Question for my outdoorsy friends

[jinasphinx]

This year, I wanted to hike a leg of the Wonderland trail to celebrate turning 40. Then I got a 9-to-5 job, and have been spending time working and commuting instead of training. I'd still like to do a hike in September for my birthday; I'm thinking of scaling back to an easy weekend backpacking trip, and then take a day off work to rest my feet

Comments

[canyonwren]

Enchanted Valley

Hoh River, although the haul up to the lake is kind of steep. You could always stop earlier.

Hike to Colchuck and camp. Colchuck

If you go to www.wta.org and search under Find a Hike, advanced options. Put in Over 12 miles (I think that's the cutoff), and you'll find more multiday options.

[canyonwren]

I *really* want to do this!

Pacific Crest between Snoqualmie and HWY 2

And this! Have someone drop you off at Cascade Pass trailhead, hike to Stehekin, then take the water ferry (Lady of the Lake) down to Chelan. Meet up with your ride there. This is on my to-do list. Cascade to Stehekin

[canyonwren]

BTW, I would not be worried about fitness level on any of these, as long as you did some training hikes throughout the summer. Enchanted Valley is long, but dead easy. Hoh is easy for the first 11 miles or so. Colchuck is easy, if I remember correctly. Can't guarantee the other two. I've hiked to Cascade Pass and the Sahale, and it's more challenging. The rest probably is, too.

The Pacific Crest is probably challenging. (EDITED TO ADD - actually, I've done the first quarter of that hike, and it's not hard. Again, just long. Probably too long for your purposes.)

Another option is where I'm going this weekend for Coastsavers, which is The Ozette Triangle. One of my all-time favorites.

Sol Duc Hot springs to Seven Lakes Basin

[walkitout]

I don't know for sure you can still get a campsite at Seven Lakes, but if you can, it is beautiful, and there are vault toilets (altho you should rent one of the bear proof containers and store it appropriately for your food) and there's always a ranger around. Can't recommend it enough. It can be a day hike from the springs to the Basin if you want to really push it, but it should be perfect for an overnight. We were going to do a longer loop from Seven Lakes (we hiked in from Hoh, I think -- this was a through hike for us) but the weather got bad and we bailed out in favor of a single day down to the hot springs, which are pretty fun in their own right. If you go, I will be outrageously jealous of you.