Best Dog Friendly Hikes Washington – The race, or the competition to catch them at the right time and see as many as you can, is even called “Lark Madness” by the locals.
However, don’t let that discourage you! There are still plenty of lark tours in Washington available for you and your dog.
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I’ve compiled this list of great dog-friendly fall hikes to help others like me who don’t hike trails that don’t allow their dogs.
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Larch trees are deciduous trees with needles that turn bright yellow in autumn and fall in winter.
Larch trees can be difficult to see in the spring and summer because their needles are green so they blend in with other evergreen trees that grow in the mountains.
But in the spring, their needles sometimes shine and become a brighter green than most of the evergreen trees around them.
If you look closely, you will see groups, or groups, of short needles and you will find only one cone on each needle bush.
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As the summer progresses, the bright green needles darken and eventually begin to turn yellow as the lark prepares to shed its needles to conserve energy for the winter.
A large number of native tree species in Washington state are evergreen, meaning they stay green in the winter and do not shed their needles.
Part of what makes viewing golden larches in the fall so special is that they only grow in certain parts of Washington state so seeing them is like a treasure hunt.
In addition to the issue of urgency, the days of this main window to view the larch vary from year to year, mainly depending on humidity and weather.
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As the name suggests, these trees only grow in the eastern United States (and parts of Canada).
In particular, tamarack trees grow in the upper eastern part of the United States from Minnesota to West Virginia and in Canada from the eastern Yukon to Newfoundland.
So if someone in Washington state calls the golden yellow, green needle-leafed trees of Washington State tamarack, you can be sure they are from somewhere in the east or learned the name from the person who was there.
“Whether you call the fall fireworks Montana Larch or Tamarack may be a matter of your roots.”
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“The older families here,” said Bob Beall, a teacher at Flathead Valley Community College, “coming from Minnesota and Wisconsin, they brought the [Tamarack] name.”
On the other hand, Beall said many of Libby’s families are from the Olympic Peninsula. They call it a lark. “
“Well, here in northwestern Montana, it’s probably going to be western larks,” according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
True tamarack trees – Larix laricina – do not occur in Montana or in the northwestern part of the western larch of America – Larix occidentalis – grows here, but tamarack is an eastern species.
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But I agree that there is conflicting information there. Although this is one of the few sources I could find that links western larch to tamarack, there are quite a few out there.
Some articles, like this one, associate western larch with the name “tamarack” but try to clarify which name should be used when:
Western larch is also called mountain larch, hackmatac, tamarack or western tamarack. The Native American name hackmatac is rarely used, and tamarack should be reserved for Larix larcina in the northeastern United States and Canada.
So, to end the debate once and for all, the technically correct name for these state trees in Washington is Larch.
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But if someone chooses to call tamarack trees, just let them know that they are talking about the same tree called “larch”.
Autumn officially starts on September 22nd and ends on December 21st, but golden larks are usually at their peak from late September to mid-October.
Although the general larch window is from late September to late December, in my experience alpine larch (
This means that the ideal season for subalpine larches is earlier than the season for western larches.
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If you choose to participate in the “larch madness” by following the golden colors of the land, you can see the larches at their best in 4-6 weeks.
Towards the end of October, the larches have dropped many needles to the ground, but sometimes I have found golden larches, or small stands, with pictures until the middle of November after the snow has fallen. start.
Although not in the best condition, it is a beautiful sight to see a golden whale peeking out from the thin blanket of snow!
If you want to time it right, the best way to find out when the larch trees turn golden yellow in a particular area is to read the Washington Trails Association trail reports.
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Locals know how to leave information there for the next tourist, including how close the lark is to its peak.
To filter trip report results, you can enter the name of a specific trip in the search field, or you can go to “advanced options” and enter lark in the search field.
Although only a forecast map, the Smokey Mountains Fall Foliage map covers the entire contiguous US and appears to be updated regularly (this is new to me, so I can’t vouch for it). accuracy).
Note: Wildflowers are becoming more common throughout the United States, especially in the Northwest. Unfortunately, fire season can still peak during the larch season. Consider checking the Gaia smoke forecast (free to use) before heading to the best location.
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Some of the most impressive lark photos are taken on a bright, clear day when the whale can be seen in the clear blue sky.
Early in the morning and about an hour before sunset (known as the golden hour for photographers) provides soft light that can make larks look even more stunning.
Note that most larch hikes are at least 3 miles long so you should allow yourself enough time to get back to the car before dark or bring a headlamp so you can get out ( recommended for experienced hikers only).
I list the routes below, but there are also routes that did not make my list (not really) and routes that can be driven to see golden larks.
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The western larch grows on the northern slopes at an elevation of 2,000-5,500 feet and is found from east of Cascade Peak (although it is sometimes found west of Cascade Peak) to the Idaho border.
The highest elevations are found in northeastern Washington and along the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains.
The western larch can grow up to 170 meters tall and has a triangular shape (long branches to a low, narrow crown).
The best place to see Western Fall Larks by car and on foot is along the Blewett Pass Highway between Cashmere, WA and Cle Elum, WA.
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The subalpine larch tree is much smaller than its cousin, the western larch, reaching a height of 70 meters.
It is found in high mountains from 5,800-7,500 feet from Wenatchee, WA north to Canada and east to northern Idaho and western Montana.
It is usually found in cold and snowy areas in winter and/or on rocks or mud
One of my favorite places to see subalpine larches is near the summit of Washington Pass along Highway 20.
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While you get the sun during the day which makes it warm, the morning is very cold and it gets cold quickly after sunset.
Fall weather in the mountains can change quickly so sometimes you can experience all of these weather conditions in one day!
Also, larch grows at an altitude of 3,000 feet or more, so you can expect the temperature on your trip to be much colder than the lower-lying town you may be used to. weather station.
As a general rule of thumb, the temperature drops about 5°F for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain.
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For example, let’s say you checked the daily temperature forecast for Leavenworth, WA, which is 1,171 feet above sea level, and it was supposed to be 60°F.
But the hike you do will take you to 5,000 feet – about a 4,000 foot difference.
You should expect temperatures on the hike to be in the low 40s ((60 – (4 x 5)), which is very cold!
The bottom line is that you should be prepared for colder and wetter conditions than summer and be prepared for the weather to change quickly and without warning.
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Because the weather for fall trips is often colder and more unpredictable than summer trips, you need to prepare differently for you and your dog.
In addition to what I pack when walking my dogs in the summer, I bring some things for the fall:
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