You can’t see them in this picture, but I just descended down this massive rock jumble using switchback after switchback. So far the Cascades are full of both: switchbacks and rock jumbles. Also the climbs and descents are steeper and more often.

So as I was walking down to this stream I was analyzing how to cross it. It had been written on my maps that this crossing could be dangerous. So I was thinking… Was there a bridge? No. Should I wade? No, there looks to be rocks and logs. Should I use rocks? No, because the two logs look like the way to cross. So I very slowly and carefully crossed on those two bending and flexing logs as the stream flowed beneath me. What I didn’t notice is that after the logs I had to cross a deep washout by climbing down six feet on slippery wet rocks, cross a small tributary of the stream and climb back up to the trail. I think this latter obstacle was actually harder to cross.

Today seemed to have a few more obstacles than normal. First there were multiple groups of multiple trees. Some you climb over others you crawl under. Later there was a enormous tree across the trail that I had to climb up, then get over, and climb back down to the trail. This blowdown was so memorable that other hikers I met earlier in the day remarked about it.

Washington is a temperate rain forest and everything is especially green and growing. The trail gets overgrown at times and sometimes it’s even hard to follow. This means that the trail requires work to cut back the overgrowth. There are volunteers who donate their time and energy to do things like that. I’ve seen one or two trail maintenance crews on the trail and I always thank them for their service to the trail.

As you can see on the bottom left of the map the zig-zag switchbacks for a multi-mile climb. Followed by on the top right by even more switchbacks for the multi-mile descent. Yet at the top the view was again spectacular.

Yesterday night I slept in the lowlands. In the early morning I went by this mountain and its cascading waterfalls.

This was the deepest washout so far. I really appreciated some earlier hiker or trail maintenance crew member putting the logs there. My balance is not good so I very carefully crossed using my poles as outriggers on the outermost logs. Whew!

Today not only included massive climbs but the trail was especially difficult to hike with many large rock jumbles.

Many times while I’m hiking I look up ahead to see where the trail will lead me. In this case I could see the trace of the trail up high cutting across horizontally on the side of the far mountain. To get there I had to descend to a saddle or pass and then climb and climb to get there.

After leaving Snoqualmie and climbing for 6 miles I entered the Northern Cascade mountains. Some days I rarely find anything I want to take a picture of but today I couldn’t stop taking pictures. Somehow mountains impress and fascinate me. I enjoy the vistas when being up so high.