The lazy days of Summer are a perfect time to do some paddling on Palmer Lake in North Central Washington. Hot days and deliciously cool water with sights and sounds of this beautiful remote lake. There is nothing like it.
Nick powers across Palmer Lake
A day like this one with wonderful sights of the surrounding hills and mountains and the calm water. Such a perfect way to spend an early evening on the lake.
Alec prepares for Adventure out on Palmer Lake
Pursuing Balance Through Adventure YouTube Channel Kayaking Palmer Lake CLICK THE PIC!
Memories made at the lake last forever.
Join Alec, Nick and I again for another Adventure, but first please COMMENT, LIKE, SHARE, and FOLLOW. And please if you like the caps we are wearing than check out my fine line of outdoor wearSHOP APPAREL.Outing such as this are good for the body, mind and soul. ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ is a worthy aspiration indeed.
This area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and is a large 5,500 acre site. After making our way up a 4×4 trail we parked at Chopaka Lake one of the most famous fly fishing lakes in the lower 48. Actor Tom Skerritt, to name one celebrity, has flown in and fished here.
This hike certainly shows off the beauty of the area. Everything was so fresh and green. Along our route we enjoyed big fir trees, spring wildflowers, as well as nice lake views. The later part of the trek we made our way up some animal trails and even did a bit of bushwhacking to a favorite cliffside perch with stunning views of the valley, river and Palmer Lake.
A Big Foot Documentary was filmed in this area using infrared cameras in search of the elusive creature. They didn’t not find any proof of Sasquatch, and for that matter either did we.
If you make it up to the Similkameen River Valley Overlook mind you step as the grassy hill is deceptive as to just how steep it is and what lies just beyond that grass, which is nothing because it is a sheer cliff. The view is stunning, taking in the surrounding mountains and hills, the valley, the river and Palmer Lake. When you lookout towards the left, from that vantage point, you are looking at Canada. It is a splendid spot to sit, have a snack and enjoy one another’s company.
On the way back we stopped at the famous fly fishing Chopaka Lake and Dale cast his fly out into the lake in hopes of a trout. We saw a nice one in the shallows, but I guess he was not hungry.
Peggy sets the pace, and Marina strikes a pose.
Local Guides sister Peggy and husband Dale cliffside
Pursuing Balance Through Adventure YouTube Channel Click the Pic!In life, just like on the trail, don’t forget to slow down and take in the view.
Thanks to our local guides Dale and sister Peggy. Nick, Marina, Alec and I took a moment to take the pack off, both literally and figuratively, as we were ’Pursing Balance Through Adventure’. Stay with us for more adventures, it is easy to do so by fulfilling a couple easy steps: COMMENT, LIKE, FOLLOW and SHARE. PBTA travels extensively throughout the West. If you go to the menu above it may give you some ideas for an adventure of your own. Each location is a separate website and thus needs to be FOLLOWED independently. If you are in need of adventure wear, such as that displayed in the pictures by some of our wonderful action models, then I invite you to go to SHOP APPAREL.
Winter wonderland comes to Northern Washington’s Palmer Lake. The snow flakes were flying, and Jack Frost was nipping at our nose. Palmer Lake washed out in the subdued colors of grey, black and white, made it clear winter is here. All was quiet other that the distance honk of Canadian Geese and the ripples of the lake lapping at the shore. The air was crisp and cold, bringing a rosy color to chapped cheeks. The snow crackled and crunched with each step as we gained altitude and snow depth which each step. There were tracks meandering across the trail some identifiable such as the plentiful deer, others raised an eyebrow knowing that there are predators in this area. Out of the corner of my eye I spied a coyote shadowing us up on a nearby ridge.
What a great outing with my sister, Peggy, as she introduced me to snow shoeing. So nice to be out together in nature on such a winter’s day. I loved the snow shoeing and as the snow deepened so did my appreciation of the equipment, thinking back to post holing my way up to Big Horn Peak in California last winter in snow up to my knees in my micro spikes.
The lake and surrounding mountainsides were somewhat shrouded by fog and clouds as the snow came down ever so lightly making such a lovely wintery scene.
Sister Peggy and I snow shoed to an overlook of snowy Palmer Lake
“Off all the paths you take to hike, make sure a least a few of them are snow” – Roger Jenkins
Video of Our Snow Shoeing on PBTA YouTube click pic
Thanks for joining sister Peggy and I while we were ’Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ up a snowy mountainside in snow shoes and enjoying every minute of the Winter Wonderland. I hope that you will join us for more adventures and you can do so by performing a few easy tasks: LIKE, COMMENT, FOLLOW and SHARE. If you take a look at the menu above you will see that PBTA ventures to many idyllic locations. Each location is a separate website and thus needs to be FOLLOWED independently. If you like the beanie I am wearing in the photo I invite you to SHOP APPARELwhere you will find top quality gear with the logo and mantra. Not only will you look and feel the part of an Adventurer seeking the balance from the hectic and mundane you will be helping spread the word that Epic Encounters in Nature are one of the keys to cleansing the soul.
