Let the Crazy Hiking Begin!

Well, now that the rain is back thank goodness I'm off to hiking looking for waterfalls. After our trip to Oktoberfest was cancelled on Saturday I decided to go back to the Denny Creek Trail to go look for Snowshoe Falls.

This is a waterfall that has been able to hide from me ever since my first attempt at it. The firs attempt I only made as far a Keekwulee Falls and got stump by the snow and couldn't go further. It turns out that was a good thing. I had no idea the Avalanche level was high and when I came back again about 1 1/2 months later I realized I was on the brink of death. The snow was so deep I had no idea I as literally on top of trees on the edge of a gorge. Well on my second attempt, I made it to the top of Keekwulee Falls were Denny Creek comes out of a narrow gorge. Well there to greet me was a snow cave and I had no death plans in my future so I didn't attempt to go under it or over it. The third time I went at it around August again I was stomped by that ice cave. This time it had partially collapse and it was too dangerous to go over it. Then my fourth time back up there again the water level level was so low It wasn't even worth it.

Then came the lovely Fall rains. it's rained a good amount that when I saw on TV a live picture of Snoqualmie Falls and saw that the falls where roaring I knew the other waterfalls must be coming back to life so I went for it.

When I go to the trail head I could hear Denny Creek roaring again and I knew this was it. I went passed the Denny Creek Cascades and the water was rushing nicely and that told me Snowshoe would be OK. When I got to Keekwulee Falls any doubt that I had about the conditions of Snowshoe Falls diminished.

I entered the narrow gorge and started climbing over boulders and fording the creek My destination was only less than .8km but going over the rocks and water was slow. One thing I quickly learned was not to trust putting my feet on logs since they were too slippery. I just went for rocks. Then my old little friends showed up - Devils Club. Once again it gave me a little gift on my lower legs. As I went around the gorge I past to small gorges on the side and could only imagine what they would look like with the full force of melting snow. Then out of nowhere it appeared, Snowshoe Falls!

It was definitely worth the scrambled over rocks and fording the creek. Snowshoe Falls was not at full force but still was just beautiful. As I started taking pictures it started to drizzle making it hard to take a picture. Then it started to sprinkle and then I noticed something going on with the creek... the water level started rising. Well I wanted to spend more time in their alone with just the roar of the falls but the last thing I wanted was to get caught in a flash flood and be flushed out the gorge. So I decided it was time to go. Getting out was easy. I stopped at the top of Keekwulee Falls to have lunch and then made my way back to my car. Once I got in, the sprinkle became rain and it starting raining heavily. Good thing I left the gorge when I did!



Well it was definitely worth the wait. My next stop next week, go back to change Creek and find the upper half of Change Creek Falls which I saw from I-90 on the way back home and if I have time, go (the waterfall is ranked the 7th best in the state by my fellow waterfall hunter) to the back trail of Snow Lake to see Rock Creek Falls which are almost 1200 ft tall!

Show Me the Money! I Want My Car

Well mediation was a month ago and I have yet to see the money. This is starting to drive me crazy, let along that I think my lawyer was an idiot for letting Mercury Insurance get away with it. Mediation did not go as I wish it would have gone and I blame the lawyer for this. So when this is all over all I'll be able to get will be my new car. I don't know how long this will take, but I already lost the car I wanted to get.

I have had this Platinum Green Volvo S60 on my radar since I test drove it and yesterday the car was sold. It sucks. However a new one just showed up. A silver S60 AWD. Hopefully the money shows up soon so I can get it before it also disappears like the previous S60.

Hopefully this goes faster because I want my new car before my Voyager breaks up. Those of you who have been in my car lately know how bad it has gotten. I can't back up without my car making this whining screeching noise. If I put my windows down I can hear this screech on and off as I drive. Then I have that annoying rattling from the left front strut. On my weekends I would go on long drives, but now I don't trust my car and don't want to get stuck in the forest if it was to break apart. So for now it's mainly driving to work and back, and a drive to the local mountains here and there.

