Craig finally hiked Mailbox Peak + send us a voicemail!

Jennie and Craig share their favorite hikes of the summer so far and Craig shares his first time hiking Mailbox Peak!

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Transcript

 Welcome to the Washington State Hiking Podcast. I'm your host, Jennie Thwing Flaming, and I'm your co-host Craig Romano. Craig and I are happy to have you here. We provide practical and timely seasonal hiking advice for hikers, trail runners, and potential hikers and trail runners of all skill and ability levels that is helpful, accurate, fun, and inclusive. Our sponsor for the month of July is Bellingham and Whatcom County situated between Seattle and Vancouver bc. The vibrant college town of Bellingham, Washington boast trails for every taste and skill level. Find urban trails in the heart of town for a car free visit or take a scenic drive to the nearby Chuck Nut Mountains. For Alpine Vistas, head into the Mount Baker wilderness or stunning North Cascades National Park. No matter where you begin, you'll always end somewhere unforgettable. Learn more@bellingham.org. Thank you so much, Bellingham and Whatcom County for being our sponsors for the month of July. Yeah. Hey, Craig. Happy middle of the summer. You know, Jennie, I, I, I've b- I have been loving summer so far, despite the fact th- you know, there's not that much snow up there, a little concerning. But, um- I know ... I, I still have been, trying to stay optimistic. It's been a little cooler. We haven't had the heat wa- I'm, I know I'm cursing us right now. Um, you know- I know ... the eastern half of the country's been baking, and, you know, we've been having some pretty decent weather here. So yeah, it's been great so far. How about, how about yours so- And we're recording, I should just say, we're recording this on July 10th, and this episode is gonna be up on July 23rd. So hopefully you have not cursed us for the next 18 days. Oh, Watch, it's gonna be, like, 95 on the- Wa- and I realize- ... when this episode goes live ... w- w- we're not gonna skip the, uh, you know, we, we're not gonna go through the entire summer without a heat wave. And I'm okay with a, a couple- Yeah ... day heat wave. It's, yeah. And I heard that it was h- from my family, that it was quite hot a couple days in June while I was in Alaska. It, it, you know, it was warm. It wasn't, we've had some it, it, we've had, yeah, we actually did have a few, a few hot days. And you know, what's funny is that I, um, avoided them because I was on the Olympic coast during that hot period. Okay. Yeah. And I was in the Olympic Alpine. And so, um, yeah, c- when I got back down, like, whoa, it's 80 degrees already. Geez, it must have been a lot hotter here at noon. So- Yeah Yeah. So tell everybody what, what you've been up to. Like, where, where have you been hiking? Have you done any new trails or old favorites that we should tell everybody about? Both. So what's interesting this year, uh, the pressure... You know, usually a book dictates to me where I'm gonna be hiking. Um, and that's, that's still true now, but I- I've got a little bit more control. I'm actually working on updating my 100 Classic Hikes book. So that has me all over the state, so not in just one area. I decided this is the perfect opportunity to go back to some favorite places, um, and introduce my family, my son in particular, to some of these places he had never been to. So that's been exciting. And as we, we talk right now, we're gonna be heading off to Rainier next, and I'm gonna be introducing him. Because he's been to... I- I realize he's been to Rainier three times before the age of two . He... So, so I was carrying- So he doesn't remember that. Yeah ... He does- I remember well changing his diaper on Sourdough Mountain and things like that. But, um- Yes . That's the kind of thing you don't forget. Right Yeah. But I, I think this has been great. So, uh, we did a little trip to the Olympics. Um, I took him out to the Ozette, which is one of my absolute... I mean, I took my parents there 20 years ago. It's one of my absolute favorite places. Um, I took him to Mount Pilchuck. One of our more popular hikes. I hadn't been there in years, and I thought, "You know, this is perfect for him." Uh, w- and we had a lot of fun. Um, so the, so that's the kind of stuff I've been doing. Um, I've also done some, some newer trails, and we'll talk about that, and particular one. And, um, um, I'm training for my second 100-mile race, uh, which is gonna h- be happening right after this, this airs. And s- In two days ... in two days. So I've been doing some killer training runs. I went up, Thunder Creek almost to Park- Mm ... Creek Pass- Mm ... uh, which has been on my list That's a beautiful trail. Spectacular. That's... Listeners, that's in North Cascades National Park, and we've talked about it on the pod before. And we've talked that, and that's going- Wonderful trail to be in my new 100 Classic Hikes book. So it's one- Awesome ... of those things I get to do my training, incorporate into the book. I was there on a a- I was out there on the 4th of July. It was absolutely perfect weather. And then, um, the other thing, I broke a longstanding streak. I was always proud for so long telling the world I had never been on mailbox.com. Well, that's over. That streak is gone. It's done. You- It's done ... you broke it. Just like the Red Sox eventually won the World Series, you know, I mean, streaks are gonna- The world is basically- On, n- like it's, we can't understand it