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Colin AyersExplorer

University of Washington Student Studying Geophysics

Explorer

07/25/22

Best Cliff jumping at Coeur d'Alene lake and in the hole area. People come from Spokane just to hop into the water from here

I visited Yellowstone in March and most of the heart of the park was still closed, but Mammoth was open and provided a great place to explore for the day. Be sure to visit the trails above the main springs as they are less frequented by tourists and still very interesting

This route into Cobalt lake is one of the best ways to access the Bugaboos without running into dozens of people going to the Conrad Kain Hut. The lake is gorgeous and if you continue up past Cobalt there is a climbers trail that leads to the Hut and Bugaboo and Eastpost Spire. I did this in early August and had beautiful weather the first day but thunder and hailstorms the second so keep in mind the volatility of mountain weather in this fairly remote location

Short but steep hike provides beautiful views of Stevens Pass and surrounding area. Trail got pretty snowy around 4800 feet and lake was completely frozen over in late May

In late May the lake was still partially frozen over, but the trail was easy to navigate and only a little snowy towards the top. Beautiful lake surrounded by snowy peaks, and quite easy to get to

Great hike for beginners and children, incredible views of Liberty Bell all the way up. Lot's of mountain goats in the area so make sure to be careful and aware of them, but enjoy their presence!

One of many beautiful lakes in the Eagle Cap Wilderness. Also accessible from the East Eagle Trailhead if you want to do the whole 45 mile Eagle Cap loop

Explorer

11/14/15

Great hike close to Seattle. Easy to get to and lots of parking. Great for a trail run or a hike, and the ability to stop at Snow Lake or continue to Wildcat Lakes and beyond makes this trip very versatile

Beautiful drive any time of the year. We needed four wheel drive in February but chains shouldn't be needed

Absolutely gorgeous mountains, and wonderfully secluded if you're looking for a little bit of isolation

Did this in late May, and although we were able to get to the lakes through feet of snow, they were both frozen over and surrounded by snow on all sides. The lakes themselves were still beautiful and the glaciated peaks surrounding them were possibly even more gorgeous covered in white. Spade has plenty of places to pitch a tent but Venus is a little bit more limited so get there early! Also when going from Spade to Venus the Green Trails Map says to head to the left/west of the waterfall, but its far easier to climb up the sloping rock face on the right/east side of the stream