Matthew Alan Thyer's Blog, page 8

Echo Basin at Frenchman’s Coulee

Primarily a rock climbing destination, the basalt scablands along the Columbia Gorge are host to some often overlooked early season hikes. This trail, which leaves the Old Vantage Highway in the Quincy Lakes Wildlife Area then heads into Echo Basin is a sandy gem in the spring as delicate desert flowers poke their heads out of the sand. It’s best to hike it near sunset when the shadows start to get long and the rock reflects the day’s warmth back down into the basin of the box canyon.

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Confirmation, A Steady Boil

Holy Cow! What a springy Spring day. I had to peel off layers on this walk and the blue sky was so blue I was looking for shade from time to time. There were bugs buzzing around and I could smell an entire season of dog poop defrosting.

Speaking of which, if you’re going to bring a plastic poop bag, and be thoughtful enough to pick up your dogs poop, don’t chuck it in the blackberries. If you simply leave it trail side and mosey along your way it will defrost and decompose. Package that shit ...

Fern Cove to Shingle Mill Creek Climb

Climb from Fern Cove to the top of Shingle Mill Creek on a busy early spring Saturday morning. This trail starts on a marine tidal plain at low tide and spans early spring Puget Sound riparian habitat and red alder groves with some amazing old growth tucked in from time to time.

Total distance: ~1.5 miles (2.47 km)
Time: 00:11:21

Pre Season Planning

This year feels different. I’ve never been big on planning out hikes, or any thing for that matter. I’ve literally lived most of my adult life jumping from one cold pool into the next wondering if each successive body of water might be warmer than the last. That, my dear friends, is an integral character aspect of yours truly. Even when I’ve tried to break the pattern, first interesting unplanned thing I get a hint of I’m likely gonna jump.

Even the best plans

But this year, with tight res...

Virtual Rucks

Yesterday evening I participated in my second Virtual Ruck with the Western Chapter of the American Long Distance Hiking Association. Given the current state of the world and the fact that most of us wouldn’t have otherwise been able to interface with one another safely the online nature of this get-up was actually super cool. I mean, it still happened and people from all over showed up.

Better for me personally, given my lack of speech, I wasn’t left there tapping into my phone so some stran...

Two Cool Things

First, I spent this Saturday morning figuring out how to make my GoPro Hero 7 Silver produce video at 16:9 aspect ratio. This is great news because it means that I will no longer film with at 4:3 with back bars on the left and the right.

I am still looking to replace/upgrade my camera because the settings changes reduce the image quality pretty significantly. More on that later, but still an important if little win for me this AM.

“What’s the second thing?” you ask. Well, Durbin and Holt h...

New Hiking Immersion – Valley of Firs

Sloppy loop up north

Right now, you probably don’t want to see much more of the white stuff. I know I don’t. But I imagine around August next summer I’ll have a change of heart and be looking back on these hikes with a new fondness for cold feet and a runny nose. Not only that, but we had the trail to ourselves, which is hard to beat in any weather.

It’s not a long loop or trail, but please enjoy Snow Day at Valley of Firs. Consider Subscribing as your button click would go a long way t...

Going Nordic, First in Six

I had to knock the rust of the edges before I could put the boards on, but it was worth the effort. Now my things hurt. Ouchy. That’s okay. I probably had it coming.

Quickly little loopy loop around the park before everything melts, but there’s an easy 6″ on the ground, maybe more. My tele turns are still on point despite me being old and out of practice. And I laughed and smiled pretty much the whole way even if most of it was inside.

Strava Stuff Here

Watching the Snow Blow In

I wasn’t really intending to go this far, but I couldn’t help myself after I got out on the trail. The mud was cold enough that it was hard and the wind was calm enough that I wasn’t too concerned about trees coming down on my head. Yes, it was cold. I like cold. In fact, I miss cold. Not that damp, going to rot your soul sort we’ve been having most of this winter, but that crisp, clear, just going to freeze you to death kind.

Yes that is my baby dog, that is my baby dog, that is my baby dog...

Not Much Luck

I’m having a run of bad weather luck. Or slightly good weather luck at inopportune times? Mixed with scheduling difficulties and doctors appointments. Ugh!

Yesterday’s attempted Issaquah Alps trail time did not work out. I ended up going over the water for a doctor’s appointment that I’d previously forgotten. Once there, my doctor reminded me that I needed a tDap booster then promptly stuck me in the arm. I drove home despite the blueish skies because I knew I had about an hour before the hea...