WTA Staff's Favorite Hikes

Asking a hiker to name his or her favorite trail can be like asking a parent to name a favorite child. But that's just what we did. We asked ourselves, the staff of Washington Trails Association, to name a favorite hike, and more importantly, to tell why. So, here they are.

Yellow Aster Butte

Arlen Bogaards, District Crew Lead, Mount Baker Ranger District
Hiker type: avid

Photo by Trevor Anderson

Location: North Cascades, Mount Baker Highway
Distance: 7.5 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 2,550 feet
Map(s): Green Trails #14 Mount Shuksan

Yellow Aster Butte is Arlen’s favorite place to wander. About a decade back, Arlen made a decision to prioritize “hiking” over “responsibility.” Soon thereafter, he found himself hiking, all senses engaged, up Yellow Aster Butte. “I remember feeling the intense beauty of Mount Baker hanging in a clear blue sky,” he recalls. “Unbelievable countless wildflowers and abundant blueberries, their tart sweetness staining our lips and fingers, passed by as we wound our way across intense views and fragrant meadows.”  

This trail’s first meadow is gained in a little over a mile and it just gets better from there. Past the tarns, a steep climb rewards you with stellar views of the valley and Mount Baker and Shuksan. On your hike out, check out the interesting rock formations, pick more blueberries, and listen to the rustling winds.

Arlen tries to visit this magical place every year and, through many work parties, has gotten to know the lower reaches of this trail well. Arlen adds, “My last visit was with my girlfriend and the same stillness and grandeur was there. We just sat in stunned silence, casting occasional knowing looks at one another. I can’t wait to be up there again.” Who knew Arlen was so romantic?

Yellow Aster Butte in WTA's Hiking Guide.

Juniper Ridge

Jonathan Guzzo, Advocacy Director
Hiking style: mostly a backpacker, likes to do big miles, hikes fast

Location: Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Distance: 6 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 1,900 feet
Map(s): Green Trails #333 McCoy Peak

Juniper Ridge has views of massive Cascade Volcanoes, constellations of wildflowers and an embarrassment of huckleberries, but it hasn’t always drawn the attention of other grand hikes. “Before my first Juniper Ridge hike,” says Jonathan, “I was told that it wasn’t as spectacular as the North Cascades, but that it ‘had its own beauty.’” Jonathan says, “At the risk of heresy, I prefer Juniper Ridge.” And that’s not just talk. Jonathan has hiked Juniper Ridge at least a dozen times, probably more. What draws him back? “I am haunted by the hillsides of the Dark Divide and the way they shine with variegated tones of red, deep brown and green in autumn. There’s no place quite like it. Its high and lonesome wildness calls to me.”

Juniper Ridge in WTA's Hiking Guide.

Marmot Pass

Lauren Braden, Communications Director
Hiking style: slow and steady sees the most birds

Location: Buckhorn Wilderness
Distance: 10.6 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 3,590 feet  
Maps: Custom Correct Hurricane Ridge

“It’s true.” Lauren sighs, “I can’t stop talking about this great hike to everyone I know.” Why? It starts out amidst huge old-growth trees along the raging Upper Big Quilcene River, twists upward through flowery meadows and hillsides, and ends up at a pass with terrific views. Marmot Pass can be done as an invigorating, rewarding dayhike, but established campsites and a star-filled night sky tempt overnight backpackers. This trail will test your strength in a few places, but it is certainly more rewarding than painful, particularly when the flowers are in bloom.

Boulder River Trail

Kindra Ramos, Outreach Coordinator
Hiking style: wanderer

Boulder River. Photo by Anne Morrison.

Location: Boulder River Wilderness
Distance: 9 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 600 feet
Map(s): Green Trails #77 Oso, Green Trails #109 Granite Falls

A wonderful wander almost any time of year, the Boulder River Trail keeps making the list of favorite Washington hikes for Kindra Ramos. Kindra loves to spend the day out in nature exploring, without necessarily covering a million miles. She prefers to keep mileage and elevation gain on the lower end of the scale and likes how this trail’s two awesome waterfalls give hikers options for resting or turning around depending on the day’s mood. Her affection for this hike is both personal and professional. As Kindra says, “The beautiful old growth speaks to the tree-walker in me that grew up hiking among the redwoods, and the fantastic waterfalls are some of the best mileage markers you could ask for.” On a professional level, Kindra finds herself recommending the trail frequently at outreach events because the trail offers beginning hikers a great taste of all that Washington’s backcountry has to offer.
Special distinction: Best Beginner Hike in Washington

Boulder River in WTA's online Hiking Guide.

