to see part of Manly Lake, as well as the dust storms that were exploding in the valley below.

It’s also possible to see the trails that connect Zabriskie Point to Golden Canyon below. We might have considered hiking the whole thing, but at this point in our trip the wind was intense, making it hard to stand up straight, much less hike in it.

Driving in Wind and Sand

We are so thankful that we got to visit Manly Lake and do the hikes that we did, because by the end of our second day it was becoming dangerous to drive or be outside due to the extreme wind. (A spot in the Sierra Mountains, not too far away, clocked a 190mph wind gust during this time!)

On our third full day, we decided to not attempt going down into Death Valley due to extreme weather conditions, winter storm and high wind warnings. We did explore Rhyolite Ghost Town, just outside of Beatty NV. It’s amazing to think of how people were able to live and work in the mines in these conditions. The train station must have been a stunning building at its peak. And an entire house made out of bottles… good way to recycle what was used the saloon.

While weather was not perfect, we are still so thankful to have been able to go back to this amazing place, to walk in a lake that only appears once every few decades, to re-visit some of our favorite hikes and explore new areas.

Utah (the short version)

Canyonlands Needles District | Corona Arch, Moab | Canyonlands Island in the Sky | Arches | Goblin Valley | Little Wildhorse Canyon | Capitol Reef | Bryce Canyon

The canyon country of southern Utah pulled at my heart yet again. I’m sure it will never stop. I’ve been to most of these places before, places I keep going back to because I adore them. This time was different, because my husband came along for the adventure as well so he could also experience the magic that I feel every time I’m there. 70 miles hiked, some familiar friends and some new challenges.

This is the short version. For many more photos and written words on my adventures, see the LONG VERSION.

Canyonlands Needles

Corona Arch

Canyonlands Island in the Sky

Arches

Goblin Valley

Little Wildhorse Canyon

Capitol Reef

Bryce Canyon

Royal Lake and Upper Royal Basin, Olympic National Park, WA

Trailhead to Royal Lake: 7.9 miles and 2850+ feet elevation gain one way
Royal Lake to Upper Royal Basin: 1.9 miles and 900 feet elevation gain one way

I love finding new places to explore, especially as some of the National Park areas near where we live are becoming increasingly overcrowded.

We were fortunate to get a permit to spend 2 nights at Royal Lake in Olympic National Park. It’s an 8-mile all uphill and sometimes rocky hike to get there, tiring but well worth the effort.

Some of the campsites at Royal Lake are honestly not great, in several our tent would not fit at all, but we managed to find a wonderful site with a beautiful view of the lake a few feet away. Evenings and mornings were spent sipping tea & coffee, reading, and simply letting the solitude and beauty soak in.

Exploring around Royal Lake we found massive Shelter Rock and a beautiful waterfall across the basin, where we sat and enjoyed for several minutes.

On our full day there we hiked to the Upper Royal Basin and Imperial Tarn and spent the day wandering, doing a lot of rock hopping, sitting and just taking it all in. The hike from Royal lake to the Upper Royal Basin follows a beautiful and pristine meadow before the final climb via a sometimes sketchy trail up a gully. Baby steps, baby steps, carefully watching footing. Upper Royal Basin reminded me of the beautiful alpine lake basins in the Eastern Sierra mountains, at tree line with towering peaks overhead and beautiful tarns to explore.

A tiring but amazing 3 days with solitude, Mother Nature, incredible views, morning tea/coffee stillness, and all kinds of Mother Nature treasures. Much better than staring at a screen, I’m so thankful I’m still able to do this!

Spray Park and the best bear! Mt. Rainier National Park

9 trail miles
2000+ feet elevation gain
A day with 1 good friend
1 stunning volcano
many huckleberries in my tummy
1 mosquito
1 gorgeous bear taking a swim

We had boots on trail by 7am at Mowich Lake / Mt. Rainier, headed toward Spray Park. It made for an early morning wake up, but even by 7am it was starting to get crowded out there. We stopped at the Eagle’s Viewpoint for our first view of Tahoma and loved watching the lenticular clouds swirling down the north slope.

