Elevation Gain: About 400 ft.
Time: 12:20 pm ~ 1:40 pm
Weather: Overcast, cool, and rainy.
This was going to be a tough weekend to go on a hike because of all the work I have due this week. I was planning on cashing in a hike only 20 minutes from my door in a local park, Point Defiance. I said to myself at the beginning of this commitment that I could use Point Defiance once in the 52 weeks. It is not wilderness, but it is. The area is protected and has trails, but it is definitely more like an amazing city park than backcountry. Woke up a little late and knowing I was going to put off my paperwork no matter where I was going to hike, I decided to find something else using the Washington Trails Association(WTA) hike finder map. I found Flaming Geyser State Park as a close option and decided to go for it.
Short drive indeed, left the super market with breakfast and lunch around 11:30 am and was pulling into the parking lot around 12:20 pm. Got my stuff together and went straight for the trail that followed the Green River. I continued only for about 300 ft before I came to the "Flaming Geyser." The geyser was so sad. I knew from the WTA site description that the flaming geyser was not going to match my imagination. When it was first discovered by miners in the early 1900s I think the flame was 25 feet high, but now it is merely a flame of a few inches in height. Well it is not even a flame anymore. It was a pit surrounded by a nice sidewalk with a rock garden inside around a center spout with no flame. I walked around the pit and it smelled funky, maybe I was smelling the methane gas that supplies the fuel for the flaming geyser. I did think to use the lighter in my pocket to create a spark near the source, or at least get down and smell for the gas at the source, but I thought it safer to not mess with it.
The trails behind the geyser were closed and I was worried nothing was open. I walked back to the end of the road and found a map showing some other trails off the the left of the "Flaming Geyser." I went back, found the trail, and somewhat relieved, began walking. The trail was nice and wide to start. It did not climb very high, but I did get a few hundred feet above the Green River and got to look down on it. I crossed a huge group of young boy scouts and their parents. Many of the the kids liked my trekking poles. As one shouted in wonder, "what are those?" They were all soaked, and the kids were loving it. I walked on through dense and sparse woods. It was really a lot of diversity in landscape for such a short hike. I finally came out were the Green River makes a pretty sharp turn back to the right and the trail ends.
The trail ends, according to the trailhead map, at the Green River Gorge. It was an open area, with beautiful cliffs across the river. I sat and enjoyed the peace and quiet. It was supposed to be a rainy day, and I had gotten a little rain, but most of my hike was pretty light. I didn't even wear rain gear. During my break, there was no rain, even a little sun.
I walked around a bit and found a ton of trash, mostly beer cans and wrappers, but what was most disturbing was a nicely cinched up garbage bag. I really hope it was not the young boy scouts, but it doesn't matter who did it, it is just ridiculous. I packed it out. The hike back was quick and muddy. I stood ankle deep in water to wash my gaiters off and my socks and shoes stayed dry. Great day.
Orchid: Little to no rain during my hike.
Onion: Flaming Geyser.
Picture:
Google Map
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