anymore It's done. I mean, it's, it's all over. Yeah I've been up Mailbox, and, and it gets worse than that. I actually enjoyed it. Um- What? Craig. Yeah, I know, I know, I know This is so, whoa, my mind is blown. I know. I thought, you know, a, a million influencers can be wrong. I mean, they usually are. I get tired of seeing the same stuff all the time. Mm-hmm. But, uh, same thing, I went out there on my birthday actually. It was, I went out there on my birthday. It was a beautiful May day, and, um, it was busy but not crowded. And, um, the people were wonderful. It was a great crowd. There weren't any boneheads that I encountered. Uh, so some good bonding moments. There was people of all physical fitness levels, as you would imagine. Um, and- Not all, 'cause it's a tough one Not, not all. That's true. Okay. Yeah So, many. I mean- ... the gambit from, you know, it's taking, it's gonna take them, what it takes me to do a 30-mile run, to people who are running up there, in an hour or two. Yeah. So me- Um, yeah ... to you, basically. No, I'm not that fast. But it's, but, but, uh, it was great. Um- How long did it take you to get to the top? You know, I w- I wasn't actually timing it because it wasn't a run. I was just going up there because I'd never been up there. I'm including it in the new Classic Hikes book because it is a classic. Um- Was it closer to two hours or closer to 10 hours? Uh, oh no, it was closer to two hours. Okay. You know, 'cause I run so much, and I do these ridiculously long days- that, uh, I'm, I'm constantly moving. So what's been really interesting this summer doing Pilchuck with my son and going up, uh, Mailbox, is actually spending hours on the summit. I'm like, "Oh my God, I'm sp- I, I could have got another 10 miles in, but I'm just sitting here." So it's forced me to slow down. Something that actually is quite enjoyable, which also means- Yeah ... uh, meeting people. If it goes that way, actually having real conversations instead of like- Yeah "Hey, how's it going?" Uh, so, so- I've had good conversations with strangers on Mailbox too. Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Pilchuck, um, even- And Pilchuck ... was another one. It was busy but not crowded, and we were actually on the summit for a period all by ourselves, and got to meet some great people, while we're up there, and have real conversations about things. And, um, it's just been different, craig, so let's go back to Mailbox. Yeah. Okay. So I would like to know What? So you didn't expect to like it? That might have been partly because I told you I thought you wouldn't like it. I, yeah, I'm not quite sure. I went in with an open mind. Yes, which is good. You're very good at that. That's something I really admire about you. Okay. So you were like, "Meh," and you had to do it for your book. Correct? I didn't, you know, I didn't have to. I chose to put it in my book. Right. No, no, I know. But like- Yeah the reason it was, like, a big point of pride- Right ... maybe that you hadn't done it, and then you wanted to include it, and so therefore you had to break down and do it. Well, you know, it's, it's funny. It just- Hmm ... it wasn't like I'm being curmudgeonly. I'm, "I'm not gonna hike that peak," or ... It's just because I don't... I live in Skagit, not in King- Yeah ... which is closer. And real- you know, do I really wanna drive all the way down here for a crowded peak that everyone's hi- ... So that's kind of why I kept putting it off. Not because, "Oh, there's no way you're gonna catch me doing that." No. I mean, you know- Yeah. I get it popular peaks are popular for a reason, right? Yeah. People love them. They're usually p- you know, beautiful and such. I just, it got to the point, it was just funny that I had never been there, and I kinda just went with it, and it's, "All right, we gotta..." So I think eventually I would've broken that at some point. Probably. Yeah. Yeah. Because I've hiked 35,000 miles in the State of Washington, covered all over the place. So I have this joke about I still have gaps in my hiking resume. You know, I'm trying, you know- Such as Mailbox Peak. Such as Mailbox. Now, some of my gaps are really obscure things. Um, but, but there's still, you know, m- maybe, you know, well, I can't believe I haven't gotten there yet. And, and that- Yeah ... that was one of them. Yeah. That was like, you know, y- you hike, you know, there's people that hike twice a, twice a year or twice in their life, and that's the peak they're gonna do. Yes. So, yeah. Exactly. Yeah. So I'm curious, and I bet our listeners will be curious as well, so we are... You know, you and I talk about, a lot about alternatives to crowded hikes. And, you know, there's probably not a need for a podcast episode that is truly about Mailbox. I mean, you know, people can learn everything they wanna learn about Mailbox from- All kinds of places like- Exactly you know, so- Including my new book coming up, so Including your new book coming up. So I'm curious then, 'cause one thing I think would be fun to do an episode about would be crowded hikes that are worth it. Yeah. Yeah. And I have on my email newsletter, I've ta- you know, like, "This is an insanely crowded hike, but it's actually really awesome and super worth it." So I'm, it sounds like you, that's how you felt about Mailbox. Yeah. So I am curious, and I think other people w- will be interested as well, why did you like it? Like, what made it a great hike or- Yeah ... maybe what surprised you about it? Yeah. So first of all, here's, and again, we've talked about this ad nauseam. Even the most crowded places, there are hacks, there are tricks to avoid the crowds. So, you know, again, I'm not gonna go there on a Saturday, on, on a weekend. I w- I would hate the experience, maybe not the mou- so it would just be too much. I mean, when I'm walking in a city park, in the crowds, I, I'm okay with that. I expect that. That's- Yeah ... it's a totally different situation. I, I'm, I, I like encountering people on the trail. But there comes a limit where it's just too much, where you're just avoiding everyone and it also comes, and we've talked about this too, when there's just enough people, you're still smiling and saying hi. And when it gets just too many, you're, looking at the ground. You just can't. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. And so I don't, I don't enjoy being in that 'cause that's not who I am. I like to, you know, be friendly- Right ... and smile at people. So, so I went on a, on a, I believe it was a Tuesday. Tuesday- But I'm sure it was still busy because- It was busy that hike is always busy. It was busy. You know, I mean, it's- I went on a Tuesday, and- Yeah ... and in the morning too, early in the morning, again. Yep. So, so I knew alr- I'm not gonna encounter, and, and I didn't. On the way up I did not encounter that many people. Um, so, so where was I surprised? One, I did the new trail. I wasn't gonna do the old trail because I had a 50K race that weekend coming up and I didn't want to,, twist something or, or- Yeah ... or overexert myself. So, so I did the new trail, and I thought, "My God, this trail is incredible." It is. It's well-graded. Yeah. Uh, it's built really well. It's longer. People complain about it, but I'd say, you know, that's fine. I'm, I'm there to be out all day, so I mean- Right ... and, and, you know, long, five miles in, in my lexicon isn't long. So, um, it's average. Uh, it's just a nice little hike. Um, and so what I liked about it too is that, um, again, I had a different image about, you know, Mailbox being kind of, eh, kind of scrappy forest and things like that. So the bottom you're definitely in older forest maturing, but you're actually in old growth forest- Yeah ... uh, on there, and that was a total surprise. I was not expecting old growth forest, really pretty forest. 'Cause, you know, everyone just posts a picture of the st- of the stinking mailbox. They're not looking at anything. I'm like, "Wow, I'm gonna post some pictures of, of some trees too. There's some really nice trees." And then when you get to that, that final section- That is, kinda steep and challenging- Yeah ... uh, which makes it fun, 'cause again, I, I, I like that. I, I like- Yeah ... fun, you know, the cha- um, going across that scree is just incredible. And again, the trail work- That part is really cool. Yeah It's beautiful. And it's not difficult. I mean, it's steep, diff- but it's not like you're on a scree slope where you're boun- because they've made it into steps and everything. Yes. So the footing is fine. So it's not super loose like you feel, especially going- No down, like, you feel like you're gonna wipe out, which- Right ... happens a lot. And, you know, on the old trail, I know from the search and rescue world that people coming down the old trail, there's a lot of injuries. Right. Exactly. Yeah. And that's why I purposely avoided that because- Yeah ... again, I had a race. I didn't wanna twist something. Um, but some people- And it doesn't matter how strong of a hiker you are. If you have just done- A five or six-mile hike that has 4,000 feet of elevation gain, when you're coming down, your muscles are gonna be tired. Oh, yeah. Like, you know, even if your body can do it, you're still... There's nobody whose muscles are not fatigued- Right at that point, 'cause that's how our bodies work. Exactly, and it, and it- So that's where it starts getting kinda sketchy, yeah. Right, and it's a warm day too, you're gonna be losing, you know, electrolytes and everything else- Yep ... like that too. So I mean, the classic what most people do, they hike up the old- Yeah and down the new. And that, and that's what you wanna do if you're gonna do it. You certainly don't wanna go down, um, you know, d- down the, the old because, I mean, people do. There's a reason- There's a r- ... that the new trail was built, let's just say ... right. And, if you are a runner, I was hiking, I wasn't running that day, um, the, the new trail is, is perfect for running. It would be good for running. Yeah. Mm-hmm. And there was a lot of people running down it- Yep ... 'cause it had really nice flow. It wasn't too steep, um, wasn't too rocky. Uh- Yep ... so, and I, and I met a lot of people there, um, that train on there. They're, regulars. They're running it all the time, so they're using it- Yep for fitness. Yep. Probably if I lived in the area, if I lived in, I would be using, uh, Mailbox and Si for, for my training. Because where I live, I use places like Blanchard and, a- a, you know, regularly- Yep ... 