Old Man Wanderlust

09/05/2025

☀️🏔️ Fisher Lake 9/2/2025: Where I Almost Melted But Came Back Reborn 🏔️☀️

Hike Stats:
• ~ 9 miles roundtrip
• ~ 2028ft elevation gain
• ~ 4:47:48 trail time
• ~ 2.8 mph avg pace
• ~ 5197 max elevation
• ~ 4512ml est. sweat loss
• ~ 17972 steps

Step 1: Survive a 12-mile forest service road that was so well-maintained I started wondering if it secretly doubles as a racetrack. NASCAR: Forest Edition.

Step 2: Hit the Tonga Ridge Trail for a casual 9 mile and 2000 ft round trip of “fun” uphill cardio in a sauna set to low 90’s. By mile 2, I looked like a wet towel that had been left in the sun.

Step 3: Wander through meadows PACKED with wild blueberries. Honestly, I think I ate my bodyweight in trail snacks. If a bear had shown up, it would’ve had to fight me for its own food source. 🐻🫐

Step 4: Finally stumble into Fisher Lake. Crystal blue water. Terrace Mountain looming above like some kind of alpine bodyguard. I stripped down and jumped in faster than you can say “heat stroke.” The water was straight glacial — like Mother Nature slapped me with an ice bath and said, “Pull yourself together.”

Then I spent the next few hours floating around on a tube like a king of questionable life choices, sipping a couple of beers, and contemplating whether I’d actually discovered the meaning of life. Spoiler: the meaning of life might just be cold water + cold beer + blueberries + not dying on the hike in.

Verdict: Fisher Lake is basically a high-alpine spa package, except instead of cucumber water and robes, you get frozen legs, blueberry stains, and a sunburn. 10/10, would suffer again. 🍻🫐💦

07/19/2025

☀️ Hike to High Alpine Lake Janus Lake — Henery Jackson Wilderness Adventure 🏞️

Made my way up to the high alpine beauty of Janus Lake near Stevens Pass in the Henery Jackson Wilderness today via the Smith Brook Trail to the PCT North. It was a bluebird day — sunny and in the high 80s — perfect for soaking in some mountain peace. 🍺 🥩 🛩️

📊 Hike Stats:
• ~ 7.45miles roundtrip
• ~ 1,658 ft elevation gain
• ~ 2:37:46 trail time
• ~ 2.1 mph avg pace
• ~ 4647 max elevation
• ~ 12670 steps

No fishing rod today — I left it behind to simply enjoy the quiet serenity of the alpine, the pristine blue waters of Janus Lake, and the majestic backdrop of Jove Peak standing tall above it all. Found a perfect lakeside spot, cracked open a couple of cold beers, and sizzled up a steak with a view. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

Just as I was deep in that peaceful mountain trance, I got a surprise visit from the sound of freedom — a few high-speed passes from US Navy fighter jets out of Whidbey Island. They roared right above the lake, and honestly… it was absolutely amazing.

On the drive home, I took a detour up another Forest Service road to scout some future trailheads — always planning the next adventure! 🏕️

07/02/2025

🏞️ Hike to the High Alpine Lake Valhalla – Stevens Pass Adventure ☀️🎣🥩

Made the trek up to the stunning Lake Valhalla near Stevens Pass via the Smith Brook Trail to the PCT on a bluebird day — temps hit the 80s and the mountain views did not disappoint.

📊 Stats for the day:
• ~7.21 miles round trip
• ~1,600 ft elevation gain
• ~3:22:51 trail time
• ~2.1 mph avg pace
• ~5220 max elevation
• ~17622 steps

Once at the lake, I threw in a line hoping to hook into some cutthroat trout. Saw a few jumpers teasing me just offshore, but they weren’t interested in what I was offering — skunked on the fishing this time. 🐟❌

Still made the most of it with a couple cold beers in the sun 🍻 and finished it off by grilling a backcountry steak right by the lake — hard to beat that combo.

Views were absolutely majestic — the crystal-clear blue waters of Valhalla framed by Lichtenberg Mountain towering above made for a picture-perfect alpine scene. 🏔️💧

On the way back, took a quick detour to scout the route up to Mount McCausland. Didn’t have time for the summit today, but it looks like a fun climb — definitely bookmarking that one for a future trip. 🧗‍♂️

Another epic day in the mountains.

06/18/2025

🌲🏔️🍺 🥩 High Alpine Adventure to Copper Lake 🥩 🍺 🏔️🌲

What a day to hit the mountains yesterday! My buddy Tim and I made the trek up to the stunning Copper Lake near Skykomish via the Foss River Trail. The weather couldn’t have been better—sunny, clear skies and temps in the perfect 70’s.

