{03june2011: Serene}

Or not so much. Jason is no longer allowed to pick the hikes we go on. After last month's epic 9 mile hike I thought we had learned our lesson that we aren't epic hikers. I guess Jason forgot, because his pick for this months hike (one of my new year's resolutions is to go on at least one hike a month) was another epic uphill strenuous climb. 
The first part of the hike was pretty easy going. You follow a path through brushy areas and across little streams. It was a little tricky for Darwin to cross this bridge. The wood slats were about 4" wide with about 3" wide gaps between each one.

easy does it

oops! slipped through!

So green and lush!

There were a lot of little streams to cross over and for Darwin to splash in.

We also saw something I've never seen on a hike before.  Llamas!  Darwin was a little unsure of them at first as we approached them from behind

Jason's a quick walker and the llamas were moving at a slower pace so we found a wider spot on the path so we could pass them. As usual with anything that Darwin is unsure (scared) of she tried to walk pass them with the greatest distance between them as possible.

We ended up passing them three times (we took a detour to the falls where they passed us) so Darwin has been llama proofed! By the third time of passing them she could care less that they were there.

This first 1.7 miles was the easiest part of the hike stay tuned for the rest of the 2000ft ascent to Serene Lake!




A little over an hour's drive north east of Seattle, the hike to Lake Serene is a beautiful, but tough one.

View Larger Map