Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest I feel most alive surrounded by trees and breathing in the fresh mountain air.
When I am not working you will most likely find me spending time outdoors, volunteering with my church and exploring this beautiful planet with my family.
This is my place to share my passion for life and to encourage you to take time to find the extraordinary in your life.
All tagged Hiking
We always like to get in one last hike to Snow Lake before the inevitable mud, slush and then snow arrive. We were fortunate to have planned it just right as we headed out on the last dry Saturday in October. This October has been the wettest EVER recorded in the history of Seattle. For awhile, we thought we might tie with 1947, but in the end we shattered the previous rain fall record and then went on to set a new one. One of my favorite parts of Fall is the usual Indian Summer in September followed by cool, crisp days in October. This year there was not a lot of that. Instead, it was wet, wet, and wet.
Each year in honor of Asher's birthday, we spend a long weekend in to the North Cascades. It is hard to put into words what a special place this has become for our little family, but the first word which comes to mind is refuge. Aside from the jaw dropping views and overall detachment from the outside world, it has become a place where we can remember and yet continue to make lasting memories together as a family.
Saturdays could easily turn into just another day in the week. We could spend our time cleaning, doing projects around the house and running errands, but instead Saturdays have become our day to invest in our most important priority-our family. On a typical Saturday, we try to leave the house early and head for the mountains. Depending on a variety of factors; the weather, our energy levels etc. we set out on a hike for the day. On this particular day, we hiked a total of nine miles. We hiked to a beautiful alpine lake called Melakwa. On our way up, while Jasper took a nap, I took time to document just a few of the wildflowers we saw. Once he was awake, amidst cascading waterfalls and scenic vistas we practiced his animal sounds.
Cutthroat Lake is a relatively easy hike located in the North Cascades with a beautiful lake as your end point. We ventured out early in the morning and as our reward we had the trail and then lake to ourselves. The North Cascades is one of my favorite places to hike because there are so many different hikes, the trails never seem to be overrun like they sometimes are along the I-90 corridor.
Mt. Rainier is a place of unparalleled beauty, majesty and inspiration. You cannot help but feel small as you hike around the mountain, cross over riverbeds and try to keep count of how many different varieties of wildflowers you see. Mt. Rainier is a place for the senses. Hiking around Paradise at Mt. Rainier is always a highlight of my Summer.
There are some hikes which are so breathtakingly beautiful they beg to be done over and over again. Even though Snow Lake has been called a "hiker's highway", I still love everything about this trail. From the wildflowers which dot the landscape to the snow covered peaks. I still get a thrill every time I reach the overlook and look down toward the lake. I love being able to witness the lake's beauty through all four seasons.
Granite Mountain is one of our favorite Summer hikes for its sweeping views, glorious wildflowers and challenging terrain. Granite Mountain is 8.6 miles roundtrip with 3800 feet elevation gain putting you at around 5600 feet at the top. I realized taking a hike like this while 25 weeks pregnant might seem like a crazy idea to some of you. The fact is, staying in shape particularly while being pregnant is very important to me. I know I am lugging a lot of extra weight up the mountain, but it makes reaching the top feel even more triumphant. We decided to take this hike on a ninety degree day and even though we started out early in the morning the heat started to feel really oppressive on the way up. Once you pass the first two miles the trail is fairly exposed the rest of the way up.
Typically after we have spent a couple of days camping on the beach we head straight to Port Angeles for lunch. After lunch we take the short scenic drive up to Hurricane Ridge for wildflower viewing and wildlife spotting. We can usually count on at minimum seeing several deer, maybe a bear and sometimes a marmot or two. We are always saddened when we see a large crowd of people surrounding an animal and worst yet when they try to feed them a Cheeto or two.
When I was a teenager I enjoyed constantly being surrounded by my friends. As I have gotten older I have discovered the wonderful regenerative feeling which comes from spending quality time alone. Whether it be a hike, a run or shopping I have come to appreciate and understand the benefits of investing in quality time with myself. This time alone allows me the ability to think, reflect and most importantly learn to be comfortable in my own skin.
With Summer in full swing I have been itching to get out and go hiking on a more regular basis. As our schedule has settled down and my baby bump continues to grow larger, we plan to spend the majority of the next several months in Seattle. For those of you who are itching to do a little Summer hiking here are a few of my all time favorite places to go hiking:
