Journal
Notes from the valley.
Trail notes, season reports, and the occasional elk update — written at the front desk, between check-ins.
When the elk come down: a winter guide to the front lawn
Fall through spring, the Packwood herd treats our garden as a breakfast room. How to watch well — and how close is too close.
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One perfect day in Mount Rainier, starting from Packwood
Out by 7, Paradise by 8:30, and back for a riverside dinner. The itinerary we sketch on the back of front-desk napkins.
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Five trails under two hours from the front desk
No alpine starts required. Short walks with big payoffs, sorted by how much coffee you have had.
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Skiing White Pass without the crowds (which is to say, skiing White Pass)
Where to rent, when to go, and why the locals would rather you did not tell anyone about Tuesday mornings.
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A first taste of the Pacific Crest Trail at White Pass
You do not need five months and a trail name. A day on the PCT, out and back, with lunch at a lake.
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October on the Cowlitz: the quiet season is the good season
The crowds leave with the wildflowers. What stays: salmon, fog on the river, and the best rates of the year.
Read more→Reading about it is the slow way.
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