Story by Max Hughes | Photos by Zahn Schultz | Design by Itzel Montoya

Stepping out of the car, you are immediately faced with navigating across a river with no bridge and walking uphill for hours on a steep incline. Fun, right?

Well, for Matt Martinson, senior lecturer for the English Department and avid hiker, the feeling when you reach the top is a sense of accomplishment that makes the journey worth it.

Along with Martinson, many other Washingtonians find joy in spending hours hiking within nature and viewing the picturesque scenes at the peak of the destination. It may be hard work, but the views are worth it.

What are you waiting for? The sun is shining and the time is now to get outside and explore.

Discovering Eastern Washington

When Martinson first moved to the Kittitas Valley, he did not think he would enjoy hiking in the area since initially, it did not seem like the terrain had much to offer. However, after some exploration, he came to love the area and its various trails.

Knowing where the trails are is the first big hump when setting out to hike in any area and finding a hike nowadays can be as easy as downloading an app or entering a quick Google search.

Websites like Washington Trails Association, Green Trails Maps, Hiking Project and AllTrails have routes listed and mapped out in Washington and just about every other part of the world. Google Maps also has trailheads and information if you already know the name of your destination.

Green Trails sells maps of various trails. Martinson says that getting a Green Trails map helped him find trails all around the forested Teanaway area. If you’re looking for a longer hike, Martinson recommends combining part of an Ingalls Lake route with a trail that leads to Longs Pass, which creates a fun 12-to-15-mile hike.

Blewett Pass is known for hiking and even snowshoeing during the winter. It also happens to be the favorite hike of Meredith Massey, freshman Communication Studies major.

If you are looking for a gorgeous sunset view, Massey recommends Red Top Lookout, describing it as short and good for watching a sunset. The lookout at the end of the hike provides a view of the surrounding area and puts you in a great position to take in the colorful sky.

Cailin Popejoy, freshman Secondary Education Major, says her favorite hike in the area is Howard’s Way Trailhead. The trail follows a section of the Yakima River and goes through Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park. If you’ve walked this local favorite, you may have noticed signs and illustrations along the trail telling a fun, short story about forest critters.

Umptanum Creek Falls is another shorter trail that Martinson takes his children on. He says it becomes more challenging in the winter when ice covers the trail and notes that students often fall while traversing the slick ice. Despite this, if you enjoy waterfall destinations, this hike may be the one for you.

One more favorite that Martinson notes is The Enchantments Wilderness trail which lies within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and Cascade Mountains. Consisting of an upper and lower basin, hikers can explore miles and miles of stunning lakes, mountains and scenery.

Martinson assures that your hard work will not go to waste once you reach the peak which yields indescribable views.

Wildlife in Action

If you’ve ever wondered what kind of wildlife calls your favorite hike their home, The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has lists on their website of animals around Washington, some of which may be spotted along trails.

“Just the other day I was hiking with my daughters and we spotted an owl and it was the third time in the last few months we found owls,” says Martinson, who can recall numerous animal sightings from his hiking excursions.

According to the WDFW, a pack of wolves deemed the Naneum Wolf Pack, consisting of at least three wolves as of 2019, reside in Kittitas County’s wilderness. The department considers wolves a protected species and states that they are still endangered in Washington.

Don’t let the thought of a local wolf pack scare you though. Although he has not seen any traces of them yet, Martinson claims the wolves add a little excitement to hiking around the Naneum trail area.

Rattlesnakes are a smaller, but still threatening animal to watch out for on trails, especially in the Kittitas area. Martinson explains that his first reaction when spotting a rattlesnake is to jump back and then check it out. If you’re going to follow his lead, just remember to get out of the strike zone first.

While hiking along the back side of Ingalls Lake, Martinson has also seen less intimidating wildlife in the form of mountain goats.

Then, on the smaller side of the animal kingdom, Martinson says he also sees Killdeer. Believe it or not, this is actually a type of bird and not a deer. The telltale signs of Killdeer are the black stripes along their head and upper torso area, light brown feathers on the wings and back and a white underbelly.

Preparation for the Trip

It may seem obvious, but it is important to bring water and something to eat when going on a hike, at the very minimum. Martinson says he would recommend bringing water, food, a map and a first aid kit.

Popejoy seconds the idea of bringing water; “I bring my Hydro Flask, and I bring an extra bottle of water in case I end up drinking a lot.”

Something else Popejoy recommends, aside from food and drink, is bringing someone with you on a hike. “Our rule is we hike together [and] never hike alone.” Hikes can be multiple miles long and are not always predictable.

Massey says she always informs someone before going on a hike in case she doesn’t come back in a timely manner.

Another thing you might want to know before heading out to the trail is how to get there. “I always make sure to go to Google Maps and then I screenshot all the instructions to get there in case my phone dies or if I lose reception,” says Massey.

Weather is an added aspect that may impact the enjoyment of a hike. Popejoy suggests that you “make sure you have hiking shoes, and just be ready to get a little muddy.”

Looking up a trail prior to going can give the opportunity to see what the last person to go on a trail encountered on their way. Martinson says it is good to know what the last person to hike a trail has said about it in the event that a trail is washed-out or has a lot of bugs.

Hiking in the rain, Martinson notes, is less popular leading to a more peaceful hike with less people around. He says bringing a rain jacket and boots are going to benefit you when hiking in the rain.

While ice may not be that big of a problem during the spring and summer, late fall and winter do provide slippery trails as an added challenge. Popejoy recalls a hike that her class went on during the winter that had many students slipping around on the ice and snow. In these situations, bringing shoes with good traction, possibly in the form of spikes similar to cleats, is a method for avoiding a fall.

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Massey recalls a time in the winter when she went hiking with some friends at Blewett Pass. Due to numerous prior owners and the car’s old age, the door keys had been lost, leaving the key fob as the only way to enter. According to Massey the fob didn’t work and phone reception was not an option.

Bringing extra batteries or having a way to contact others in emergency situations like these are things to consider when preparing to go out on trails.

So, regardless of where you hike, make sure you are prepared. Once you are, there’s nothing stopping you from getting outside and going on a new adventure.