Spray Park is a series of meadows, almost like terraces, with wide open spaces separated by trees and more elevation gain between each one. It’s such a beautiful area, and the view of the Mountain (a.k.a. still an active volcano) shifts and changes with each tier. This place is usually a riot of wildflowers, AND an open buffet for swarms of mosquitoes. Almost all flowers were done blooming, but there were thousands of gentians filling the meadows with their wonderful blue color. Even better than that, I only saw one mosquito. We were able to sample several types of wild huckleberries as well, amazing little bursts of flavor!

After reaching the top meadow, we had lunch overlooking Mist Park and the Carbon River Valley, to the left was Mother Mountain, behind us was Tahoma itself. After lunch, a little bit further up we finished with beautiful close-up views before the trial starts dropping down toward Cataract Valley.

On our way back down we heard reports of a bear near the trail, but never saw it. By the lowest meadow, we heard more reports of another bear. We came to a small pond and were rewarded with being able to watch a beautiful bear graze for berries, then dip into the pond and go for a relaxing swim. I’ve seen many bears over the years, but this was by far the best experience I’ve had watching them. As soon as it came out of the pond and turned toward us, that was our cue to leave quickly.

Going for a swim

What a wonderful day. I never want to take for granted the amazing area that I live in, and the fact that after so many orthopedic problems over 40 years I’ve still been able to put in the work and yoga needed so that I can continue to get outside and experience these things first hand.

Days like this make my heart feel like bursting from goodness. Gratitude for Mother Nature and even though my body is defective, gratitude that I can still do what I love to do.

Wonderland Trail 2023

I just got home from solo backpacking a 37-mile stretch of the Wonderland Trail on the west side of Mt. Rainier. What a stunning way to spend 4 days with just me, my boots, backpack, tent, and time with Mother Nature. My full post with more photos and day-to-day trail talk is HERE ~ please gather up your favorite beverage and wander some incredible scenery with me.

This is what packing looks like…

Let the packing begin!!! I head out on Wednesday for 55-60 miles of the Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier/Tahoma. I’m not quite sure where I’ll be exiting yet, depending on if I can add one last night when I go to pick up my permit on Tuesday morning.

This is what 9 days of backpacking food looks like for me (7 or 8 days on the trail, plus an extra day’s worth just in case). I really REALLY struggle to eat out on the trail. My stomach just says “NO.”

So I’m changing it up a bit this time, only plan on heating water once a day to make a dehydrated dinner each night at camp. The rest of the day ~~ breakfast, lunch, and snacks along the way ~~ will be easy-to-eat bars, nuts, and dried fruits so that I can basically nibble a bit at a time throughout the day instead of trying to force myself to eat breakfast and lunch. Hopefully that will help with keeping my energy up.

North Cascades NP / Diablo Lake, WA

Spending several days at Diablo Lake every summer is quickly becoming a tradition for me, one I’ll continue!  Diablo Lake is downriver from Ross Lake, and is within the Ross Lake National Recreational Area, managed jointly with North Cascades National Park.

I’ve stayed at Newhalem, Colonial Creek North, and Colonial Creek South campgrounds. While the Newhalem Campground is very nice and is where a visitor center is located, the Colonial Creek campgrounds (directly across from each other on Hwy 20) have wonderful kayak access to Diablo Lake.

As I learned the hard way on one of my first visits, wind picks up by mid-morning. Depending on the direction you’re facing while kayaking, this can make for an unpleasant return trip back to the boat ramp. Mornings usually bring pristine smooth water, the most beautiful teal color, contrasted by blue skies and forest green. We discovered new areas, and had a lovely picnic lunch at one of the boat-in campsites, accompanied by a mama ptarmigan and her 2 chicks.