Hike Stats:
🥾 Distance: ~8.4 miles round trip
⬆️ Elevation Gain: ~2,600 feet
⏱️ Total Time: About 6 hours (with plenty of relaxing up top)

The trail was packed with everything you’d want in a proper alpine adventure—rushing river water, waterfalls roaring alongside us, and some truly majestic mountain views once we reached the lake. Along the way, we passed an ancient cedar tree that was absolutely massive—one of the largest I’ve ever seen on trail!

We also hit a sketchy section where two super large trees had fallen across the trail… no going around it, so up and over we went—felt like old school loggers climbing over that beast. Definitely kept the heart rate up!

Once we made it to the lake, we kicked off the boots and soaked our feet in the ice-cold glacier-fed water (talk about instant refresh). Cracked a couple cold beers, enjoyed the view, and topped off the day by cooking up some juicy steaks right by the water’s edge. Hard to beat a backcountry steak with that kind of scenery.

Another awesome day in Washingtons Alpine Lake wilderness—you never disappoint. 🍻🥩🌄 🍺

06/10/2025

🌲 High Alpine Adventure to Hope Lake! 🎣🍻🥾

Spent an awesome day hiking up to the beautiful Hope Lake off the PCT via the Tunnel Creek Trail at Stevens Pass yesterday. Weather was absolutely perfect—sunny and in the low 80’s with clear blue skies all day long.

Hike Stats:
🏞️ 3.0 miles round trip
📈 1,350 feet elevation gain

Made it up to the lake in good time and spent a while trying my luck fishing for trout—but they must’ve been off on vacation because not a single bite today. Oh well… can’t win ‘em all! Had a couple of cold beers while soaking in the alpine views and topped it all off by cooking up some tasty brats right by the lakeshore. Can’t beat that combo.

I also made an attempt to head up toward MIG Lake afterward, but the trail quickly turned into a sloppy, soupy mess with a lot of lingering snow. Should’ve brought my boots for that one—called it off and headed back to Hope Lake instead. No wet feet today! 😂

All in all, an incredible day in the mountains!

06/06/2025

🏞️ Goat Lake Adventure – Blue Skies, Cold Beers, and Backcountry Bliss ☀️🍻🥩

Spent the day hiking up to the beautiful Goat Lake, tucked high in the Cascades between Granite Falls and Darrington off the Mountain Loop Highway. Weather couldn’t have been better — sunny and in the 70s with a light breeze to keep the bugs guessing. Classic PNW perfection.

📊 Trail Stats:
• Distance: ~10.5 miles round trip
• Elevation Gain: ~1,400 feet
• Trail Options: Took the Lower Trail in and cruised out on the scenic Upper Trail for a nice loop.

Once at the lake, I tossed a line in and tried my luck fishing for trout. Caught a few, but nothing big enough to call dinner. No worries — I came prepared. Cracked open a couple Escape Artist IPAs from Everybody’s Brewing and soaked in that high alpine serenity. Wrapped the day up with a backcountry steak cooked right on the lakeshore. Nothing tastes better than steak at 3,100 feet.

🪦 A little history for the curious:
Goat Lake isn’t just another pretty face — it sits near the remains of the old Penn Mining Company, which was active in the early 1900s. They were hunting for silver and gold up here and even built a short-lived tram system to haul ore down the mountain. If you poke around near the lake, you can still spot some of the mining remnants hidden in the brush — nature slowly reclaiming its own.

Another awesome day chasing solitude, stories, and steaks in the mountains.

05/29/2025

Yesterday’s adventure was one for the books — made the trek up to Big Greider Lake in the high alpine and it did not disappoint. 🌲☀️ The weather was perfect: sunny and in the 80s the whole day. Couldn’t have asked for better hiking conditions.

Hike Stats:
📍 Trail: Big Greider Lake
🥾 Distance: ~9 miles round trip
📈 Elevation Gain: ~2,000 feet
🕒 Total time: About 5.5 hours with plenty of chill time at the lake

Once I got up there, I broke out the fishing rod and was rewarded with a solid catch — an 11” and a 16” rainbow trout. Nothing beats fresh alpine trout in a place like that. Tossed back a couple cold beers, soaked in the views, and wrapped up the day with a backcountry steak dinner cooked right by the water. 🥩🍻🎣

This is what it’s all about.

05/26/2024

Interesting find by NC man on a hiking trail!!!

A Haywood County man is sharing his story after he recently discovered a mysterious, heavy object that may have been from outer space -- on a remote trail.

12/22/2023

12/06/2023

This would be an epic hiking trip!!!

Located on the Knoydart peninsula in the Scottish Highlands, the Old Forge Pub is officially the most remote pub on mainland Britain. Within this blog I'll talk through all of the details for the shortest hiking route to Britain’s most remote pub, the Old Forge.

11/07/2023

The army veteran and mother of three recorded the fastest-known time hiking the Pacific Crest Trail north to south.