New Wheels

Well Voyager's journey is almost over. I like my car a lot but it's getting to a point to were repairing my car cost more than what my car is worth. My car had no idea what it was getting into when I bought. It took me from the Delta quadrant to the Alpha Quadrant pack with so much stuff friends didn't know if my car would be able to move. Once up here it went from the life of a city car to a car that was out exploring new worlds and traversing dirt and gravel roads full of potholes. Unlike the Millennium Falcon and the Buran, it wasn't an accident ending her journeys, but just plain old age just like Merkava. So that means time for a new car!

Well if everything goes as plan, next week I'll have a new car. My plan is to get the VW Passat GLS in a light silver green. Currently all I can find in that color are the V6 GLX or the 4Motion version. However, the car is not set in stone, I have to test drive some first.

So the cars I will be test driving Sunday are the VW Passat ('04-'05), VW Jetta (2007), Volvo S60 ('04-'05), Subaru Outback (2007), and the Mazda 6 (2007).

Right now in order of preference they are the Passat, S60, Jetta, Outback, and Mazda 6. It all comes down to what car feels right.

The Civic is out of the running. I don't like its high rpm engine and that car won't be able to handle the back country. The Accord looks too plain and the Toyotas have senior citizen written all over them.

Stay tune to next week and I'll reveal what car is sitting in my driveway!

A Career!

I was formally offered employment at the Port of Seattle today. I start my new career on Monday. I will be in Airport Operations as a Support Training Specialist! I guess things do happen for a reason. Maybe I should send the director at Eton school a thank you note for being so arrogant and narrow minded.

So I can say now most my childhood goals and dreams have come true! I live in Seattle [check], I work in Aviation [check]. What I have to work on now is that pilot license and one day own my own home.

Finally I get to work in the field I wanted to! Maybe not as a pilot, but still in Aviation. People thought I was crazy for getting up at 4 am to take a 4 hour bus ride to Mt. San Antonio College and then not getting home till 2 am sometimes. But I guess it shows if you want something badly and you work for it you'll get it. Excuses such as doing my laundry weren't an option and if I wanted a car and a home in my future, minimum wage wasn't going to cut it or make me happy; even if I was working at an airport.

I had a choice to go to Southern Illinois University, Carbondale or CSU Los Angeles and I went with what my guts told me, not the one I was being pressured to go to. I couldn't have made a better choice. I don't think I would be here if it wasn't for Randy Berg, Keith Mew and Len Krugler. The aviation world is a tight knit community and everyone knows someone else in this industry. If I would have gone to SIU I wouldn't have had any of the support or resources I had at CSULA. Berg and Mew where always there when we needed them on or off campus and even after we graduated. They helped me get the internship at the Noise Management department at LAX/VNY airports. Krugler, well he fought hard to make me change my mind about moving to Seattle and instead staying at LAX, but he knew where I wanted to go, yet, he still supported me. When I needed references they were all there and they helped me get the job.

Of course I can't forget my friends and family (especially my cousin). They always supported me and knew even if I was broke half the time (how can I forget my spaghetti diet?), all that hard work would pay off. If it wasn't for them, I don't think I could have made it going to school full time (taking 22 units sometimes) and having two jobs. Even up here I went through some tough times and even my new friends in Seattle where here for me. So to all of you I say "Thank You!"

On a little side note, I got a response from another Boeing department for an interview, but I declined, it was a little too late.

I guess now instead of being outside the airport looking in at all the planes and hopping to be part of something big, I'm now looking up to see where this journey takes me.

The Hike of My Life!

Well, as many of my concerned friends know, I went hiking in the back country looking for Kamin Falls. Many of my friends thought I was nuts for going out to the middle of nowhere, but let me tell you, it was worth it even if I am limping right now and every muscle I didn't know I had is aching right now.


