My friend Sarah and I stopped by a new coffee spot in Darrington, WA, after hiking the White Chuck Bench Trail in March and I forgot to tell you all about it! Sarah had spied it when we had driven through town on the way to the trailhead so we stopped by for…
Author: Shannon Leader
Back Out With The Boys
At the end of June I had an invite from my friend Dave to join him and the boys on a log out of the Smithbrook Trail near Stevens Pass on State Route 2 in Washington State. You know, the short access trail most people take to get to Lake Valhalla or Janus Lake to…
The High Divide And Seven Lakes Basin Redux: Day 4
This is a short series on my backpacking trip on the High Divide and Seven Lakes Basin in Olympic National Park. If you are reading this post in its entirety on any website other than musthikemusteat.com, it was stolen without permission. For my final day of the High Divide and Seven Lakes Basin…
The High Divide And Seven Lakes Basin Redux: Day 3
This is a short series on my backpacking trip on the High Divide and Seven Lakes Basin in Olympic National Park. If you are reading this post in its entirety on any website other than musthikemusteat.com, it was stolen without permission. Up again at 5am with the sun, the day promised a few…
The High Divide And Seven Lakes Basin Redux: Day 2
This is a short series on my backpacking trip on the High Divide and Seven Lakes Basin in Olympic National Park. On Day 2, I was up and making breakfast at 5am in the dark. I had some Paleo Crack-lin’ No Bran and coconut milk powder which I supplemented with wild huckleberries around my camp….
The High Divide And Seven Lakes Basin Redux: Day 1
Last August I wrote about visiting Olympic National Park and the Seven Lakes Basin in 2023 after years of having it on my bucket list. I shared about how the weather was less than ideal and so I had minimal views for the three days I hiked the loop. In my 2024 outdoor…