Copper Pass -- Twisp Pass

Alan Carter Mortimer, Field Director
Hiking style: moderate pace, steady

Location: North Cascades
Distance: roughly 12.5-mile loop
Elevation gain: 3,000 feet
Map(s): Green Trails #82 Stehekin

Alan didn’t hesitate a bit when recommending the Copper Pass/Twisp Pass Loop as his pick. He’s quick to point out the great single log stringer bridge at the intersection of Copper Pass/Twisp Pass Trails, but by his own admittance, he is a “trail maintenance geek.” Fortunately, this trail has a lot to offer for geeks and non-geeks alike. This fantastic one-day loop hike on the east slopes of the Cascades is accomplished by combining the Copper Pass and Twisp Pass Trails, each gorgeous in their own right, with a short section of high-elevation off-trail wandering between the two passes. Here’s how it works: Climb to Copper Pass for great views and then drop back down into the basin below and proceed cross-country to the southwest, maintaining elevation as you go. Hit the ridge extending out towards Lincoln Butte, following it to its low point, and drop down to Twisp Pass. Follow the Twisp Pass Trail back to the trailhead. (A photo from this area is featured on the cover.)
Essential gear: a good map for the crosscountry section 

Copper Pass in WTA's online Hiking Guide.

Colchuck Lake

Alyssa Kreider, Volunteer Coordinator
Hiking style: critical assessor, thinks things like “looks like WTA volunteers worked on this section” or “that still needs some maintenance”  

Location: Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Distance: 8.5 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 2,200 feet
Map(s): Green Trails #209S The Enchantments

Alyssa’s favorite part of her favorite trail is when the Colchuck Lake Trail splits from the Stuart Lake Trail, crosses Mountaineers Creek and heads up towards the lake, where, she says, “The combination of the beauty of the open forest with the large granite boulders and solitude of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness hits you.”

Alyssa highly recommends camping by the lake, which is spectacular, hence permits are required. She predicts that you’ll be drawn back to Colchuck Lake when you realize that from here it is just a short (but arguably brutal) haul up Aasgard Pass to reach one of the most spectacular places in Washington’s backcountry: the Enchantments.
First impression: Now this is a real mountain lake!

Colchuck Lake in WTA's online Hiking Guide.

High Divide Trail

Tim Van Beek, Project Coordinator
Hiking style: fast—at least until the views are reached

Location: North Cascades, Mount Baker
Distance: 8 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 3,400 feet
Map(s): Green Trails #14 Mt Shuksan

Tim’s favorite hike is the High Divide Trail, running the ridge between Welcome Pass and Excelsior Pass up off Highway 542. Though it could be accessed from either trailhead, Tim recommends reaching it via the Welcome Pass Trail. That way, he says, “You can enjoy the 66 switchbacks on the route up.” Ahh, those crazy miners! Your uphill effort will be rewarded with jaw dropping views of Mount Shuksan and even a glimpse of Price Lake, a glacier-fed beauty on the side of Shuksan. Your walk westward will be a flower-lined journey with views of Komo Kulshan (aka Mount Baker) and on the way back you’ll get the Picket Range. As Tim says with a wide grin, “Sheesh!”

High Divide Trail in WTA's online Hiking Guide.

Grand Ridge Trail

Kara Chin, Membership Manager
Hiking style: slug-counting, mushroom-poking, goat-searching, moss-feeling, berry-picking meanderer

Location: Issaquah Alps
Distance: 7 miles one-way
Elevation gain: 600 feet
Map(s): King County Parks Grand Ridge Map

A beautiful hike through western redcedar trees, sword ferns, nettles, berries, and, in season, slugs, the Grand Ridge Trail is Kara’s pick because it is a piece of the backcountry close to her home. The first time Kara hiked this trail was for WTA’s annual Fireside Circle work party in May 2006. That spring, WTA was just putting the trail in at High Point. Now, the trail takes you nearly to Duthie Hill Park. When Kara last hiked this trail in early July 2009, she counted 119 slugs. Kara’s done 14 work parties on Grand Ridge, including the work party that earned her a monogrammed trail saw. Kara says, “WTA members, volunteers and corporate sponsors have spent so many hours building this super trail. It’s hard not to love.”

Grand Ridge in WTA's online Hiking Guide.

West Coast Trail

Rebecca Lavigne, Development Director
Hiking style: year-round hiker and occasional backpacker exploring the boundaries of knee-friendly hiking

Location: Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Distance: 47 miles one way (75 kilometers)
Elevation gain: minimal
Map(s): provided by Parks Canada when you make your reservation

Let’s put arbitrary political boundaries aside for a moment, shall we?

