hiking in the northwest

For the past month or so, we have gone hiking almost every weekend. I used to hike incessantly during the summers I was in high school, and then I hiked a lot when I worked as a camp counselor. But the past couple of summers I haven't had much of a chance to hike. This summer, however, is going to be different. There are a lot of great trails close to our home, and I have decided that the Northwest is my favorite place to hike. Although I think Colorado and Utah are beautiful in their own way, I love how everything is verdant along the Northwest trails. I especially love the ferns, extremely tall trees, and lush moss. Plus, the best thing about hiking in Washington (as opposed to Utah or Colorado) is that the trails aren't dusty. It's so nice to breathe clearly as I make my way uphill (although I have to admit that breathing dry dirt (and consequentially having clods of dirt in my nose post-hike) is a part of Utah hiking which I will think of semi-nostalgically).

Here are some pics:

Twin Falls with Matt and Joanna
Remember how I talked about hiking incessantly during high school? Joanna was with me on most of those hikes. I'm so glad that she lives nearby - it's fun to be with her in the mountains again! (You can see a few more pics of the hike on Joanna's blog.)

The lower falls of Twin Falls

Rattlesnake Ridge
This is the ridge that is located next to Rattlesnake Lake (this is the lake that we visited on Memorial Day - can you see the old tree stumps in the lake below?)

J and Sam at the Talus Rocks/Bat Caves

Talus Rocks/Bat Caves

This hike is especially great because the trail goes in a loop - you don't have to turn around pass the same stuff on the return trip. There is a really pretty fern valley with some large mossy trees on the way down.

Apparently we need to teach Sam about nature appreciation

South Beach of Discovery Park
There are a lot of trails in this area and we plan on going back. We intended on going to the North Beach (since we parked in the North Parking Lot), but ended up going on a longer hike which eventually descended to the South Beach.

Have you gone hiking this summer? What's your favorite state/region for hiking? What trails would you recommend?