Paradise Snowshoe

We drove up to Paradise at Mt Rainier National Park this morning to snowshoe towards Glacier Vista. We went up gaining about 500 ft to an area where we had fabulous views of Mt Rainier, the Tatoosh Range, Mt Adams and Mt St Helens

Tatoosh Range

zooms of the Goat Rocks, Mt Adams, Mt St Helens

We enjoyed the warm weather, beautiful blue skies and fabulous views! View towards Iron Mtn, Copper Mtn and Pyramid Peak

Another view of the Tatoosh Range as we headed back down

Scenic Beach State Park

We drove to the day use area of Scenic Beach State Park, on the west side of Hood Canal south of Seabeck, and walked the short 0.1 mile trail down to the beach for the beautiful views. We did the very short walk along the beach and then did a short walk above the beach viewing an old cabin and a historic home, overall 0.5 miles. Views at the beach

To the north is the Bolton Peninsula dividing Quilcene Bay from Hood Canal

zoom of Mt Constance

zoom of Mt Jupiter

zoom of the Brothers

zoom of Mt Washington and Mt Pershing

Guillemot Cove

We drove out to the west side of Hood Canal, south of Seabeck to hike down to Guilllemot Cove and back. We starated at the parking area on Northwest Stavis Bay Road, hiking down through the forest, acorss the wetlands on a boardwalk, then the short distance to the beach. This was about 1 mile. After enjoying our lunch with the beautiful views, we walked along the beach, up to where Boyce Creek enters Hood Canal (a very short distance) then down along the beach entering a short section of the Stavis Natural Resources Conservation Area. Overall hike of 2.6 miles with 350 ft of loss/gain. Lovely trail down through the forest with only a few blowdown trees to step over.

The boardwalk over the wetlands and Boyce Creek, then view across the wetlands towards Hood Canal and a distant the Brothers

Wide angle view at Guillemot Cove and some views along the beach

zoom of Mt Washinton and Mt Pershing

zoom of the Brothers

zoom of Mt Jupiter

some of the fungi we saw along the trail today:

Keechelus Lake

We walked down to Keechelus Lake from the Hyak SnoPark. The route was well packed snow, slightly soft. We did not need snowshoes or microspikes, 2.6 miles round trip with minimal loss/gain Most of the trail is through the woods on the closed road.

View as we neared the lake

Views from the boat launch area

Belfair State Park

We drove out to Belfair State Park on Hood Canal and did a short walk through the campground along the beach and back through the day use area. Lovely late afternoon.

Theler Wetlands and Union River Wildlife Area

We drove to Belfair to walk the trails at Theler Wetlands and Union River Wildlife Area for about 3.6 miles, including a short walk along a road to connect the trail.

We started from the Theler Wetlands parking area and first along the Rock Wall and South Tidal Marsh Trails, going past a beaver dam along the boardwalk to the view at the western end of Hood Canal

wide angle view

We then returned down the boardwalk and over to the River Estuary Trail

Views along the estuary portion of the trail

Views along the Union River

Near the far end of the route, there was another trail making a short loop that ran parallel to the road, here looking across the salt flats towards Hood Canal

One of the wood carvings in the woods near the trail junctions