Hike 11: Twanoh State Park

March 28, 2020 by Patrick Dodd

This was our second hike of the weekend with the Wahlborgs, and we had a blast! The Hawkins family home (or Hawk’s next as it is called) is right next to a beautiful park with a great trail. Emily’s dad, Marty, believes his ancestry to be Norwegian, so the house has a Scandinavian theme, and he insists that the Hood Canal is actually a fjord. In the summer, the family does “Family Fjording Floating” in the famous Hood Fjord.

Me, Emily, Brook, Justin, Zack, and Ollie with our Hikes with Dad stickers that my brother in law, Eric made for me.

Brook with traditional Nature Valley Oats and Honey bar, and Hikes with Dad sticker

There is a little bit more elevation to this trail, but not so much that the kids weren’t able to do it. As we hiked up the trail, the boys found many different shaped sticks; one in particular was Ollie’s favorite, which he named, and I am not making this up, “The Holy Axe of Murdering.” This kid is awesome.

When we got to the top, the Wahlborgs played a traditional family game called “Stickadabruken.” This game involves two people finding similar sized sticks, breaking them in half, then taking the smallest of the halves, and breaking it again. The person with the most breaks wins. It is called Stickadabruken, because it sounds Scandinavian, and since we are on the Fjord, this game must have a Scandinavian sounding name. For consistency. I was informed by Justin and Emily that there are very important factors that go into this game, such as stick selection, angle of break, and how fast one attempts to break said stick.

Emily and Justin in the Stickadabruken playoffs

This game warmed my heart, because it reminded me of the games Dad used to play with me, such as “King of the Log.” This game involved Dad, my brother Parker, and myself standing on a log, and attempting to roll the log in such a way that it topples the others off. The last remaining person becomes King of the Log.

Dad (Stan), Patrick and Parker playing King of the Log in 1994

Coincidentally, we also played this game on the Olympic Peninsula. It’s a little weird coming full circle on this, but it’s also pretty beautiful. In some ways, this was a melancholy trip for me, as this was the first time I have been back to the Olympic Peninsula since Dad passed. A lot of memories came up, that I did not anticipate, and it’s hard to realize that I can’t go to the peninsula with him again. I think our dads would be proud though. We miss you, Stan and Quentin.

Hike 10: Skokomish river North Fork

March 26, 2020 by Patrick Dodd

To carry us into the double-digits in our quest for 52 hikes, is the second dad to go hiking with us, and my friend since High School, Justin Wahlborg! Justin’s beautiful family was kind enough to invite us to Emily’s parent’s summer home on the Hood Canal! Your hospitality and crock-pot ribs are legendary!

Zack, Emily, Oliver, and Justin Wahlborg

Justin and I, unfortunately, have something in common: both of our dads passed away from cancer at an early age. In 2004, we lost Justin’s dad, Quentin Wahlborg, to lung cancer. This is yet another great friend that cancer has taken. Even more motivation to destroy this thing, and wreak vengeance on this Enemy. Quentin, this hike is dedicated to you, my friend.

For this hike, we did a 2 mile loop on the north fork of the Skokomish. This was an amazing trek that led us through a wonderful mossy area of the Olympic Peninsula, and actually took us into the snow line.

The Skokomish river with snow in the foothills

As you can see below, I am masked up…these are strange times we live in; Brook was exposed to COVID-19 in the hospital, so we are taking lots of precautions to make sure that our friends are not at risk. It was a very low risk exposure, but protecting our friends is a priority. We of course had conversations with them beforehand to make sure it was okay for us to still come over. Being forthcoming, honest, and transparent about potential exposure is critical in these times. Anyway, back to the fun stuff!

Brook and Patrick taking a maskless selfie, 6 feet away from our hiking buddies

The peninsula has always been my favorite mountain range; due to all the rainfall this peninsula gets, it looks like something out of Lord of the Rings, verdant with life, even in the winter.

The first thing we saw on the trail was a massive toppled tree, where the roots were exposed, and the tree itself is hollow; a perfect jungle gym for Justin and Emily’s kids, Zack and Oliver!

The path follows the river, with lots of turnouts for playing and fishing along the bank.

Zack and Ollie throwing rocks in the water on the riverbank

Eventually, we reach a beautiful bridge with stunning views of the snowy mountains, followed by a smaller bridge downriver.

Near the end of the hike, we reach a beautiful lookout, where the path comes to an abrupt edge. After taking a couple pictures, we realize just how precarious this position is, and back slowly away.

