Hiking around Mount Rainier
In the Summer, there is one Saturday I look forward to more than all the others- it is the day we go hiking around Mount Rainier. Typically, we visit Paradise in August when the wildflowers are in full force and our chance of having a clear day is at its greatest. So far this ultra scientific method for picking what day to visit has worked out. Over the past several years we have enjoyed a spectacular day on the mountain.
This year, Jasper was keen on stacking rocks, throwing rocks and waving to all the other hikers. When we stopped for lunch, he practiced walking with the hiking poles and otherwise charmed the pants off of everyone he met. I always feel a great sense of pride as we watch my little man develop a love for nature. While we were hiking we came across this family who was celebrating their grandmother's 80th birthday with a day of hiking around Mount Rainier. Oh how I hope Jasper's love and interest in hiking can be a life long endeavor he can enjoy with his own family one day.
The majesty of God's creations surround us when we hike. I completely understand how people prefer to go hiking instead of attend church. Enjoying what God has created is indeed a form of worship in my book.
Being a photographer gives me a certain perspective on the world, being a visual storyteller gives me another and being a mother has heightened my senses even more. I notice every plane flying overhead, every bird flying by, and which kind of rocks are good for throwing or stacking. Jasper has a laser focus on whatever task he is doing and I try to emulate that sense of purpose in the time I spend with him.
Lunch with a million dollar view! For those of you who do not like to hike or who think you are not a hiker, let this photo represent what you are missing out on. The beauty of hiking is this: you can go at your own pace and see as much or as little as you like. I have seen people with physical impairments, elderly people and very young children hiking around. Once you take your first hike, you will crave more. There is peace to be found in the mountains, there is time and space to think, be and just enjoy.
