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Mountain Hikes
Hikes are
planned for Fridays from May to November when the Cascade Mountains National
Forest and Parks are snow-free and the weather is favorable.
We will not hike if rain or high wind is forecast
and plans may
be changed based upon conditions. You should always be ready
for cold and rain!
Our hiking schedule is listed below.
We send an email to
all registered Friday Hikers by Wednesday, listing the details and
costs. We request you notify the sender (either Al or Ron) if you
plan to go so we can determine if we have the minimum number of
hikers going (four, for safety reasons), as well as the cost per
passenger.
For last minute changes: call Al Osborne at
253-880-2800 (cell)
or
Ron McFarland at 256-651-0497 (cell). You can also email
Al at:
osborne-al@comcast.net
or
Ron at:
ron.mcf@gmail.com.
It is recommended that you
come to some of the Tuesday "Walks" before trying the Friday "Hikes"!
Rating Scale:
Level 3 has
moderate hills, rough trails with rocks and logs to scramble
over, and several hundred feet of elevation gain. Level 4 has
more difficult trails, or 1000 ft of elevation gain (and/or)
loss at higher elevations and hikes of greater than five miles. Level 5 hikes are hard, long uphill switchbacks, higher
elevations, maybe some cross country travel (no trail), and
longer duration trips.
Photos: The photos below show what you're missing by not hiking
with us! Click a photo below for a larger picture. Use your
browser's Back button to return to this page. For those of you with Internet access, we have
a webpage with photos of the walks and hikes
here. Thank you,
Ron, for sharing!

Grouse |

Mountain Goats |

Palisades Trail |

Skookum Flats Hikers |
Mountain Hikes Schedule
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Please note these important points:
1. Departure is from the
Federal Way Senior Center. Please note
departure time ... and be there 15 minutes earlier!
2.
You need a good pair of hiking shoes with good, rough tread
and ankle protection for these hikes.
3.
Bring a sack lunch, water, walking stick, mosquito
repellent, and sunscreen.
4.
It is a good idea to carry a day pack with rain wear
and any medication you might need.
5.
Because we hike at altitudes of up to 7000 feet, it can be
10 to 30 degrees colder than the weather "in town". You
should have extra clothes to cover the possibility of rain
and extremes in weather.
6.*The
estimated cost is based upon gas prices shown at the
Fuel
Gauge Report website as of 11/24/08, as well as having
five passengers. We also collect $1.00 surcharge per passenger
when using the Senior Center vans.
7.
We will send out an email to all Friday Hikers by Tuesday or
Wednesday, and it is best to respond to this email.
8.
Please notify the Ron McFarland, the hike
leader, by 6:00 pm on the Thursday before your hike if you
plan to go! We
need to know which vehicle we will need, and then calculate
the cost per passenger.
Ron's phone number is
253-839-0388 and his email is:
ron.mcf@gmail.com. |
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SEPTEMBER 2009 |
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DATE and
HIKE |
TOTAL MILES
|
ELEVATION GAIN IN / OUT |
HIGH POINT |
RATING |
COST* |
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September 4: Mt. Freemont / Mt. Rainier This hike
starts at the Sunrise parking lot and goes up and west on
Sourdough Ridge, past Frozen Lake to the trailhead for Mt.
Freemont Lookout. Bring a sack lunch.
Departs: 8:30 am |
5.2 |
800/200 |
7200 |
4 |
$6.70 |
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September 11: High Rock Lookout This hike is in
the Sawtooth Range in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. It
has one of the best views of Mt. Rainier and a view of Cora Lake
1400 feet below. Bring a sack lunch.
Departs: 8:30 am |
3.2 |
1400/200 |
5700 |
4 |
$6.60 |
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September 18: Spray
Falls/Spray Park
The Spray Falls Trail starts at Lake
Mowich and has Eagle's Cliff viewpoint and Spray Falls
as major points of interest. With an extra mile and 650
feet elevation gain, we may visit Spray Park.
Bring a sack lunch.
Departs:
8:30 am |
2.3/3.3 |
300-940/ 300 |
4960/ 5500 |
3 or 4 |
$4.75 |
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September 25:
Sheep Lake The trail starts at Chinook
Pass, and follows the Pacific Crest Trail to the lake for lunch,
then returns. Bring a sack lunch.
Departs: 8:30 am |
5 |
400/100 |
5800 |
3 |
$6.10 |
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