Finally, I have been looking for this picture for a while, and Justin was kind enough to scan and send this to me…this is our group of friends in 1997. That’s me on the left, followed by Steve, Sam (from Hike 8!), Bear, Justin, and Chad. In the background is a photoshopped picture of Eilean Donan Castle, which was the set for the Scottish portions of the movie Highlander. Someday I will get to that castle. This movie was, and is, one of our favorite movies of all time. It’s too bad they never made any sequels…hey, it’s my Truth, and I’m sticking to it!

Hike 9: Rattlesnake Ledge

March 12, 2020 by Patrick Dodd

Rattlesnake Ledge was the second of two hikes that we were thwarted on back on February 22nd. As it was March 8th now, it was time to get this one done! With me, as always, is my wife Brook.

Brook and I making “snake hands” in front of the Rattlesnake trail sign

Rattlesnake Lake got its name from explorer Arthur Denny, when a road surveyor was scared by a packet of seed pods rattling, thinking it was a rattlesnake. There are no actual poisonous snakes in the area. My hat goes off to Mr. Denny’s expert trolling skills.

Another interesting fact about this lake, is that there was actually a town called Moncton on the shore, that was flooded out in 1915 when the lake grew to its present size. In late summer, in dry years, you can actually see the tops of the ruins of Moncton peeking up above the water.

Rattlesnake Ledge from the shore; that’s where we’re going!

This hike was a busy one…lots of people on the trail. It is generally a fairly well-trafficked path in normal times, but combine the isolation protocol due to the Coronavirus outbreak with one of the wettest winters in Puget Sound history, and I think everyone was feeling the need to go outside.

It is easy to see why this hike is so popular. The trail is well maintained, and the views are tremendous. The hike starts off at the Rattlesnake Lake trailhead, and takes a gently meandering path upward.

A small stream coming down from the mountain

About a couple of miles in, the meandering path changes to a set of switchbacks worthy of the Chirico trail. It is worth it though…the views are amazing, and we really lucked out with weather.

Once you get to the top of the switchbacks, there is a very short scramble up to the ledge itself. At the top of the ledge, there is a surprisingly deep crevasse that you have to jump over to get to the far ledge.

I am normally afraid of heights, but realized that if I’m going to do Mt. Rainier someday, I will need to get used to this sort of thing. To the laughter and delight of nearby small children, I leapt over the crevasse with a rather high-pitched noise emanating from my lips.

It was worth it. Standing atop the ledge, I am able to see the parking lot where we started, the lake, Mt. Si, and the Cascade range.

Looking over the ledge at the lake, and the Cascades in the distance

I loved this hike, and I would definitely do it again.

Hike 8: Lincoln Park

March 12, 2020 by Patrick Dodd

Today is a milestone in the Hikes with Dad challenge: it is the first hike with an actual dad! Today, Brook and I hiked the trails of Lincoln Park in West Seattle with our friends, Sam, Cindy, and Nathan Affolter!

I have known Sam since 1993; we have been great friends for over half of our lives. We grew up together through middle school and High School, and roomed together in our late twenties. Suffice it to say, many hijinks transpired between the two of us over the years. It is hard to believe that he is now a dad himself! I was thrilled to have this opportunity to hike with these wonderful people.

Lincoln Park is a beautiful area of the coast, that has a lovely forested bluff, and a couple areas where flowers bloom in the Spring. There is a trail that goes down to the beach, which ends at the Vashon Island Ferry. This park is one of the largest and oldest parks in Seattle, and is a great place for people of all ages.

Nathan, watching the ferries dock (and apparently watching the ground as well)

For our hike, we walked the length of the bluff, which overlooks the Puget Sound, then took a steep trail down to the beach, where Nathan commenced throwing copious amounts of gravel into the ocean.

Nathan, attempting to return all beach rocks back to the ocean

On the way back, we stopped to watch the ferries dock and load. We then attempted to collectively explain to Nathan how a boat is able to have cars on it. He was quite impressed!

It was such a joy to hike with this beautiful family, and I am stoked that we now have our first dad on the blog!

Hike 7: Chirico Trail part deux "Poo Poo Point"

March 10, 2020 by Patrick Dodd

February 29th was a new day. This was the day that we would conquer this trail. We got there early, we ate some food beforehand (which we did not do last time), and most importantly, we did not have the flu. The interesting thing about Poo Poo point, is that it serves two purposes: it is a great hiking location, and it is also a spot that paragliders launch from. There is a sign right before the trailhead that says “Watch out for landing gliders.” Weyerhauser used to own this property, and they logged the top of Poo Poo Point, which makes it a perfect launch.