Rebecca’s favorite trail is found where the land meets sea, and rain is measured in centimeters not inches—300 centimeters a year, to be precise. Vancouver Island’s West Coast Trail takes hikers through some of our region’s most remote wilderness beaches and old-growth rainforest. On this challenging backpacking route, you’ll climb endless ladders, cross a tidal shelf and see blue whales. Rebecca’s favorite feature is a bog of ancient trees that feels like a wild bonsai garden. You’ll need a reservation, backcountry skills, a fondness for mud and plenty of luck. Rebecca cautions, “By the way, this is not a knee-friendly hike.”

Chelan Summit Trail

Diane Bedell, Trail Programs Director
Hiking style: Formerly: a hired gun, hiking up to 300 miles a summer with a uniform on. Currently: taking a stroll to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the backcountry, the more flowers and birds the better.

Location: North Cascades, Methow Valley
Distance: 35 to 43 miles one way
Elevation gain: about 6,500 feet
Map(s): Green Trails #115 Prince Creek, #83 Buttermilk Butte, #82 Stehekin

“Open expanses of flower-filled meadows, rugged peaks to scramble, high alpine lakes, golden larches, and the North Cascades as your neighbor.”

It’s hard to argue with Diane’s reasons for selecting the Chelan Summit Trail in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness as her favorite hike. What’s more, the trail also offers up what Diane describes as “Genuine. Honest. Solitude.” Getting to the Summit Trail will take some work, but it’s definitely worth it. You can either hike up from Lake Chelan, or you can hike in from the Methow Valley. When you go, don’t pass up side trips to Surprise Lake (for the trout) or Star Peak (for the view). 

Chelan Lakeshore Trail in WTA's online Hiking Guide.

Bearhead Mountain & Summit Lake

Holly Chambers, Office Manager
Hiking style: equal opportunity hiker

Summit Lake. Photo by Holly Chambers.

Location: Clearwater Wilderness
Distance: 6 miles round trip to Bearhead Mountain; 5 miles round trip to Summit Lake
Elevation gain: 1,800 feet to Bearhead Mountain;
1,200 feet to Summit Lake
Map(s): Green Trails #237 Enumclaw

For an excellent two-night backpacking trip, Holly suggests that you head to Bearhead Mountain and Summit Lake in the Clearwater Wilderness. The Summit Lake Trail leads to a beautiful alpine lake with none other than Mount Rainier as the backdrop. Set up camp and follow the trail north and west around the lake to a rocky ridge with amazing views of the surrounding area. On day two, head back down the Summit Lake Trail to the junction with the Bearhead Mountain Trail. A moderate, well-maintained trail through the forest will carry you to an old fire lookout site with another bold and brassy Rainier view. Expect wildflowers in the spring and, possibly, bears.
Essential gear: a high-clearance vehicle for the long rough road to the trailhead.

Summit Lake in WTA's online Hiking Guide.

Snowgrass Flat-Goat Ridge Loop

Krista Dooley, Youth Program Coordinator
Hiking style: easygoing, gets there eventually

Location: Goat Rocks Wilderness
Distance: 14 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 1,900 feet
Map(s): USFS Goat Rocks Wilderness

What makes this hike Krista’s favorite? Only the colorful wildflowers, mountain goats, refreshing lakes, amazing views of Rainier, Adams, and St. Helens, the chance to chat with PCT thru-hikers, and wide-open skies. If the weather looks good, Krista suggests sleeping under the stars, “I have never seen so many shooting stars in my life as I have in the Goat Rocks.” She recommends spliting the 14 mile hike into two days so you can watch the clouds roll by, scramble up Old Snowy, and cool your feet in Goat Lake.

Sheep Canyon

Ryan Ojerio, SW WA Regional Coordinator
Hiking style: hikes to explore

View from the Sheep Canyon Trail, by Ryan Ojerio.

Location: South Cascades, Mount St. Helens
Distance: 4.5 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 1,200 feet
Map(s): USFS Mt. St. Helens Ranger District

Ryan just discovered his current favorite trail last month, but he’s confident that this hike offers enough to be among his “top 10” for years to come. As he says, “Ascending to the edge of Mount St. Helens’ barren slopes is like a mystery novel that you can’t put down.” Hike here and you’ll see a road buried by a massive mudslide, catch glimpses of the summit and patches of young trees which provide clues to a violent past and foreshadow events to come. All the while, old-growth trees speak to nature’s resilience and determination.