r/PNWhiking

Hey guys, recently moved to the PNW and I’m definitely out of shape but I want to go hiking in the mountains! Are there any work outs I can do this late in the year to help prepare my body? I know doing anything would probably help, but I’m getting overwhelmed by how many things there are to do between weights and cardio and stretches and mobility (??) training. I just need a solid place to start.

FWIW, Female, 25-30 age range. Thanks!

Hello all :) as the title says I'm new to the PNW. I've always enjoyed being in nature but I've never hiked anything like what's here.

I want to start doing a lot more hiking and I'm just curious what kind of hiking gear is actually essential here in the PNW. Any help is much appreciated. Thanks in advance! :)

Hey guys,

I am trying to go backpacking at Baker Lake this weekend, but from alltrails and WTA it seems like there is a part of the trails that is inaccessible. Has anybody been camping at baker lake can break down what the trail looks like for me? How difficult is it to get to the campsites with washouts?

Hi friends!

My boyfriend and I are taking an anniversary roadtrip up the west coast this fall (Oct-Nov). I already have Air BNBs booked and have a general idea of where we want to go / what we want to see, but this is going to be my first time on the west coast ever, so I figured i would ask for any recommendations of parks, local food/bev favorites, ect! :)

(We love reading and movies so any bookstores or fun places like that are a bonus. BF also loves all history if you have any good recommendations of things to see in that aspect)

We are starting in San Francisco and driving up to Seattle to end things off! Any tips/advice would also be greatly appreciated!! Mostly concerned on how to pack, I’m expecting rain which is totally fine because I love that type of weather but when does snow typically start? What is the temp range? Again I plan on packing layers but I am also a worrier LOL.

Thank you!! :)

Hoping to do some backpacking there

Has anyone ventured out into this area recently to provide a conditions report? Thanks!

Hello! My wife and I are visiting for a few days in early June (June 4-8) and are looking for some hiking recommendations (first time in Washington!). We’re in our early 30s and in pretty good shape. Thinking of doing either 4 nights/5days in Bellingham/north cascades area (one day for mountain biking in Galbraith) or splitting it up and doing the other half in Olympic (staying in Port Angelas). Looking for more mountainous hikes as opposed to waterfalls/foresty.

I have a Garmin Epix2 with pretty reliable GPS that I always use for MTB/hiking (would I need an inReach too?).

Not sure what the snow situation will be, but looking at potentially doing the following cascades hikes: Park Butte, Thunder Knob, Cascade Pass, Vesper Peak. I think the road is closed past thunder knob, otherwise was looking at Maple Pass and Blue Lake.

Olympic: Hurricane Hill, Switchback.

Leaning towards doing the full time in Bellingham/Mt Baker/Cascades.

Not sure if any of the hikes I mentioned will be unhikeable. Also open to any other suggestions!!

My family of 4 will be heading to the national park next month. We are both mid-30s and the boys are 5 and 3 yo. We got a spot at the Mora campground during the week. Since this will be our first time at this park and first time camping with little kids, we would appreciate any advice and tips. Out main goal is to have fun and not intending to check off a list of places.

We live north of Seattle so this is our tentative plan for a 3-day/2-night trip:

• Day 1: Get up early and drive to catch ferries (either Mukilteo or Edmonds terminals) to the Olympic peninsula by mid-day. Then drive into the park and see the visitor center, then drive up to see the Hurricane Ridge. I thought I saw that Hurricane Hill Rd is closed M-Th, does that mean Hurricane Ridge is inaccessible during that time? My alternate plan is to go see Sol Duc Falls.
Check into hotel in Port Angeles and spend the first night in Port Angeles.

• Day 2: check out of hotel and head to Lake Crescent area to spend the morning there. Start driving around noon to Forks to check into the Mora campground. Set up camp, then head to Rialto or one of the nearby beaches, see sunset if we can. Then eat dinner and camp for the night.

Day 3: pack up early if possible and spend a few more hours at another beach if we can. We might visit the Hoh or Quinault rainforest if time allows. Then, it will be a drive heading back in the afternoon to get home by night.

I’m not sure if 3 days is enough or if we should reserve another hotel night at the end. Then it will likely be in Port Angeles since Forks doesn’t have many options.

1. So does this seem feasible for a family with kids? The kids love beaches so that’s why we prioritize more beach time. They are also quite both capable little hikers.
2. We haven’t camped in a long time, what are some essential items or gears we should bring along? Anything that might help with the kids? We plan on having no electronics the entire trip. So is a physical map necessary or using offline Google Maps sufficient?
3. Any general precautions? We will have sunscreen and insect repellent. Any wildlife precautions we need to take, like potential bear encounters for example?

We hope to have fun primarily and I hope to be able to instill the love of camping and enjoying nature onto the kids. Thanks all!

Hi! Has anyone climbed Ruth Mountain (North Cascades) recently? Looking for beta.
Saw one or two other trip reports for the last week or so, but looking for more info.
Is it doable without ropes around this time of the year? Any info on crevasses on the glacier?
Anything is useful and appreciated. Thank you!