Palmer Lake is a special place in Okanogan County just outside Loomis, WA. It is wonderful anytime of year, but with the blossoms from the pears, and cherry trees in bloom along with all the apple trees beginning to leaf out it is spectacular. The weather starts to warm up, the deer are down grazing near the lake edge, and the osprey are soaring overhead.
A little walking by the lake, a little hike up the mountain to enjoy views of the surroundings, and of course the heavenly views of Palmer Lake.
The things I do to increase my FOLLOWING! No that is not a rubber snake nor is it dead, checkout the video, (Coming Attraction), and watch the flicking tongue. The creature in my hand has the coloring of a RATTLESNAKE, however it does not have the large angular head, nor the rattle. It is a gopher snake. Just the same KIDS DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME, OR HOME ON THE RANGE EITHER!
Time spent outdoors is not spent it is invested.
Thanks for traveling with me to Palmer Lake, located in about the center of Washington State just shy of the Canadian Boarder. What a great place to find yourself ‘Pursing Balance Through Adventure’. It is a place of mountains, and rolling grass highlands, lakes, and timber, a place to perch on a peak, or stand next to the lake and reflect in the quiet ambience of a sunny day. If you want to be included in more inspirational experiences then here is what you should do: COMMENT, LIKE, FOLLOW and SHARE. If you would like to checkout other places to be PBTA then go to they menu above. Each location is a separate website and thus needs to be FOLLOWED independently. While you at it go to SHOP APPARELwhere you will find logoed adventure wear. You will not only adorn yourself with top quality gear, but you will carry forth the manta ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ immersing yourself in a world of unplugging- a place about getting away, putting down the heavy pack filled with all the worries, fears, noise, confusion, responsibilities, and deadlines of our busy, crazy, world… if only for awhile. Breath in, breath out, breath in nature, breath out stress and anxiety.
A couple days after my adventure: ’Quiet Walk Through a Dormant Land’ in the Sinlahekin Valley I returned to the area. In stark contrast to my first outing, the weather was bright and beautiful. I savored the joys of adventure and discovery through the snowy area this time along Blue Lake with my brother-in-law Dale, an outdoor enthusiast, backpacker and lover of nature.
All of the surrounding mountains and ruggedness of the cliffs were now fully exposed, illuminated in brilliant sunshine. However, the weather did change towards the end of our hike as the low hung clouds once again returned to the valley with weather beginning to rolling in.
We navigated the snow covered back road effortlessly with 4WD, and then hiked the backside of the lake along a snow hidden trail. I was fascinated when Dale discovered bob cat tracks on our trek. Boy, would that have been something to see if I had the chance. Most of Blue Lake was frozen over, but there still was a portion where we saw ducks and geese enjoying the day in ice clear water. A spectacular outing in a beautiful pristine spot.
4WD is necessary to navigate the snow covered country road.
Nature has a way to repeatedly awaken ones senses and speak to the heart – Ray JardineDale takes a snack break with snowy mountains and an icy lake view.
Thanks for joining Dale and I as we found ourselves ‘Pursing Balance Through Adventure’, at Blue Lake in the Sinlahekin. My brother in law would be the first to tell you, as a busy lawyer, nature is so important to releasing some of the stress and to balance out such a busy life. Replenishing emotional and mental wellness by balancing that connection between body and mind through the healing that nature provides is essential. ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure‘s’ prescription is simple: fresh air, a little exercise, let your mind and indeed your soul be nurtured by the stunning beauty that Mother Nature has provided. You only need to get out and open up your senses. Feel the winter breeze, smell that wonderful pine scent, spy the glint of the sun off of a icy crag, listen to the wild geese honking across the sky, breath it in, breath it out, feel the rekindling. Stay with us as we continually experience rebirth through profound experiences in nature. You can do this by these very simple tasks: LIKE, COMMENT, FOLLOW and don’t forget SHARE. If you will browse the menu you will see other special places to gain this fulfillment, neighboring Oregon, or maybe Utah, California, Nevada, Arizona and numerous place across the West. Be mindful that each location is a separate website and thus needs to be FOLLOWED independently. At SHOP APPARELyou will find PBTA logo adventure wear. Let’s get the word out, “Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’.
Just 10 miles from the Canadian Boarder in the Okanogan Region lies the Sinlahekin Valley and this wild area. The Sinlahekin Natural Area is 14,000 acres that supports a diverse population of birds including grouse and pheasant and it’s several small lakes are teeming with water fowl and rainbow trout. The area also is home to deer and other animals.
