I’ve seen multiple ads for these cozy tiny cabins with a raw pine interior and a large bedside window into nature. I was intrigued and had to try the Getaway cabins. Chi and I also haven’t spent much time seeing Mount St. Helens or Mount Adams before so it would be a good little getaway. 

Saturday, June 26, 2021

We drove 3 hours towards Mount Adams to a unique cave I previously learned about. Ape Cave was a ¾-mile in-and-out hike underground. I made reservations but it was still a busy popular place. 

The cave instantly dropped temperatures to 42°F / 6°C. It was refreshing since the west coast was experiencing an extreme heatwave. We hiked the lower cave which was relatively flat and in complete darkness. It was mostly open and easy to explore until the end, where it got narrow quickly. 

From there, we continued driving to Glenwood where our cabin was located. The cabin was beautiful and definitely to my aesthetic taste. I was so relieved to find air conditioning. There were also thoughtful touches such as under-bed storage and wall hooks. We loved it and were inspired to build a trailer like this one day.

I made Fajitas for dinner and then we wandered the cabin grounds a bit after the sun went down. 

Sunday, June 27, 2021

We started our morning with smoked salmon omelets in our cabin. We headed to a hike, Sleeping Beauty to see Mount Adams. This 2.4-mile hike was rated moderate with a 1,351 ft incline. Man, it was tougher than I expected because the 1.2-mile in was a steep uphill climb. Luckily, it was all shaded and not ridiculously hot yet. With many breaks, we made it to the peak and it was worth it. 

You could see 360 mountain views with four well-known snow-capped peaks —Mount St Helens, Mount Rainer, Mount Hood, and Mount Adams. It was incredible and unlike any other hike, I’ve done. 

We headed to Trout Lake Creek Campground for a picnic lunch before hitting  Guler Ice Caves. I wasn’t sure what to expect here but it wasn’t much of a hike compared to Ape Cave. It was colder and icier with visible icicles and snow. It wasn’t much of a hike but still neat to explore and escape the heat. 

We returned to our cabin for the rest of the day as temperatures outside were reaching 40°C. We both took naps and I was feeling a headache from the heat earlier. Another nap help and Chi made a curry rice dinner. 

Monday, June 28, 2021

It was a record-breaking heat day. We checked out of the cabin and started our drive back to Seattle. But first, I planned to cool off at a popular waterfall, Lewis River Falls. Many people swim in the river and we ended up at lower falls. The water was icy cold to bare but it was cooling to splash around and sit next to it.

We rested and had our lunch. It didn’t feel too hot at all until we left the riverside and headed back to Seattle. At one point, our car told us it was 48°C outside and we definitely felt the heat at our restroom stop.

The surrounding forest and Mount Adams were new and different to explore. It wasn’t overly packed likely given its distance from Seattle. The modern getaway cabins were inspiring but I don’t think I’d venture so far for them again. Overall, it was a nice weekend jaunt away from the city… oh and so thankful for the AC.