'cause that's my regular mountain to, to get some elevation for training. Right. So, so, um, yeah, it's, um... So is it worth driving to from other parts? So that's interesting, 'cause I had one of my readers, she's from Oregon, and she actually made it a, a, a, a purpose to actually come up to do this one peak. So I thought, that's kind of interesting. If I lived in Portland, would I come up just... Not for a single day, but if, but if I was coming up for several days- Mm-hmm yeah, I probably would. Um, the views are, the views are wonderful. Uh- Yeah, they are ... so I, I'm trying to think. We were talking to,, a few people up there who hi- I, I think it's, the views are better than Si. Um, so- I agree with that. Yeah. Mm-hmm. So a- and I mean, Si's another one of those ones everyone, it's, it's classic. It's a great workout. It's everyone's been on it, hundreds and hundreds of people. Uh, Si's got the scramble- And like- ... at the top ... hundreds of thousands of people ... hundreds of thousands, millions maybe. I don't, but- Yeah It's, um, I thought, uh, well, one, you get to the top of the mailbox, you don't have, you don't have this crazy scramble, so once you're up there- Yep you, you actually hit the summit. Yep. And then that, that, that mailbox and all the intrigue, um, the mystery, the mystique of how it got there, um, who knows? There's lots of stories about it. But, it becomes one of these things, you, you open it up, you wanna leave something in there, whatever. I mean, it's really interesting seeing- What did you leave in there? I, I, you know, I didn't, you know? Um, uh, I just kind of observed, watched people. I think if I go up it again, maybe I'll leave a copy of my book to see if it stays or goes or something like that. Ooh, that's a good idea. So, yeah, I might do that. Um, but no, I didn't. But it was funny looking at some of the stuff in there. Um, and then all the stickers on it and everything. But, um, but, um, yeah, I mean, it was just one of those things, um, it, it... And, uh, here's another thing that's important too, and I think we've talked about this- One of the things being an older person that I lament about current society is this lack of, uh, shared moments. When I was growing up, we all watched the same shows, we saw the same movies. We had this collective experience. We don't have that anymore. Well, even, like- ... we can't come together ... what you wa- like, shows and things that you watch, like your, you know, if you ever wa- I don't know if you ever do this, but if you're, like, staying somewhere and you turn on somebody else's Netflix account, like- Oh, just to see what they... Yeah, yeah ... like, somebody left their... Well, like, if it's an Airbnb and somebody left their Netflix connected. Right, right, right, right. Yeah. You're like, "Is this even the same platform?" Right. Like, every, you know, you don't realize how much things like that or your social media are very curated to you. Yeah, absolutely. And I think that's what you're saying, Craig. Right. It's not like everyone is watching- Right, exactly ... the same thing 'cause that's what's on TV. There's, like- Ex- ... infinite numbers of things you can watch. E- e- exactly. So we get in, and, and I think, you know, even in my hiking and the trail running scene, things like that, I'm, I'm tend to be, you know, when I was doing this 38-mile run in, in, in the North Cascades, a lot of people I were meeting were hardcore people in there. Most of them were backpackers or climbers, but very different. So when I was getting back on, on places like Si or Mailbox, I am being, I'm part of a much bigger community now, uh, of a lot of other hikers, you know, people that I, I normally don't rub shoulders with on the trail. So, and then, and then we get to the top, and again, like I was saying, whether it took you two hours or 10 hours, uh, or you've been up there 100 times or, you know, if you're... It was a 10-mile- It takes me seven, for those who care. Not, not one way? Yeah, one way. One way? Yes. Okay. Wow. Okay. Mm-hmm. Um, so we went out- I swear you don't believe me when I tell you- ... how slow I am. Um, all right. Well, you got up there though, and that's the thing. We, we have this collective experience up there, and I remember a, a group, I think they were probably... Matter of fact, they were closer to you, 'cause I remember seeing them in the parking lot when I left after I got up there, spent hours up there heading down, and they're still coming up. Mm-hmm. And I remember- Yeah, that's me ... I remember telling them, it's like you're, you know, yeah, this is one thing we always talk about. You know, "Don't tell some tourists about that." They were just about there, and I was telling them like- Yeah. Like, no, you literally are there. You literally, it's like time warp. And, and, and also you're gonna love it. I'm giving them all this encouragement. It's like you can see this look on their face like, "Oh my God, what I've done," you know. I'm not telling them, "I hope you have a headlamp and a, you know, and dinner," you know, 'cause I, but I'm sitting there going, "You are absolutely gonna, you're gonna love it." Um, uh, the views are fantastic. You know, kick back. Uh, so again, that, that bonding experience- Yeah ... with people and the shared experience, and again, it's encouraging and, and positive. Positive, too. Um, so, um, that's cool. Uh, and I think we've talked about this stuff, and I need, I think we need to do a, a, um, a, a podcast on this, too. It's, you have to train your mind before these hikes knowing that I'm gonna, that this is gonna be a very different than a wilderness hike. It's a social hike. Yeah. If you're not good with that, you hate being around people, then you probably shouldn't be on that peak or- Yeah, it's not gonna be the- ... or doing it at 5:00 in the morning, you know? It's not gonna be the- Yeah ... it's not gonna be the right choice for someone who truly doesn't want to encounter- Yeah other people. I think for somebody