I went to the birthplace of the North Fork Snoqualmie River. A week earlier I had written to Bryan Swan if he wanted to go to look for Florence Falls with me on the Miller River. This is a waterfall that appears on USGS maps, yet we can't find a single picture. He wanted to go but already had a commitment to go to Kanim Lake with someone else he met online. Bryan wanted to see Kanim Falls and John wanted to get water from Kanim Lake to baptise his boy. Getting there was brutal and neither wanted to go alone, plus another person would only make this trip safer and more fun. So he asked me if I wanted to go and then go to Florence Falls 2 weeks later and I could not pass this up! Especially if I was meeting Bryan Swan in person!


Well Bryan and I met and I can tell you, he was not what I expected him to be. I was expecting a guy who looked like he could be in his 30's (he is 25) and for some reason 6 ft tall. Instead I met a kid who was my height with red hair and looked like he belong in high school!


Well off we went; the kid and I, the crazy waterfall dudes. I don't know but waterfall nuts like us must be connected in some way or another. He is scared of roller coasters and he is scared of heights. Just think of how many times you have all tried to make me get on a roller coaster and how many times you have all tap me while looking out the window of a high rise just to get a reaction out of me. We met John and got in his SUV and off to Kanim Lake we went.



Well we got on North Fork County Road in North Bend which I knew very well after my crazy man encounter the day before (more on that later!). We took it all the way to the end of the road 25 miles in. Once we go there we started following the trail by following little red banners. This is your first sign that if you don't know how to navigate and use a map and compass you don't belong there. Then we got to the NF Snoqualmie River and the trail ended. That was after maybe 1/4 mile. Now we had to look for a boot path that would appear and disappear. Now we were where only a handful of people have gone. One hiker with a reputation for been nuts when it came to hiking named Tom had gone to Kanim Lake, but he decided to get there by walking in the river, we decided to walk alongside the river. It was beautiful there. Giant trees and streams that would appear out of nowhere and disappear again. I saw salamanders, bunnies, the occasional squirrel, but no bears.


Now as you all know, I love rain, but Saturday, I actually hated rain, I wanted that rain to go somewhere else. It made everything slippery and later it made bad situations worse. Under the trees it didn't bug us since it was a light sprinkle and the tress acted like umbrellas, but when we were in the open, right in the middle of Devil's Club areas it would rain heavily. In California you were always told to watch out for Poison Ivy, well I never encountered it, but I can tell you what plant I hate the most...Devil's Club. That evil plant even has an evil sounding Latin name - Oplopanax horridus. It can grow up to 1.5 meters and we encountered small and tall ones and they were both evil. Don't let looks deceive you. Even the maple-shaped leaves have little-bitty thorns. They go through your skin. You wear a jacket, they still go through that jacket. And the thorns will fester. It's like getting a splinter. You really have to dig them out. It was painful, but we pushed on.


The first waterfall we saw was Paradise Lakes Falls. It was beautiful and Bryan and I took pictures. We figured we would take more on the way back down since we were going to come back via the Paradise Lakes.



Then we pushed on, crossing creeks, streams, using fallen trees as bridges and branches as ropes to pull ourselves up. It was brutal, but we knew what laid at the end. Then we saw it- Kamin Falls. It was impressive all right. We stopped and took pictures and pressed on. We then arrived at the North Fork Snoqualmie River where it appeared out of nowhere underneath giant boulders as it was being fed by Kamin Lake.



We started up the boulder field toward the massive wall and as we did we started climbing rapidly in elevation toward the left of the falls. The way to the lake was finding this blue rope and using it to pull ourselves up the steep headwall. We were more than halfway up the falls in elevation and neither did Brian or I want to look behind us because behind us was down. John would not give up, he needed that water to baptize his son, but then Bryan and I did what good hikers do and that was to know when to call it quits. We had already achieved our goal, plus to us,the waterfall came from Lake Kamin so that water was as good as the water inside the lake. It was 2:05 PM and took us 4 hours to bushwhack a little less than 2 miles.

We stared making our way down took some close up pictures at the foot of the waterfall and then waited for John to go get water from the falls themselves.