If you have read the story of Copper Lake, this picture will make sense…I wanted to pay tribute to that time. That journey taught me how to experience adversity, learn from it, persevere, and have the courage to try again. Thanks, Dad.

The first part of Chirico is difficult no matter how healthy you are. The rocks were most likely put in place as a necessary measure to prevent erosion, but good lord, are they hard on the joints!

After the rocky portion, the trail turns to soil, and is a bit of an easier go, though it is still fairly steep. We were in a much better position to do this hike this time around, and we made it to the top! There are actually a couple of different places that paragliders can launch from: the north point, and the south point. The South Point is a meadow that quickly drops off.

The North Point has an actual launching pad that gliders can take off from. As you can see, we hiked up past the snow line!

At the paraglider launch pad, in, apparently, a snowstorm

In a pleasant surprise, the clouds parted briefly, and we were able to see a little bit of view.

Looking from the launch pad to the Issaquah valley below

Chirico trail conquered!

Hike 6: Chirico Trail "Poo Point"

March 09, 2020 by Patrick Dodd

February 22nd was the Murphy’s Law hiking day. On this day we learned patience, perseverance, and perspective. Our first mistake was saying “I know we just got over Influenza A, but we can totes do Rattlesnake Ridge.” We were feeling good. We weren’t wheezing that much, and also hadn’t had exploding diarrhea for a while. We were healthy!

Our first attempt at hiking was to go up to our scheduled hike to Rattlesnake ledge, where we were greeted by this:

The brand-new Rattlesnake River

After a January that rained 30 out of 31 days, the trail became a river. What you can’t see in this picture is the literal current of the 7-inch-deep water that was rushing crosswise over the trailhead. Well, best laid plans. So we elected to find something close by. Since we left our Discover Pass at home, we settled on a trail that did not require one, and was fairly close to our house.

This trail is called the Chirico Trail, or “Poo Poo Point,” named after the sound that the old steam engine whistles made as they trudged up the hill, hauling lumber.

Brook next to the trailhead, guarded by a bear-cat-bird-thing

The title of this blog is intentional: we only did half of “Poo Poo Point,” therefore this is “Poo Point” today. Why did we only do half, you ask? Ah, let’s circle back to the part where we were just getting over the flu. This trail starts off in a monstrous fashion, consisting of what resembles a staircase from an MC Escher painting. The stones are jagged, uneven, sloped, and slick. For 600 feet up. Eventually the trail gets to a point where it is a regular dirt trail that goes straight up, versus having to climb slick, rocky stairs of variable height. By the time we got to the part where the trail starts to look like a trail again, we were walking 20 feet, taking a long break, walking another 20 feet, and taking another long break.

One thing you have to understand about Brook and I, is that we are completionists. Turning back before getting to the final destination is…challenging for us. Eventually we made the call to turn back, and Brook was mightily disappointed, saying that she “failed at hiking,” and that this attempt should not be considered a hike for the challenge.

After a vigorous debate on the way back down the trail, I declared that safely getting off the mountain and avoiding fatigue-induced injuries or a relapse of the flu was a much bigger success than reaching a point on a map. I also declared that Brook was not a “failure at hiking,” for turning back; quite the opposite. It would have been stupid and very dangerous to continue. I also made an executive decision that this attempt would be counted as a hike for the challenge. I am reminded of the story about me and Dad’s first attempt at hiking in to Copper Lake. Sometimes you have to turn back; that’s okay, and they are extremely valuable experiences, because those are the experiences where we grow. I always chuckle when I remember the story about Copper Lake, and the ridiculousness that ensued. To read that story, complete with photos, click here!

As for us, we will be back to conquer these trails…

Hike 5: Debbie's Lookout on Squak Mountain

February 17, 2020 by Patrick Dodd

For our fifth hike, we went to Debbie’s Lookout on Squak Mountain. Squak Mountain is part of the Issaquah Alps, and our hike was about 8 miles round trip, with 1500 ft. elevation gain. On this hike were Craig, Leah, Brook and myself, along with our neighbor across the street, Drea. When we moved into our house, Drea and Dave welcomed us into the neighborhood, and I am happy to call them friends, as well as neighbors.

Squak Mountain is named after the place-name in the Southern Lushootseed language spoken by some Salish tribes. This park was formerly a parcel of land that was mined for coal, and in 1972, the Bullitt family granted 590 acres to the state, to create the park. Since then, the park has expanded to 1545 acres.

The trail to Debbie’s View, and to Central Peak starts off from the parking lot at May Valley road. You know what that means…time for the traditional parking lot selfie!

