See the Larches at Blue Lake + Washington Pass Lookout – North Cascades

We often detail day hikes – check out our full archive here.

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If you live in Washington, it’s time to pencil in a weekend to see the larches! If you’re not familiar with larches, they’re the bright yellow pine trees in the photo above. Larches are deciduous conifers meaning they have needles instead of leaves and although they are conifers, larches are deciduous trees that lose their needles during autumn. Pretty neat!

I hadn’t seen a larch until I moved to Washington state. They are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south. Larches are among the dominant plants in the boreal forests of Siberia and Canada.  In the U.S., you can find larches in Oregon, Idaho, Montana, here in Washington.  In Washington, you can typically count on larches being in bloom at the end of September and the beginning of October. The vibrant color varies each year and is different depending on the time and elevation, so your best bet is to get out there early and often. Larches can grow to be big boys – sometimes reaching 150 feet tall.

If you’re looking for a nice walk with bright autumn color, any old hike will do ya, but I highly recommend hiking to Blue Lake. Note there are at least six lakes named ‘Blue Lake’ in Washington (and another Blue Lake that Kate visited in Colorado!). I’m referring to the one just off of Highway 20 in the North Cascades. Blue Lake is an amazing Seattle weekend getaway destination. This beautiful 4.5 mile out and back hike features towering granite peaks, evergreen forests, meadows and slide areas with wildflowers and foliage, and of course the most beautiful blue mountain lake.

If you’re traveling from Seattle, it will take you about two hours and forty minutes to Blue Lake. Blue Lake is a sparkly gem surrounded by sheer granite peaks and it would not be a stretch to say it’s the most beautiful lake I’ve ever seen and way up there on my short list of best hikes. That’s no giveaway coming from someone who has been hiking and backpacking since the age of eight. Someone who has hiked across mountain ranges in Nepal and through jungles in Thailand, this hike was freaking amaze balls. If you’re within a three-hour radius, grab your boots, drive to Blue Lake, and start walking.

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I’m going to go out on a limb here and say we also caught Blue Lake at the best possible time of year. Before setting out on this hike (back in 2018!), I had no idea the larches were in bloom. I actually had no idea what larches were, but now I plan weekend adventures around these beauties. You have to catch them when they change color before the needles fall. You’ll be ooing and aahing every step of the way. Just for reference, this hike to Blue Lake was during the last weekend in September, on the 29th to be exact.

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Capital Reef Hike : Cassidy Arch

If you’d like to see more Utah adventures, click here! When we’re in Utah, we often camp on BLM land (it’s free and vast!). You can learn more about camping on BLM land in this post.

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In early July, after camping near the Fremont River, we visited Capital Reef and hiked to Cassidy Arch. Want to see more pics and details from that hike? Continue reading

Vance Creek Bridge Hike – The Safer Side

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This past weekend, we set out on an adventure to the Olympic Peninsula. At the start of our drive, we had no particular destination in mind, we just knew we needed to get out of the house and into the woods. After reaching the peninsula, both Robbie and I arrived at the same conclusion: we should go see that bridge. That bridge is the Vance Creek Bridge, the second-highest railway arch bridge in the United States.

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The Vance Creek Bridge was built for a logging railroad owned by the Simpson Logging Company in 1929. It’s 347 feet high and second only to the nearby High Steel Bridge, which is right down the road and worth a quick drive after you finish your hike. The Vance Creek Bridge was decommissioned in the 1970s during the decline of logging on the Olympic Peninsula.  Continue reading

Seattle Weekend Getaway and Day Hike to Colchuck Lake – Central Cascades

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If you’re looking for an amazing autumn getaway near Seattle and you’ve already visited the beautiful crystal clear Blue Lake, head to Colchuck Lake as it is just as gorgeous! Another alpine lake, Colchuck Lake is surrounded by mountains and lined with plenty of boulders to sit on and snack the afternoon away. Take a dip if you dare, but remember your quick-dry towel and warm puffy jacket because Colchuck Lake sits at an elevation of 5,570 feet. We hiked Colchuck during the final weekend of September when the undergrowth was popping with color, the air was crisp, the sun was hiding, and the breeze encouraged a quick pace to the top.

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Colorado Hiking: Devil’s Thumb Trail

If you want to read about more of our hiking and camping adventures, you can find them here. And if you want more Colorado hikes, they’re here.

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Last weekend I went on my first big hike in years, and it felt amazing. Click on to read about my little day hike across the continental divide from one Colorado ski-town to another. Continue reading

Hiking the Hoodoos!

This hike took place during our July 2019 road trip from Colorado to California. Along the way, we also stopped in Escalante National Monument and hiked the Lower Calf Creek Falls trail. And here’s some encouragement from Sarah to visit Utah’s national parks during the off-season.

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This was our first visit to Bryce Canyon National Park. And nothing sums up the day better than both boys proclaiming that “this was the best hike” they’ve ever been on.  Continue reading

Lower Calf Creek Falls

Want to see more hiking posts? Click here. The only thing you’ll regret is the time spent in front of the screen instead of outside ;-). And Sarah wrote about her visit to Escalante in this postcalf_creek_falls2_title

Last weekend we visited Escalante National Monument and spent a magical 36 hours camping and hiking in the Calf Creek area. Come along as I share a few photos from our hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls.  Continue reading