like you or I who is delighted to encounter other people, but we want to be able to, like, park legally- Right. Right. Exactly. I agree You know, and like- And then there was plenty of parking when I got there in the morning too ... go pee behind a tree. You know- Yeah ... that's kind of my- Yeah cra- anyway. Yeah. No, I, I agree. Well, I appreciate you sharing your reflections on that, Craig. Yeah. And it- Because I just think that's so interesting ... and that's the way I, I, I address a lot. I'm about to head off to Rainier with my family. I'm gonna be on some very, very popular hikes. Again, I know that, and I've told my family, I said, "Hey, remember when we were in Zion, you know, a couple months ago?" Yeah. Prepare for that kinda... Know that's gonna happen. If you're going in there, it's gonna be this incredible... and the thing is, if you train your mind, and then we're out there later in the day, and there's far fewer people, and we start seeing wildlife- Yep ... okay, so is there anything else you wanna tell us about your adventures this summer? , I went out to the Ozette Triangle, went out to Grant Park., These are popular places. Um, went out, my son got out of school, but still a lot of people were still in school, so we, even the fact, you know, we stayed in a hotel and swim. And I knew it when I pulled up to the hotel, it's like, "Wow, there's a lot of empty parking spaces." Um, so the crowd, the rush hadn't started yet. Mm. Um, because I know most people that stay in this hotel, they're going to Olympic National Park. Yep. We went up to Grand Ridge because Obstruction Pass Road was still closed, so we had to go up via Deer Park. Right away, that eliminates a lot of people because that's not a road for m- you know, many people. We got up there and had practically... We saw a dozen people on that entire... We did, you know, we did over 10 miles on that thing. On Elk Mountain, we were by ourselves up there. My son and I had a snowball fight. We were all by ourselves up there. Uh, so again, even in these popular places, just, you know, c- get creative. Mm-hmm. And, and, um- Yeah ... and I constantly talk about that. Um, a- a- and, and again, there's a reason. Oh, the other cool thing we did, um, we went out... So Dungeness Spit is a great hike. And, and it was- It is ... but I've talked to a lot of people who have ne- Great any time of year ... any time of year. Fantastic. However, you wanna do it in a low tide because- Yeah if you're gonna go all the way out to the, to the lighthouse, that's an 11-mile roundtrip, you will be miserable in a high tide- Yeah ... because you're gonna be over driftwood logs. You- Yeah ... we went out on one of the lowest tides of the year. Oh, that's cool. Perfect timing. It's much easier walking. Yeah. So it was incredible. I, I've never seen the tides, how wide it was- Yeah ... to walk, and flat, and sand, and then all the, the kelp beds exposed, and all the oyster catchers and everything in it. We had such an amazing experience. Then we got to do the tour of the lighthouse, it was wonderful. It was a great, a great day. Yeah. It's a, a popular place. I'd been out there many times. Um, but a totally different experience. Mm-hmm. I had never been up to the top of the, of the lighthouse. Mm-hmm. So that was cool. Mm-hmm. Um, so yeah. Yeah. Cool. So I know you've been Alaska-bound most of the summer, but have we done- Yeah I saw a Lake 22 post from you just recently. Yeah. Yeah. It's as you know, Craig, or as, and if any of our listeners who follow me on Instagram know, um- And anyone who listens to the pod knows that I think that, I work as a guide in Alaska during the summer. So I am not there all summer. I'm usually there for like... Usually I'm there for like two weeks, home for two weeks, there for two weeks or three, home for a couple, there for two or three. This year I've been there more partly because Jay, my husband and I, um, who are the hosts of my other podcast, which is Alaska Uncovered, if you care about Alaska you should listen to that 'cause it's fun, um, we did a tour for, you know, anyone who... Well, anyone could sign up for it, but the only way people would really know about it is if they listen to the podcast. And I mentioned it on this podcast I think also. But anyway, so because of adding that into the lineup and also because I'm writing a book this year about Alaska cruise ports, I was pretty much there for six weeks from mid-May until the end of June. I was home for like six days at the end of May, and beginning of June. So yeah, I have been gone a lot, it's been fine. It's not my goal to be gone that much. It's just something I kind of had to do this year. And for the rest of the summer I will be working up there, but it'll be, I won't be gone for that long. I won't be gone for more than three weeks. So anyway,, I have been up there a lot. I've done a little bit of hiking there, but not a ton because I've been mostly on tour doing exciting things like logistics and talking on the microphone, giving a tour, all that good stuff. But I have been able to do a few hikes. But here in Washington, think you know, everybody I think probably knows that I moved up to South Snohomish County a year ago, and I had been living in South Seattle before that, but this is where I'm from. Jay and I bought a house with my parents in the neighborhood that I grew up in, and it's been wonderful. But, last summer and this summer I've kind of been focusing on North End hikes, like hikes that I did in high school that maybe I h- some of