Patrick, Brook, Leah, Craig, and Drea staring into the sun

About 500 feet from the trailhead, the road splits off into two trails. To the left is a beautiful little interpretive trail that is flat, and features signs that tell a story of animals in the woods. This is a wonderful little walk for small children, as it tells a story, and is a nice easy walk. To the left, is the trail we are taking, up to Debbie’s view.

The trail starts out at a nice even rate of elevation, as it begins with series of switchbacks. This also serves as a horse trail, as we soon saw!

After the horse trail portion of the hike ends, there is a steep incline, followed by a beautiful plateau, where we realized exactly how high we’ve climbed, as there was snow on the undergrowth!

After a brief series of switchbacks, we encountered an offshoot trail, and reached our destination.

From Debbie’s view, we were able to see the Fairwood and Cascade neighborhoods of Renton, and further in the distance, the City of Kent.

We were very lucky to have such a beautiful day…we postponed from the day before, due to safety concerns from a windstorm, and were richly rewarded with these views.

Leah, Patrick, Craig, and Drea at the overlook

Leah, Patrick, Brook and Craig at the overlook

As always, I am a little melancholy coming down from the mountain, as the first thing I want to do is call Dad, and tell him about our adventure. I wish he could see me. I miss him.

Next up, we go to Rattlesnake Ridge! I look forward to our next adventure.

Hike 4: Point Whitehorn, Birch Bay, Blaine Washington

January 28, 2020 by Patrick Dodd

On January 25th, Brook and I traveled to Blaine, Washington to hike Point Whitehorn beach with my Aunt Susie, my cousins Amy and Kary, and Kary’s husband, Rob. This was a very special hike for us; in 2019 Amy and Kary lost their dad (Keith Bakker), Rob lost his dad (Gene Smith), and as you know, I lost my dad (Stan Dodd). 2019 was not a happy year.

One of the reasons for hikeswithdad.com is to create something positive out of all this tragedy, try to find a little joy, and begin to heal from 2019. With that said, we’ll start with a little bit of joy in the form of the traditional parking lot selfie!

From the top: Rob, Brook, Kary, Susie, Amy, and Patrick

The story of this park is interesting, and relates to the topic of deriving joy from tragedy. Those of you from Bellingham who are in your mid-twenties or older probably remember the Olympic pipeline explosion of 1999. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of gasoline leaked into Whatcom Creek from the pipeline. In Whatcom Falls park, the gasoline ignited from a lighter, and set the river on fire, causing three deaths, as well as massive property and ecological damage. Consequently, this resulted in substantial fines and grants being paid. With one of those grants, the Whatcom Land Trust purchased a piece of property to the south of the park from BC Hydro, and then traded that property with Trillium Corporation for the park we hiked on Saturday.

This park starts off as a walk through the woods of north Whatcom county, with beautiful bridges, and wind-blasted trees. These winds can really hammer the coast in winter months, as evidenced by several upended trees such as the one below.

After a short mile, the trail reaches the bluffs, where two lookouts exist, and the trail skirts the bluff until it reaches a staircase, which ends several feet above the ground. From there, the beachcombers must make their way down over driftwood and boulders.

Brook and Patrick doing the “prom pose” on the overlook

Once down to the beach, we enjoyed looking for cool rocks, seashells, and an ultimately fulfilling, if fruitless, quest for agates…but we did find water:

I found a divining rod…and it led me to water!

Birch Bay has always been special to me; Grandpa took his children there to dig for clams and hunt crab, and his children took all the Dodd and Bakker cousins. Being on the salt water has always reminded me of Grandpa and Dad, and going with them to explore the beach as a child.

After our hike, we got lunch at a local diner. The burgers were not as big as last time, but they were delicious nonetheless.

See you on hike 5!

!!!BONUS CONTENT!!!

Our dads: Stan Dodd and Keith Bakker at Aunt Susie and Uncle Keith’s wedding

Our dads: Grandpa (Wally) Dodd, Stan, and Keith

Stan, Amy, and Kary watching 3D movies in the 80s

Hike 3: Little Si

January 23, 2020 by Patrick Dodd

On January 19th, our hike was a beautiful trek up Little Si, in the Issaquah Alps. Little Si is named after its big brother to the east, Mount Si, which is in turn named for local homesteader Josiah "Uncle Si" Merritt. This trail is 3.7 miles in, and there is a 1138 foot elevation gain.

Mt. Si as seen from the summit of Little Si

Accompanying me on the hike was Craig Anderson, Leah Goudie, and my wife, Brook Dodd. Craig and Leah have been friends of ours for many years, and we were excited to go hiking with them, especially as they had never been on Little Si before.