Those visiting Sinlahekin Natural Area can enjoy wooded areas with Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir, as well as various deciduous trees, rolling hills of grassland, surrounded by the steep hills and mountainsides. There are 8 miles of trail, the Dave Brittell Memorial Trail.
In the summer this place would have blue skies reflecting on it’s lakes with steep hills and mountains as a back drop. In the spring it would be green and flowering. Fall would be delightful with many deciduous trees bringing color to the landscape, and in winter it would be a wonderland.
I walked 8 miles of this area in between seasons. Not Autumn, as all the leaves had fallen leaving a earthy scent of damp soil and decaying leaves hanging in the air. Not winter per se, as there was only a few patches of crisp snow here and there. The low level clouds hung over the valley fogging the appearance of all but the nearest hills or mountain sides at their foot.
So my venture was a quiet walk through a dormant land, void of all sound other than the Sinlahekin Creek. No animals, the lakes were frozen so no jumping fish, or flocks of geese. I did see a bald eagle investigating a small open water section that was not frozen, obviously searching for his next meal. Mine was a nice hike in the country, and a time for reflection, a silent time for ‘Pursing Balance Through Adventure’.
The frozen lake and the low hung clouds let you know that winter had arrive at Sinlahekin.
“I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.” -Henry David Thoreau
One thing that is great about nature is how it whispers to you while ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’. On quiet frozen days like this everything seems asleep and at peace, and the experience really sets you at ease which is exactly what the doctor ordered to bring balance from the stress of our real lives, with do this -do that, be here- be there, rush around, work work work. It is nice to have nature heal us with a quiet walk through a dormant land. For more healing through nature and profound experiences of adventure please: COMMENT, LIKE, SHARE and FOLLOW. Please support this site by supporting yourself with a shirt, hat or a beanie that carries the important message for you and all lovers of nature: ‘Pursing Balance Through Adventure’ at SHOP APPAREL. To help you find a special place to find that inner peace checkout the menu to see all the many locations that PBTA ventures to. Keep in mind that each location is a separate website and thus needs to be FOLLOWED independently.
Activity: Canoeing, horseback riding, swimming, boating, wake-boarding, water skiing, biking, fishing, exploring and hiking
Palmer Lake in Okanogan County, near the towns of Loomis and Tonasket Washington, is a beautiful little lake surrounded by grassy hillsides, and rocky mountains. Palmer Lake sports 10 miles of shoreline. One side has houses dotted along it’s beach the other rugged mountain side.
Palmer Lake
There are plenty of activities to keep outdoor lovers enthusiastically entertained. I have enjoyed the hospitality of my sister Peggy and her husband Dale Crandall at their beautiful home over looking this postcard setting on multiple occasions and I can hardly wait to return.
We hiked up above Palmer Lake for marvelous views and enjoyed the serenity of this place. The day hike was a great way to stretch the legs and prepare for our upcoming backpacking adventure.
I love canoeing on Palmer Lake and I went out quite often during my visit. It is usually pretty still in the morning, but the breeze that comes up sometimes in the afternoon and can give you quite a workout getting back. The lily pads are a great place to catch yellow perch. Other fish in this lake are black crappie, burbot, large and small mouth bass, and sockeye salmon. Along the cliff pictured in the background of the picture above left is a great place to find some shade in the afternoon and chill. For those more adventurous there is a great place for jumping off a perch on the cliff side into the cool water.
Similkameen River flows into Palmer Lake
Lots of wildlife in the area
One day I did some exploring by bike, checking out the natural beauty as well as some weathered and rustic old buildings.
Marina models ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ Cap. Get yours at Pursuing Balance Through Adventure Shop Apparel
Good times on the lake wake-boarding.
Peggy having a delightful day on the lake slalom waterskiing.
Silhouette of Rattle Snake Wrangler Dale
2 Rattlers found at garage door
I knew that there were animals and reptiles to be wary of in the area such as black bear, cougar, coyote, and rattle snakes, but I did not think that Dale would wrangle a couple for me to checkout close up and personal like this. These two were right out the garage door. He released them up the hill a ways.
Listen to that rattling those snakes are angry.If you are lucky enough to live at the lake, your are lucky enough.
Thanks for joining sister Peggy, brother-in-law Dale, daughter Marina and I ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure Washington State Hiking’. I invite you to checkout some of my other websites for adventures in other areas of the West. If you enjoyed this post then please LIKE, COMMENT, FOLLOW, and SHARE.
-Roger Jenkins, Pursuing Balance Through Adventure
Washington State Hiking Pursuing Balance Thru Adventure 