them I haven't done since then or I haven't done since I wa- you know, like last summer when I did Pill Check, I hadn't done it in like more than 20 years. But again, same thing you were talking about before, Craig, if you live in South Seattle- It's an enormous hassle to get to Everett, right? Right. Which I know because I w- this is where my family is, right? So I tended to do more I-90 hikes, Issaquah Alps hikes, and I still enjoy doing those, but I've got different go-tos now, which- Right ... I think is important. And yes, in the summer we have these long summer days. We can get up to the high alpine. But also sometimes summer gets busy, and there's a lot to be said for that hike, like you said for you, Blanchard Mountain, for a hike or a run that's, like, just right there. Mm-hmm. So that for me is, um, Meadowdale Beach Park is one of those places, which is more hike-y than you would think for being in Lynnwood Um, if you live in the North End and you haven't been there, should definitely check that out. Oh, it's, it's, it's, it's a beautiful place. Yeah So I j- I try to go, go there about once a week. There's not really an... There's very little parking, but if you're... It's a pretty short hike, so like there... And right in the neighborhood you can't park, but further away, you know, you can make it into like a three-mile round trip by parking a little further away, which is great, 'cause I am happy to hike for three miles. Well, Jenn, you're, you're gonna abso- what you're just saying, you're gonna absolutely love. I know I've been working on a hiking booklet for the Snohomish County Tourism- Yes, I know ... and, and- I'm so excited for you to finish that ... and Meadowdale Beach is in there. Uh- Yeah ... and, y- you know, uh, you're gonna love it because a lot of these places, and it's also, again- I will. I can't wait till it's ready ... w- what you were saying too is it got me back, even urban, uh, I did a, I did a, a day- Oh, yeah ... the Mill Town Trail in Everett. Yep. Mm-hmm. I spent a whole day, I did this 11-mile walk in Everett, and, and- That is also a great trail. Yeah ... it's, you know, and it's exactly. And here's the other thing. If you haven't been to Everett in a long time and you're kinda poo-poo, you know, "Ah, it's Everett," and you're gonna be amazed how much- Everett's pretty great. Yeah ... the waterfront is incredible. Yes. And, and, and then of course the history's amazing in there and everything. And so yeah, and even, you know, Marysville's another one of those places like, "Ah, Marysville, everyone." Um, Ebey's Waterfront- Yep ... the Ebey Waterfront Trail going in my brochure. It is spectacular. You've got, uh, the Tulalip Tribes have been working on restoring the estuary. Yeah, it's such a cool project. So things in your backyard if you've kinda like been skipping over, um, I'll be highlighting a lot of these places, uh, in this new booklet. Now it's, it, it's meant to f- for out of the region people to get them to come over here, but you know, if you live here- Those of us who live here- ... you can certainly use it too ... can enjoy it too. Yeah, exactly. And that's really fun also because, um, Snohomish County was our very first sponsor- Yeah ... of the podcast. Yeah. So that's really fun. Yeah, and, um- And I think- ... so we'll have to talk about once we release this, uh- Yeah ... we'll have to get those guys on there again- Yeah, that'd be really fun ... and, and talk about it. Yeah. Yeah. Um, so I think, so this summer when I have been home, I haven't driven super far for hiking because I need to stay close to home. Um, later in the summer I am hoping to like, in the fall, I am looking forward to getting further away from home. But um, some go-tos that are close to me are Wallace Falls State Park- Yeah ... which is- Which is going in the booklet too ... really bonkers in the summer. Yeah. But it's wonderful. It's one of those- hikes that, if you go up to like Wallace Lake, it is not gonna be crowded up there. So yes, you're gonna have to deal with parking, and if it's a weekend, uh, it's gonna be a challenge. But, um- But Jennie, no, you just said that again 'cause Wallace Falls, I went there in May- Yeah ... to redo it. Met my friend Tammy Asars, fellow- Yep ... guidebook author. Yes. On a weekday. Yeah. We got there, the parking lot was empty, okay? Yeah. Um, it, there was no crowds at all. Yeah. And we did the whole Wallace Lakes- It is crowded in July on weekdays. Oh, it is absolutely crowded this time of year. But not May. Yeah. But don't- Yeah ... you don't wanna go in July because you wanna go when there's more water flowing through it It's better, it's better in May and June. Yes. Yes. And January for that matter. Oh, absolutely. Um- Yeah, yeah ... yeah. So that one, I mean, Bridal Veil Falls is another, like, pretty great hike, although I s- again, I'm a former school counselor. I am a tour guide, so I do get pretty stressed when I see other people's behavior around that cliff. I, I've, like when I was there in, um, at the end of May, beginning of, or m- it might have been the very beginning of June, there were some people who were like, just w- I was like, "I have to leave. I can't, I can't watch this." Anyway, but a- again, you know, the wa- early summer waterfalls are amazing, at least for ones that are snow-free at that point, like Bridal Veil is, like Wallace Falls is., And then you mentioned Lake 22 that I just went to, earlier this week. Again, that's, that is another very, very busy hike, but it's also wonderful. And- Yep ... I was there on a weekday. It was still very busy, but it was fine. You know, like other people were having fun, and it was wonderful. I mean, I, and that l- one little switchback that's like 2/3 of the way to the lake is, to me, one of the most beautiful little trail spots in Washington. It, there's this like sort of surprising bigleaf maple grove that's just right in this one spot. It's beautiful in October. It's so b- Yeah ... it's beautiful in October. It's beautiful in January. It's, you know, the lake is avalanchey, but often the trail you can definitely go partway up the trail in the winter. Oh, yeah. Um- The Old Growth too. That's the other one. People- Old Growth ... the lake is pretty, but the trees- It's huge are incredible. Yes. So the lake is beautiful, but, and y- it's a cool lake that at least once the snow is gone, before the snow is gone it's very sketchy with avalanche stuff. Mm-hmm. But when the snow is gone, you know, you can walk all along around the lake. It's kinda rocky and annoying back there, but that's pretty cool. And I don't know, it just ... So that's the kinda stuff I've been doing this summer, which is kind of what this summer is- D- is sort of dim the ending my options are which is totally okay, um, and definitely is what I chose. I also went to Lopez Island, um, a couple weeks ago with my nieces and my sister-in-law and a family friend and her daughter, and that was awesome. Like, we went to all the- Lopez is wonderful, yep ... parks. We went, we went to Spencer Sp- you know, there's not... Lopez doesn't have the, like longer, more climby hikes that, like, Orcas has, for example. But it was awesome. And it, and there's something to be said for just, like, a chill walk with teenagers on a summer day that where you look at the water for a while. Well, and, and- I mean, it was pretty great ... Lopez, yeah, it doesn't get the credit Orcas... And just, I'm gonna put a plug here in my Day Hiking In The San Juan And Gulf Islands book. I think I have 11 hikes in Lopez in there. Yeah. There's a lot more than people realize- There are ... because there's a lot of land trust- Yep properties in there and everything. Yes. And the National Monument, the, uh- Mm-hmm ... the southern, Iceberg Point- Iceberg Point ... or Colville That's where I went with the teens. Yeah. Incredible. Ice- Iceberg is one of my 100 classic hikes, by the way. Yeah. Um, it is a spectacular place. It's wonderful. Yeah. But it's not, Iceberg Point is the kind of wonderful place that I feel like, other than Mailbox, is kind of a theme of this episode. Like, it's chill and often overlooked, but it's incredible. I mean- Yeah ... it's just such a... If you wanna feel like you're in the Pacific Northwest, if you wanna go with a visitor who maybe isn't a big hiker, but what... You know, there's not a lot of elevation gain at Iceberg Point. You're, uh, you're just, you're kind of walking out to and around a beautiful rocky area on the shore of the Salish Sea. I mean, it's amazing. And listeners, you're not gonna see any icebergs. Just so you know, that- Yes. ... that's off the coast of Newfoundland. Um- Just to set expectations- It was named by- ... there are no actual icebergs there ... by Wilkes, the Wilkes Expedition, because of all the glaciation that occurred there. So you, you will see- Yes incredible striations in the rocks and everything, and this view across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Olympic Mountains right in your face, um, the wildlife. It is truly, yeah- Yeah ... Jennie, it's, it's an incredible place. It is. It's one of my 100 classics. If you haven't been there, put it on your list. And also put- Yeah Colville, which is right next to it. Um, Chadwick- Yes ... um, Chadwick Hill, all that area, Watmo Bay. There's a lot of hikes on that southern tip of, of Lopez. , I think- Yep ... you'll be pleasantly surprised if you've overlooked Lopez. Yeah. If you've overlooked Lopez, it's a mistake. Fix it. Yeah. And there's some cool places to stay there. You can camp at the state park. There's- Yep ... cabins and Airbnb. Spend a couple days there. Um, the, the, the, uh, little deli downtown... Uh, downtown, in, in, it's in, in a little town center there. Wonderful. Grab some food for the- Yeah ... for the trail. Yeah I feel like downtown is maybe a strong word for what it is. I know. I, I corrected myself. But the little, little center- An intersection- Lopez Center ... with a couple of businesses Yeah. Yeah. There's some- Yeah ... you can get some good, good food there too. Uh, and there's- And- ... some great beach walks and, you know ... and by the way, in my email newsletter this week, I talked about day trips to the San Juan Islands because even though I stayed on Lopez for several days, I have done plenty of day trips there. Oh, day trip Lopez is, is, is fine. And San Juan- Yeah, yeah ... and Orcas. Now if you are- Yeah ... if you live- Yeah ... south of central Seattle, it- Is gonna be harder to do a day trip just- Yeah ... because of driving to Anacortes. But if you're in Seattle or north, like yes, you have to get a ferry reservation to leave Ana- uh, if you're gonna take your car. Unless you take your bicycle over. Right. And Lopez- You can take- ... is perfect for cycling ... it is perfect. Yeah. And I don't even like biking, but even I like biking on Lopez because- Right ... it's pretty chill. Yep. There's not a lot of traffic. Um, but if- It's not as hilly as Orcas, is it? ... you take your car Lopez is like the easiest day-trippable island because it's only like a 40-minute ferry ride from Anacortes Yeah, it's the first one. Yeah. So yeah. So just, like just know that this is a totally doable ad- You know, I think people can get a little intimidated by the San Juans, especially in July and August 'cause it's like- Summer's tough, yeah, yeah ... "Oh, I'm gonna be waiting forever," and that's true- Yeah ... at certain times. But I think just... Or it's everything is booked up, or it's very expensive to stay there. But, like, you can, you can do it. Yeah. Like, chill. Yeah, I've done a lot of day trips. You know, I, I live- Yeah ... 