Patrick, Craig, Leah, and Brook at the trailhead

The day started at 8:15am, when Craig arrived at our house wearing moccasins, and a sheepish grin; he then informed us that his hiking boots were still in his garage, so we had to make a quick detour back to his place on the other side of Renton to pick them up. After a picturesque tour of South King County, we got to the trailhead, where we met up with Leah. Leah is much like I am regarding the outdoors; we find spiritual fulfillment in the beauty of nature; the photo below is a wonderful depiction of the plateau.

The landscape of the plateau - photo by Leah

Little Si is one of my favorite trails; it begins with a fairly steep set of switchbacks before plateauing to a meandering path, and ending with one last steep push to the top. Once we got to the top of the initial switchbacks, we were greeted with a snowy plateau that looked like something out of Narnia. I feel so at peace out here, and I am thankful that I have the opportunity and capability to experience this.

Craig and Brook posing pensively on a fallen tree

After a slight incline, we reach the final ascent, which is a steep series of switchbacks, and a couple rocks to scramble over, followed by a beautiful panoramic view. Below is a photo of the 4 of us at the summit. As you can probably tell from our hunched, huddled posture, we were…a little cold. The temperature difference between the plateau and summit was remarkable…it also didn’t help that the wind was going at about 30 miles per hour at the summit!

Patrick, Craig, Brook and Leah at the summit

Craig on the East face of the summit with Mount Si in the background

After the others started back down, I stayed a moment at the top, as I feel closest to Dad at the high elevations. I so wish I could have taken him on this hike with these wonderful people…this kind of thing was right up his alley, and he would have loved Leah and Craig. Before heading back down, I whispered that I’ll see him again on the next summit.

Patrick on the South face of the peak holding, as always, Dad’s favorite snack

At the end of our hike, we followed our tradition, and bought our lovely guests lunch at XXX Burgers. I figured the “XXX Burger” was their signature burger that they were known for, so I ordered it. Boy, was I surprised at the size of this thing! Much to the amazement of my friends (and most people in the restaurant) I ate it all…then went home and took a nap.

Looking forward to hike 4!

Hike 2: Discovery Park Loop Trail

January 13, 2020 by Patrick Dodd

Patrick at the entrance to Discovery Park

It is January 11, and time for hike number 2 the loop trail at Discovery Park in Seattle! Accompanying me on this hike is my wife, partner in crime, best friend, love of my life, and greatest cheerleader, Brook Dodd! In the midst of being diagnosed and treated for aggressive kidney disease (Berger’s Disease), she mustered the time and energy to make frequent trips to Bellingham with me to visit with, and help care for my dad in his final days, as well as providing respite care for my mom, so that she could recharge, and help my cousin cope with his recent Kidney Cancer diagnosis. After Dad passed, Brook used her amazing event planning skills to plan and host Dad’s wake. These are debts I can never repay, and I love her to bits. She will be a frequent guest on these hikes.

Brook at the first marker for the loop trail

For this hike, we went to Discovery Park in Seattle. This park is unique, as it is 534 acres of wilderness in the middle of the city of Seattle. It is good to see an area designated as parkland in a place where real-estate prices are through the roof; it’s a little bit of refuge in a sea of crazy. The Discovery Park loop trail encircles the bluffs overlooking Puget Sound, and faces Bainbridge Island, and in clear weather, the Olympic Peninsula. This park used to be known as Fort Lawton, an American infantry base that saw service from 1900 to 1972. In 1972, the U.S. Army ceded the land back to the city of Seattle, and Discovery Park was born in 1973.

View of Bainbridge Island from the bluffs at Discovery Park

In addition to the beautiful views from the bluffs, there is the old Fort Lawton housing, veteran’s cemetery, lighthouse, and Native American interpretive center, the Daybreak Cultural Center. This first hike was limited in scope to the loop trail, due to the depleting nature of a recent treatment for Brook’s kidney disease, but we will return to explore these historical items in a future hike! Along the trail, there is plenty of interesting foliage along the way, including some cool looking fungi, and a giant old tree we named Bob. It looks like Bob was struck by lightning at one point, as his massive trunk is split in two.

“They say I’m a pretty fun guy.” Eh? Eh?

As always, we bring Dad’s favorite snack: Nature Valley Oats and Honey bars!

One of Dad’s traditions at the end of every hike, is to go out to eat, so we did not want to dissappoint! Lunch today is at Red Mill Burgers in Seattle. Still the best bacon in town. On to hike 3!

Things I learned from this hike:

Don’t wash polyester hiking pants on “Hot.” They may become incredibly snug.
It is best not to try “winging it” when hiking with a structured person.