The Grah Life

01/09/2025

We started this account and our blog about a year and a half ago with the intent to inspire others to explore, get outside, and do hard things! We’re loving the community we’re finding here — thanks for adventuring with us!

01/02/2025

The road to the Hoh Rainforest has closed and won't be opening any time soon. 😥

PORT ANGELES – Jefferson County Public Works told us it was likely to happen, and now it has. Access to the Hoh Rain Forest area of Olympic National Park via the Upper Hoh Road is closed indefinitely

11/20/2024

HEY. SO. We've got strong winds and a blizzard warning in the mountain passes today, PLUS the potential for coastal storms and flooding. If you're looking for a sign to delay your trip: THIS IS YOUR SIGN. In flashing neon letters!

Expect blizzard-like conditions and little-to-no visibility on Snoqualmie Pass. It will only be a winter wonderland in the sense that you'll be wondering where the heck you are on any given patch of land.

If you MUST travel, anticipate pass closures, significant delays, potential crashes and vehicle spinouts. Consider alternate routes, pack extra water/food/blankets and CARRY CHAINS.

Our crews will be clearing roadways of snow and ice and responding to real-time crashes, along with first responders and local utility crews for downed trees and powerlines.

-Find our real-time travel updates here: https://wsdot.com/Travel/Real-time/Map/
-Check the status of our mountain passes here: https://wsdot.com/travel/real-time/mountainpasses/
-Learn what you should pack in an emergency car kit: https://wsdot.com/travel/real-time/mountainpasses/emergencycarkit

11/12/2024

Here’s a recap of our surprise date to Port Gamble. We went on a ghost investigation of the Walker Ames Mansion in town. An investigation is like a ghost tour, but you get to try and interact with the ghosts.

People say you can see children looking out of the windows of the house if you walk by, so people brought light up toys and instruments for them to play with.

Did we see or hear any ghosts? Nope, but it was a new experience for us and an interesting way of extending the spooky season for Zach (his favorite time of year).

If you’re interested in giving it a try check out Paranormal Port Gamble.

10/01/2024

Every larch hike in Washington 😆

09/30/2024

Starting tomorrow

Visitors to Multnomah Falls will face limited access starting Oct. 1, when a section of the Historic Columbia River Highway/U.S. 30 closes for repairs on the west viaduct.

The viaduct, or elevated highway, between Wahkeena Falls and Multnomah Falls will be closed until Memorial Day 2025.

During this time, eastbound vehicles on the highway will be unable to reach Multnomah Falls, as traffic will be turned around at Wahkeena Falls Trailhead. Westbound vehicles will be able to reach Multnomah Falls Lodge but will be turned around there.

Read more: https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2024/09/multnomah-falls-access-impacted-by-yearlong-historic-highway-closure.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dhfacebook&utm_content=app.dashhudson.com%2Ftheoregonian%2Flibrary%2Fmedia%2F457232201

📸:Jamie Hale

09/28/2024

Bucket list thing indeed!

09/25/2024

It's not too late to get one more backpacking trip in this season — the Enchanted Valley is easily accessible into November!

Known as the “Valley of 10,000 waterfalls”, Enchanted Valley is a beautiful backpacking destination in the Olympic National Park featuring the Enchanted Valley Chalet. The trail follows the bright blue Quinault River through old-growth forests and features trees up to 1,000 years old. The forest...

09/19/2024

Larch season is coming quickly this year! This blog is a MUST read if you plan on hiking anywhere near the North Cascades this October.

https://www.thegrahlife.com/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-larch-hikes-in-washington

09/06/2024

Some Stehekin campgrounds are open 🎉

Harlequin Campground and some sites in Lakeview and Purple Point campgrounds in Stehekin have reopened. Due to impacts from the Pioneer Fire, available campsites in Lakeview and Purple Point campgrounds are limited. Reservations for Harlequin Campground are available on https://ow.ly/1PzY50TgIAS through Saturday, September 8, then available first-come, first-served. Sites 3-6 in Purple Point Campground, sites 6-9 in Lakeview Campground, and sites that are not reserved and are open will be available first-come, first-served.

The Pioneer Fire is still an active wildfire. Firefighters and crews continue to work in the area. A burned landscape presents a number of safety hazards that either did not exist prior to the fire or are increased by the effects of the fire. Park managers are working to assess trail, camp, and area closures. Park closure information can be found on the park’s Fire Closures page, https://ow.ly/nPZa50TgIAU.

Visit inciweb for up-to-date information on the Pioneer Fire.

NPS photo

09/04/2024

Yes 🙌🏻 accessibility for all!

Beach days at Lake Wenatchee are now more accessible for folks with mobility needs! The park has acquired a new beach wheelchair with large tires designed to handle shifting sand and uneven surfaces, along with an ADA beach mat. To reserve the chair, please call the park at 509-763-3101 at least 48 hours in advance. It's free to use, but it’s not motorized, so a companion is needed to push it to the lakeshore. Learn more ➡️ https://loom.ly/cYEHQXw.

09/04/2024

Little workout for the bear 🐻

08/30/2024

😕

You know the drill. Washington State Ferries is, again, warning Labor Day weekend passengers to prepare for long lines and extended wait times.

08/28/2024

Fall is the best time to visit Moab!

Located in southeastern Utah on the Colorado Plateau, Moab is a small town known for its outdoor activities. While it’s home to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, off-roading, rafting, biking, and climbing are just a few popular activities in the surrounding area. 

08/26/2024

🥲

It will be months before the next sunset at 8 p.m.

08/24/2024

🤣

Come experience what has disappointed millions of people for over 225 years!

Mammoth Cave National Park recently rated as one of the “most disappointing U.S. tourist attractions”! While we think the world’s longest cave system and over 4,000 years of human history is AMAZING, others find that the cave is “very dark” and there is “nothing cool” here to see.

If you would like to experience the disappointment of Mammoth Cave, visit our website and choose from one of our many activities that will leave you unfulfilled! You can be disappointed by a “dry hole with very few stalagmites and stalactites” or discover nothing “other than trees” on over 80+ miles of hiking, biking, horseback riding, and water trails. (Fair warning – there are bugs in the outdoors, cellular phone service is spotty, and there are stairs on some of our cave tours.)

A world of regret awaits you at Mammoth Cave!

Make your cave tour reservations and find all the information you need to plan your very own “not enjoyable” visit to Mammoth Cave National Park at: https://ow.ly/8ifx50T59Eo

08/20/2024

It’s the glacier melt!

Why so blue?

A common question that rangers are asked here in the North Cascades about the stunning hue of the impressive Diablo Lake. So why is it so blue? Or green? Or is it aquamarine?

The answer is simple: glimmering glacial flour is poured in every season by rangers!

Almost but not quite...Diablo Lake, and many of the other lakes in the park complex is fed by hundreds of streams with origins in the steep mountains and glaciers. These streams carry finely ground rock particles called glacial flour. These particles cloud the water and cause the water to have the famous blue hue we know and love. Thunder Creek, for example, carries the drainage from over fifty glaciers before flowing into the Diablo Lake. It is these streams that deserve the applause, not rangers (well...at least not for this reason).



NPS Photo Hudiburgh