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Mt. Pilchuck shim John & Kristie

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hikes :: Saturday, November 20, 2004
Mt. Pilchuck
MT. PILCHUCK STATE PARK, WA :: Today was my fourth hike to the top of Mt. Pilchuck, and it was the first time the sky was clear enough to enjoy the view. Wow! Fresh snow blanketed the landscape and the cold, dry air offered a great view of the surrounding peaks. Most prominent were Glacier, Baker, Rainier and Three Fingers. I could see the Olympics on the other side of the Sound, and it was easy to identify the tall buildings in Seattle's skyline. I had no idea you could see Pilchuck from Seattle. I'll have to look for it the next time it's sunny out.

The road to the parking lot was mostly bare, except for the last half-mile, which was coated in ice and snow. As I left my truck, I noticed the thermometer read 30 degrees. Brrr! I was grateful for my thermal underwear, although after just fifteen minutes of hiking, I got really warm and had stripped down to my t-shirt to finish the hike. It's a short one; only six miles roundtrip, but it climbs a respectable 2400' to the lookout.

Even on this wintery Saturday, the trail was full of hikers. A jovial group, of what I presumed to be Eastern Europeans by their accents, was cooking food and melting snow for their tea in the lookout with a gas stove. It didn't seem too safe, so I stayed outside. Then they asked if they could borrow my trekking poles to help prop open the heavy shutters. I offered them, but again, that didn't seem too safe, so I warned others as they made their way up to not bump the poles, or else they'd most certainly suffer a concussion. As the number of people in the lookout surpassed a dozen, I reclaimed my poles (leaving everyone in the dark!), and made my way back down. It was a lot of fun pretending to ski down the trail, and I was back at the parking lot in less than an hour.

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