#Hiking and #Walking - 2017

Every year the director of the Auburn (WA) Senior Center opens his home for a hikers and walkers potluck luncheon. Isn't that nice? Our feast is followed by an award ceremony where we are given Certificates of Achievement. Believe it or not, I walked and hiked 171.5 miles in 2017. Pretty good, huh? Quite a few people covered more miles than I did, with some exceeding 1,000 miles as their grand totals, accumulated over years of outings with the senior center. Woohoo!

You'll find a list of the hikes and walks I've featured on my blog (including their locations, length, and difficulty) on the "Hikes/Walks" tab above. I'm looking forward to racking up even more miles in 2018.

P.S. The beautiful waterfall picture on the certificate's background was taken at Multnomah Falls, Oregon.

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Ferries & Flurries - #SaturdaySnapshots

When the Auburn Senior Activity Center took the ferry to Vashon Island for a hike, we expected a few snowflakes mixed in with light rain. We got more than that! (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Since everyone dressed for cold and wet weather, we were comfortable and dry. The snow made our surroundings even more beautiful. 

Following our hike with a hot lunch in the town of Vashon made for a fun day. Luckily, the snow didn't stick to the roadways on the drive back home.

More Info: Vashon Center Forest

More info: http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/island-center-forest

Saturday Snapshots is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. To participate: 
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Talus Rocks - #SaturdaySnapshots

Another senior center hike -- this one in the Talus Rocks area of Tiger Mountain.

Definition of talus. 
1 :a slope formed especially by an accumulation of rock debris. 
2 :rock debris at the base of a cliff. 

The aptly named Talus Rocks Trail took us to this accumulation of huge boulders. For scale: the wooden barricade is about four feet tall. Also, check out a few of the senior center hikers in the background.
(Click on photos to enlarge.)

A tight squeeze between those giant-sized rocks!

Taking a few minutes to grab a drink of water in a beautiful setting.

Altogether we covered seven miles with an overall elevation gain of 1,000 feet. Whew! My only complaint (besides being tired at the end) is that the trails were covered with a layer of wet leaves which hid slippery rocks. It would have been easy to turn an ankle on a hidden obstacle. It might be better to explore these trails in spring or summer when rocks on the path would be visible. 

We started at the hiking symbol on the map below (Tradition Plateau) and meandered along the trails in this order (as best I can remember): 

Bus Trail (there's an abandoned, rusty school bus by the trail - wish I'd paused to take a picture!)
Nook Trail
Talus Rocks Trail
Section Line Trail
High School Trail
Adventure Trail
Brink Trail (overlooks a deep ravine)
Bonneville Trail
Swamp Trail (alongside a boggy area)
Around the Lake Trail

FYI: The Swamp Trail (a 1/3-mile-long self-guided trail) features "Zoe and the Swamp Monster" with placards along the path that tell a story. My granddaughter would love it! (Link: Swamp Trail)

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