By then I noticed my left knee was starting to hurt and get a little stiff and I knew I would have to keep my knee moving otherwise I was going to be in serious trouble.

We started going back looking for our path and along the way discovered bootpaths then back into the Devil's Club fields and you could hear each of us say little obscenities as we pushed or way through. Now it was raining hard making crossing over creeks on logs a bit slippery and the ground squishy.On the way back we must have fallen at least half a dozen times. Bryan fell on some Devil's Club and it tore his hiking pants open below his left knee. Came across some salamanders right in front of my foot and saw them try to hide under a fallen leaf exposing their tails. Finally with hit the trees again and it made the return easier. We stopped for a breather and then my knee stiffened up a bit more and I knew if I let it get cool down it would be more painful so I kept pacing till we started again. Then at last we saw the familiar little red banners and followed back to the car. It had taken us 3 hours to hike back.

We got back to North Bend, said bye to John and went to to Eastgate to get my car and then that is were my knee was in so much pain I could not bend it. I got home and had to lift my leg out of my car and then go up one step at a time. Got in the bathtub and oh my did it feel good, except- my legs arms and my hands were burning as if someone had pour salt water over a bunch of cuts. The reason, that darn Devil's Club! My legs and hands were red and inflamed. Yesterday a day after those muscles around my arms and shoulders started getting sore. Thank goodness my knee for some reason behaved and let me bend it to walk so that I wouldn't be limping into my second interview at the Port of Seattle. (The interview went fine I think, I'll know by Friday if I got the job). By nighttime it hurt to turn over in bed because of my muscles in my arms and shoulders. Luckily today my knee is starting to feel better and it better because Saturday I'm going up Denny Creek off the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River.

Was this hike worth all the aches and pains? You bet!!!! I go to go where only a few have gone. Saw the birthplace of a major river, saw a waterfall and I can say that I have been to Kanin Falls. I did my first hike in the wilderness and made it back in one piece. I also somehow was able to control my fear of heights. Trust me if I wouldn't have you would have seeing video of me been rescued by helicopter on the news. Well I ever go back there again? I doubt it, but I will definitely go back in the wilderness again.

About the crazy man near North Fork County Road, well I was looking for a way to reach the the river by street to get to Fantastic Falls and I hit the dead end with private property in front of me and being respectful of that made a u-turn and as I did that I noticed a big waterfall coming off Mount Si and I realized it was Crater Creek Falls. So I got out of my car and took pictures from a PUBLIC STREET.



I saw a car approach at full speed and go right pass me by about a foot and turn into the driveway behind the house I was parked in front of. Then I had this funny feeling someone was watching me and the redneck jerk that had just almost hit me with his car was on the driveway with a shotgun!

I then turn around facing him and told him "I'm just taking pictures of the waterfall". He replied something along the lines of "That's what they all say, just making sure" and stood there. I turned around kept taking pictures and then left. I was a bit rattled but didn't panic. Then saw a road that went up and I wondered if that would get me to where I wanted to go, but was a bit too rattled so I went to look for Dingford Falls on the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River.



I stopped at the Ranger station and found out that road I found was public and I could drive on it and confirmed that street I was on was also public just like I thought. I'm still debating about if I should call the King County Sheriff.

Well that was my weekend. My new Canon S3 IS passed the test and it was an exciting weekend and I cant wait for more like this.

Sea-Tac Job Update

Well after a week of insomnia (been going to bed at 5am) wondering if I got the job at the Port of Seattle, I finally got a phone call today. No, I didn't get the job yet, but I got one step closer. I have a second interview Monday morning at 8:30! Hopefully this is it and my career can take-off, or go full speed ahead!

More updates to come!

Mid-Week Waterfall Hiking

Well since I'm getting out of work early and the sun is setting late, I decided I'm not going to waste the rest of the afternoons so I been going hiking locally in the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River (tomorrow I'm going to head up the the middle fork). My first hike was Monday and I told myself I was going to get a pic of Twin Falls from the opposite side of the river; that was my main goal along with getting a cleaner pic of Upper Twin Falls, and last but not least get a picture of what I know is a waterfall hidding above Upper Twin Falls (I'm not the only one who thinks there is waterfalls hiding above Upper Twin Falls- http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/waterfall.php?num=1037&p=0).



