This was a week of brisk, foggy mornings, leaf strewn sidewalks, and warm, sunny afternoons. While I found few opportunities during the week to get outside and enjoy the lovely glorious fall weather, I did manage to fill my weekend with plenty of time outdoors. Headed to the Iron Goat trailhead Saturday morning for a early start to meet my book club group for our October hike, I witnessed one of the most magically misty mornings I’ve seen in years. Low clouds hung heavily over the mountains, and as I drove east, the sun began to pierce through, catching the orange and golden leaves lining the highway and making them glow. Knowing I had a little time to spare on my drive, I even took the opportunity to stop at a small fishermen’s access to the Skykomish River to soak in the misty morning and snap a few photos. By the time I’d reached the trailhead, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. If it weren’t for the distinctly autumnal colors lining the trail, it would’ve been easy to mistake the balmy day for July instead of late October.
Read moreLife: Week 39
For weeks, I’d hoped to spend the last weekend of September off on one last backpacking trip before a blanket of snow descended on the trails. Sadly, after an exhausting week for both Andy and me, those plans were canceled for a more restful weekend. Even if we weren’t going to spend the weekend camping in the mountains, I dreamed of a long hike near Mt Baker or Mt Rainier to soak in the autumnal wonderland that had been crowding my instagram feed all week. When Andy suggested a specific hike much closer to home on Sunday, I begrudgingly agreed. The trail we wound up on is close enough to home that we were able to sleep in and still make it to the trailhead at a decent hour, and I spent the short drive grumpy and feeling like I was missing out on a real adventure. After only a few minutes on the trail - which we had to ourselves! - I couldn’t help feeling a peaceful joy. Thoughts of grander trails disappeared as we climbed through the quiet maple forest. Social media makes it temptingly easy to chase the adventures of others, but this hike was a great reminder of the peace that can be found in the mountains when you venture off to a trail less traveled.
Read moreLife: Week 37
The calendar my still say it’s summer, but it’s definitely looking (and feeling) a lot more like fall lately! The leaves are just beginning to turn, mushrooms are popping up all over, and happiest of all rain has returned. Over the course of the week, it rained more often than not, and after another hot, dry summer, I’m happy for the change. We started the week off with one last day at my parents cabin, spending a leisurely morning enjoying the peace before packing up to head home. Once we got home, it was another short but very busy work week (it’s going to be tough going back to a full 5 days!). After sleeping in Saturday morning, I made my way to Evans Creek Preserve to see if hints of fall were beginning to creep in. I went armed with a warm hat, mittens, and a new fall playlist to listen to while I walked. Much to my surprise, I still saw many signs of summer around the preserve, including a few lingering lupine blooms! In a few places though, fall was definitely making its presence known.
Read moreA Weekend in Paradise
For many years, Rainier has been a bit of a tease, tempting me from afar with her beauty on the rare crisp cloudless days of fall and winter then hiding behind a dense veil of cloud in the summer when I make the drive down to hike on her shoulder. This summer Lady Rainier broke the spell, and for two glorious days spent camping and hiking with the most wonderful group of Alpine Trails Book Club ladies for our Weekend in Paradise I basked in the mountain’s glory.
Read moreSmith Rock State Park
Pausing under a towering old juniper, I watched as birds floated along the slow moving Crooked River. A breeze rippled through the tall grass around me, and I found myself wishing I had the time to spend hours in this peaceful spot, perhaps with a picnic blanket and a good book. Not exactly the rugged athletic experience nearly everyone else in this small park is here for, but Andy and I had found our own little haven. After hearing about Smith Rock State Park from multiple friends, I'd been itching to visit, and staying only an hour away in Sunriver for a family vacation, I finally had the perfect opportunity. I'd had a cold since the day before we left home for a our week-long vacation, so we decided to avoid the popular Misery Ridge trail and instead opted for an easier loop hike along the river. As we watching the crowds across the river snaking up the Misery Ridge trail, for a while we were the only hikers on our stretch of trail.
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