I spent 3 lovely days kayaking and hiking with friends, beginning with several hours on the water in early morning, exploring the Thunder Arm of Diablo Lake, the inflow of Thunder Creek, and part of the main body of Diablo Lake. There are 3 boat-in campsites on Diablo Lake that are the plan for next year! Afternoons were spent reading in companionable silence, and hiking the easy trail to the bridge over Thunder Creek (about 4.5 miles R/T from our campsite).

Spending time paddling, exploring, sometimes simply floating without moving, letting the silence and beauty sink in – this is part of what summer is all about. I’m so thankful to live in such a beautiful area.

On our last evening there, we found ourselves in rain and cracking thunder. The next morning as we were packing up to leave, we noticed a helicopter scooping water out of the lake repeatedly. Unfortunately, when we got home we heard that was the beginning of the Sourdough Fire which has closed the entire area while firefighters are struggling to contain the blaze due to very difficult terrain.

Beyond Owyhigh, MRNP

I’m heading out on 55+ miles of the Wonderland Trail in less than 2 weeks, and wanted to test my endurance on a long and hard day hike just to know I’ve got what it takes!

Owyhigh Lakes in the White River area of Mt. Rainier is beautiful, and is an excellent place to see a large variety of wildflowers. It’s a worthy destination in and of itself, with Governor’s Ridge as a backdrop — 7.5 miles and 1650 feet of elevation gain/loss over a very well maintained trail to get out and back.

We like to continue on along the trail as if we were heading toward Hwy 123, and head up to a gorgeous saddle/viewpoint with stunning views of Mt. Rainier/Tahoma, Goat Island Mountain, Fryingpan Creek, the Summerland area, and the Cowlitz Chimneys. We could go even higher, but getting to the incredible open space at the saddle is so spectacular that we don’t feel the need to go further. The last 3/4 mile has over 1000 feet of elevation gain… Steep and not for anyone with vertigo or a fear of heights.

Along the way is a gorgeous view of the Goat Rocks area and Mt. Adams to the south. The last mile of trail is very exposed, steep, and hot. And guaranteed to make your heart pound and your breath quicken. But totally worth it. This is a place to linger, to have a picnic lunch, settle in, and simply let the views soak in.

Overall 10 miles and 2700 feet of elevation gain/loss. No numbers I can assign to the incredible views, they’re priceless 🙂

Skyscraper and a WOLVERINE, MRNP

Marmots and Bears and WOLVERINES, Oh My!!!!

I’ve been out to Skyscraper Pass many times, it’s by far one of my favorite hikes at Mt. Rainier. But this time was special – we saw one of the 2 known adult wolverines who have moved into the national park after over 100 years of being absent!!

We were in the upper part of Berkeley Park, heading from Sunrise toward Skyscraper. Marmots were whistling and screeching like crazy all over Berkeley Park. I saw something out of the corner of my eye, dropped my hiking poles, fumbled for my big camera, and BAM it’s one of the 2 known adult wolverines in Mt. Rainier National Park. I only got one photo, s/he was moving fast and I had a hard time getting focused.

I can’t tell you how much this made my summer. There has been a successful breeding female there for several years now, and a wandering male. Not sure which one we saw, but I’m still in awe. A WOLVERINE?!?!? Wow.

As a bonus, we saw a far off black bear on our way back to the car, along with several marmots and a pica. I’m usually thrilled to see bears, but today it was the wolverine who stole my heart.

Check out The Wild with Chris Morgan podcast about the incredible Mt. Rainier wolverines 🙂 Then you’ll realize how crazy amazing it was that we actually saw one. The episode is called “True Grit – the wild wolverine” Listen directly from the podcast website, or anywhere else like Spotify, Apple, or Google.

Or read this article about how rare and elusive these creatures are. Yep, I’m still pinching myself and telling myself it was real!! I submitted the sighting to the Cascades Wolverine Project.

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