20 miles from the ferry, so it- Yeah ... makes it even easier So it's easier for you. Yeah, yeah. But I'm just saying even for someone who lives in, like, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Shoreline- Oh, yeah, it's definitely... Yeah ... it's totally fine Day trips are doable. Yep. Yeah. Yep. I think if you live in like West Seattle or Federal Way or Kent, it's, it is a tougher day... I would do your day trip to- If you live in West Seattle- ... to Vashon instead ... you'd be doing Vashon. You just said- Yeah ... you said... Yeah, which is tough for, for people north of Seattle getting to- Exactly Seattle to Vashon. And have we done- It's another one of those things ... have we done an episode on Vashon? We have. Yeah. Yeah, I thought so. It was a long time ago. We should maybe do another. Vashon's one of those places that I'm amazed at how many... When I lived in Seattle, how, how many people in Seattle had never been there. I mean- Yeah ... yeah. Yeah. Okay. Before we wrap up this episode, listeners, speaking of things we've talked about in the past, just wanna remind everybody that Craig and I have done this for two and a half years. So yes, we have new episodes for you every week, but if you're looking for, like, something that you're like, "Why haven't they done an episode about this?" We might have done an episode about it in 2024 or 2025. So feel free to go back there and li- We have quite a catalog now of a lot of different things, which is- I should look at it. I didn't know we did one on Vashon. Yeah. You did know. Some part of you knew, like two years ago, but it was in the first few months. Yeah. Um, and then the other thing that we wanted to say is that we have in our show notes now from our host, there's a little button that says, "Send us a message," right? And some of you, uh, we love hearing from you. And by the way, the person who sent us a message from Maryland about fording rivers, um, we loved getting that. I don't know your name, so the... I'm, I know Craig appreciates you buying his guidebooks, and we really appreciate you listening. But you asked about river fords and our experiences with that, and- We got that, like, the day after we had recorded an episode about that. So we're like, "Oh, what a great question." Um, so that episode isn't coming out until, um, later next month, but that is coming. We are answering that question about 14 Rivers. So please send your questions, but also there is a new feature on there where you can record a voicemail, and Craig and I have tested it out and it's pretty cool. I think there's a limit of a minute or it might be 90 seconds, but you don't have to type anything. You can just talk to us and ask your que- We're gonna do a whole episode of that. We're hoping to in, in August, but you... or early September, but you've gotta send us some stuff to work with to do that. So ple- you can leave us a voicemail and tell us about your favorite hike this summer and why, or you can ask a question. You can ask us anything, right Craig? I think so. I mean, we- If it's not related to- ... we don't, we don't have to answer it. No, I mean- If it... Yeah, right. We reserve the right to not answer. But I'd, I'd answer anything that somebody asked about, like, hiking in Wash- I mean, if it's about something that has nothing to do with this podcast, I wouldn't answer it. But, um, yeah. And just know that we might use your voice in the episode. So please send in your, um, your voi- your... think of it as voicemail. Use your, use your best voice. Except we can't call you back. So, um, one-way voicemail, that's what it is. So- It's like my Spotify reach, you know? Yeah ... I guess voicemail is always one way, but, like, we can't see... If you send us... You know, it says, like, send a text message or whatever, but it doesn't come through like a text message. Like, we don't know who you are or anything unless you tell us, so. Um, and you don't have to tell us. You can make it anonymous. But we would love to know your first name and where you're from- Yeah, yeah if you're up for that. So get those in and then in, eh, a month or so we will record it. Well, we'll probably record it in, like, three weeks, but anyway, get those in. And I hope everyone is having a great hiking summer. Lots of summer left. Yes. And then there's fall, which is even better than summer for hiking, if you ask me. Thank you again to visit Bellingham in Whatcom County for sponsoring us for the month of July. And if you are enjoying this podcast, we would love to have you give us a rating or a review. And I know that you hear that all the time in the middle or at the end of every podcast, but it really does make a difference. It helps people find us when they're looking for podcasts and it makes a big difference. So it doesn't matter what app you're using or how you do it, but it really does help. And so that's why we're asking you for it. Alright, see you next week.