Twin Falls

So I started by heading down to the river bank and jumping over boulders to where I have gotten my best pictures of Twin Falls. I know the water level there is lower so I didn't need to worry about being swept by the river and ending up going over Snoqualmie Falls 15 miles away. I've tried boulder hoping, but I always have gotten stuck, so this time I was going to cross the river and not get wet, sort of like Jesus walking over water, except, I was going to walk in the water! How you may ask? Simple with 25 gallon garbage bags! Put a bag over each leg and go for it. Well I made it 1/3 across the river and my Garbage Bag Leg Protection System started failing and water started getting in. So I made a run back to the river bank. I was almost there!!!! Well that didn't stop me, I figure I'll do what the Titanic's hull couldn't do - I put two garbage bags over each leg and across I went, except this time I ended up like the Titanic and my bags started leaking and realize that getting back across I was going to get really wet so I abandon my mission. I did manage to get to a rock about 1/3 across the river and take some pictures, but still don't have the picture I want! My next attempt is to cross the bridge over Twin Falls and somehow bushwhack to the bottom of the river or try it again, except this time with 3 or 4 garbage bags over each leg. Trust me I will succeed!



Middle Twin Falls

After my failed mission, I decided to go off the trail right where the bridge goes over Twin Falls and follow this obvious path off to the side. Now I have done this once before and I got a picture of Upper Twin Falls that nobody knew could be taken (this is the classic view - http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/waterfall.php?num=1037&p=0). I know this because after I posted that picture, everyone started asking how to get there and nobody had ever thought of that. The truth is some people have to know or otherwise I wouldn't have found a swimsuit bra right near the waterfall (anyone who would have gone swimming there must be out of there mind unless the have a death wish that involves tumbling 30 feet down Middle Twin Falls, then 15 feet and 135 feet down Twin Falls). Well this time I got some great pics that where clear and just the way I wanted them with my new Canon S3 IS. Then I took some pics of these giant boulders with water coming out of them. It's just surreal. They look as if they were "crying"; that spring is impressive and the surrounding area is greener than anything I have seeing.




Upper Twin Falls

When I got done with that I figured what the heck, since I'm here already I'm going to look for that fifth waterfall that I know is there. Here I really had to bushwhack, but I had one problem, I forgot to bring my hiking clothes with me and I had my work khakis. Well, I didn't get as far as I did the first time since I didn't want to destroy my pants, plus I decided to go with safety (it was close to 7:30 pm) and come back with a friend, or earlier in the day. My other choice is go across the river via the bridge, then spot Upper Twin Falls, and then go off the trail and find some view point.

Now tomorrow I plan of going to Dingford Falls which I found by accident on Google Earth while surveying the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River. Sunday I'm going to find Florence Falls. I also found it on Google Earth and I have to say these waterfalls that are labeled on Google Earth that I have seeing are impressive so I don't expect anything less than that. I have read on many trail reports that the bridge where Dingford Falls is shakes and the falls are violently loud. Now Florence Falls I found when I was looking to see how deep in the mountains I was when I went to the Taylor River and I found out I was half way to Stevens Pass Hwy from I-90. I can't find any pictures, yet they are listed on the Washington State Tourism website (but no pic) and are mentioned on many USGS maps and charts. It's on the Miller River off Stevens Pass Hwy and they were only mentioned once on this obscured website as being this impressive 300 ft waterfall (waterfallsnorthwest.com doesn't even know where on the river it is since there are supposedly many falls along the river, but if it has a name it must be impressive.). So I went back on Google Earth and punched in its GPS coordinates and told it to show me how to get there... it did, it got me to within 23 ft of the falls from the forest road. Now to get a picture of it!