Mapping out a New Hiking Future

To all my faithful followers, thanks for sticking with me! As you know this has been an extremely busy year for me having just completed researching and writing (and mapping and photographing) two new books. Good news-they're done! They'll both be out next spring and then I'll be busy out and about promoting them. I look forward to seeing many of you at these events and sharing all kinds of great hiking information with you. In the meantime, I'm back to blogging on a regular basis now that I am no longer in the woods and working on a manuscript every waking moment of the day. And if you're wondering what I'll be working on next-I am currently working with Rich Landers of the Spokesman Review of Spokane on a Day Hiking Eastern Washington Book. And I have been working with Green Trails cartographer extraordinaire Marc Rothmeyer on two new Columbia River Gorge maps. You are going to like these, and my new book references them. What we have found is that many previous existing maps of the gorge are simply inaccurate. They don't show many trails or they show trails in the wrong places. And of course with all of the new trails recently constructed in the gorge, most maps don't show these as well. So, definitely check out these new maps when you head down to the gorge this spring putting my new Day Hiking Columbia River Gorge Book to work. And of course I'll be out mapping and writing about many new places soon. So, let me ask you this--where would you like me to write about next? Where do you think a new book should be written for? Let me know and as always I thank you for your support and I look forward to seeing you on the trail or at an upcoming book event where we can talk about our great trails and outdoors!

Mapping a new future (map!)

Green Trails Maps recently released a brand new Mount Rainier National Park Map which includes:

Trails within the entire park

Trails along the park's periphery including the Cougar Lakes Area

A close up climber's map of Paradise and Muir Snowfields

A profile of the entire Wonderland Trail

And all of it is water proof and tear resistant. How cool is that? I was part of the mapping team last year that put it together. We tracked every trail in the park to make sure they were accurately measured and accurately portrayed. This map is a must have in you hiking resource library.

And heads up-I am currently busy working with cartographer Marc Rothmeyer to produce two new Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area Maps. These maps too will include some great features including the entire Deschutes River Trail and new trails on the Washington side of the gorge as well as indicating the newly expanded Hatfield Wilderness. The first map for the western half of the Gorge will be out next spring-just in time for the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area's 25th Anniversary celebrations and the release of my Day Hiking Columbia Gorge Book. Of course, my book will have all its hikes referenced to the new maps. The book and the maps will be worth waiting for. Meanwhile don't wait any linger to do some good hiking-get out there and enjoy the spring weather!

Mapping the Mountain

Talk about a cool assignment. I am part of a team of a dozen hikers working with cartographer Marc Rothmeyer on a brand new special series Green Trails Mount Rainier National Park Map. We have been busy this summer hiking all of the trails in the park and along the park's periphery tracking the routes and recording important waypoints. My assigned trails have been in the park's north central and far eastern reaches. So far this is some of the important info I can provide for you in regards to my field work (the rest you'll have to wait for the map!).

• Most of my mapped routes have been longer than previously thought/recorded. So, yes that hike you took last summer in the park may very well have felt longer than what you thought it was going to be because it was!
• Particularly the Laughingwater Trail-it is way longer than what most old maps say-and I knew that after hiking it three times. Actual distance of the trail from Trailhead to PCT is 9.3 miles not 7.3-that's a huge difference!
• The old trail to Sheep Lake from Three Lakes is long gone-nothing remains of it-well at least nothing anywhere near the Laughingwater Trail.
• The old trail from the Cougar Lakes to the PCT does exist and it is in remarkably good shape although you will have a hard time locating it from the PCT. From Cougar lake it is easy to follow and it'll cost you 2.2 miles and nearly a 1,000 feet of elevation gain.
• The Dewey Lake Trail from Dewey Lake to Mesatchee Creek is not 6.2 miles but 7.4 miles long!
• American Lake lies just .55 mile from the PCT
• Cougar Lakes from the PCT following the American Ridge and Cougar Lakes trail is 3.3 miles-much longer than what old maps state-there has been some rerouting over the years.
• Swamp Lake is just shy of a mile from the Cougar Lake-American Ridge Junction
• Dewey Lake to American Ridge via the PCT is not 3 miles like what old maps state-but 3.7 miles which is exactly what the park service's sign says. Hey they got that one right!

This great map will be available in the early spring of 2010. Visit Green Trails.com to learn more about it. We still have some serious mapping to do, so perhaps I'll see you on the trail. I'll be the guy with the gps, scribbled maps, and note pad in hand- (wait that could be one of many lost hikers out there!).

Cougar (Lakes) Country

I've been meaning to get to the Cougar Lakes for years. I heard it was gorgeous-full of wildlife (and mosquitoes) and was one of the prettiest places in the William O Douglas Wilderness. Well- I finally got there! Just finished up a three day backpacking trip with Kim Brown to the lakes via the Pacific Crest Trail from Chinook Pass and out the Laughingwater Trail to Ohanapecosh in Mount Rainier NP.

Here are some highlights of the 3 day 34 mile trek:

• Do not get your Rainier permit at Ohanepecosh-they are not prepared for it-may not know what to do and you will be a victim of bureaucratic bungling--but has once again convinced me about what a nationalized health care plan will look like (ok-no, more politics!)
• Do Cougar lakes during the week in chilly weather. Why? We were the only ones in the entire basin-had a premiere site on Little Cougar Little with a view of House Rock. And no bugs! It was too cold for the little buzzers.
• The Green Trail Map (Bumping Lake no 271) has lots of inaccuracies. That's the bad news. The good news is that I was tracking trails on this trip for a new Green Trails Mount Rainier S-map that includes this area. Cougar Lakes from the PCT is 3.3 miles-a lot longer than what the map says-
• And the Laughingwater Creek Trail is a lot longer too- I always had a feeling that was the case too as this was my third time on this trail and I knew it was longer than what was stated on signs and maps. Trailhead to Three Lakes Campground is 7. 3 miles not 6 miles. And Three Lakes to PCT is 2.0 miles not 1.5 miles.
• The old trail from Big Cougar to the PCT exists! And it is in good shape! Kim and I hiked this 2.2 mile gorgeous trail through meadows and rocky basins and over a high shelf on the crest. It will appear on that new map (available next spring) that I was telling you about.
• Swamp Lake is actually a nice lake while Three Lakes is actually a nice swamp.
• Three Lakes campground is probably one of the quietest backcountry campsites within the entire Mount Rainier National Park
• Only spooked one elk on this trip but they are out there in numbers-elk droppings and tracks everywhere-
• Goats too!
• You want views, meadows, alpine lakes, amazing old-growth, and not much company? You'll want to do this trip-and yep-it'll be in my upcoming Backpacking Washington book.

Trailcasts are back!

Click on over to Green Trails.com and download a Trailcast or two. What's a trailcast? It's a pod cast of a selected hike from one of my many guidebooks. And once you get it downloaded into your preferred listening device-its like taking me and Marc the Cartographer along as your guides. Heck-we'll even bring along Bodhi the wonder dog on occasion. So check it out and let us take you for a hike. You'll have to pack your own lunch though. We haven't figured out yet how to get some grub over to you via the web!