Ira Spring Trail/Bandera Mountain

Ira Spring Trail/Bandera Mountain-Snoqualmie Pass/North Bend

After a Sunday spent at Oyster Dome, I needed a little bit of a breather from the gaggles of people and was craving a summit. I was considering Granite Mountain, but after reading trip reports and weather, it seemed that there may be a little bit more snow on top then I wanted to deal with. I have been dying to check out the Ira Spring Trail since I got the hiking bug.  Ira Spring was such an advocate for the wilderness, it seemed fitting to check out this trail on such a sunny day in February. There is a lot of parking, and was about 20 cars in the parking lot when we arrived. It was a little heartbreaking to see all the trash piled on a rock at the trailhead. I really wish people would follow the saying, "leave no trace."  I was pretty stoked that the trail was so wide and pretty easy until you get to the Mason Lake/Bandera Mountain fork.  

As you begin your ascent to the summit, you will get a full body work out. The trail is a basically scrambling and climbing over boulders and rocks. You do get a little break before the summit, when you walk through a covered forest. After you get out of the forest again you have about 500-800 feet of boulder fields to the summit. It was well worth it. Seeing Rainier and other mountains, was pretty AMAZING.  This was a great hike for someone who is trying to challenge themselves and get more comfortable with scrambling and hikes. Can't wait to come back to the area and do Mount Defiance.

Until the next adventure.

Man's Best Friend, Summit, and Rainier, LIFE IS GOOD.

Oyster Dome-Cascades

Oyster Dome Sunday

Decided to head up to Oyster Dome on Sunday after reading a few trip reviews on Washington Trail Association. Arrived at the trailhead around 11:30, it was EXTREMELY busy and you had to park your car quite a ways down. It never ceases to amaze me how busy the Cascades are on the weekends. The trail was packed and full of people, and got quite annoying at some points. I wish some hikers would remember proper etiquette by letting hikers who are headed up the trail. 

You are in trees for the majority of the hike, but about a third of the way up you get a nice view point where you can stop and take a break. There are also a few forks in the trail, so make sure that you pay attention to the map at the trailhead. A few people ended up the wrong way and complained about it at the lookout. Basically, you just need to keep left. 

Oyster Dome View Point

Be careful at the lookout, I watched a girl trying to take yoga pose pictures trip over a bag of chips really close to the edge. People do fall off overlooks all the time, so please use caution. View is breathtaking, and the San Juans seem to go on forever. This hike would be great for a week day if you want to beat the crowds.

Until the next adventure.

Hurricane Hill (Olympics-North #72)

Hurricane Hill

Was looking for a nice easy hike to enjoy a sunny Friday. When I woke up that day, it was not looking too promising and my friends and I decided to chase after the sun. We ended up heading to the Olympics in the Northern part of the state.  This was a great choice and it was my first time in this part of the Olympics.

The road to the trail was blocked, so we had to walk about a mile to the trail, it wasn't that bad. There was snow is some areas, but nothing that couldn't be easily handled. The hike is pretty easy and enjoyable for all ages. We saw about 6 other people. It's a very nice hike because of the breathtaking view of the Olympics throughout the entire hike. 

Very nice to get to enjoy some snow, since it has been a Spring-like Winter in Western Washington.

The trail is paved, and loops at the end. No one had taken the trail to the very top, so our group ventured to the top. There was quite a bit of cloud coverage, but it was pretty awesome to see Canada from the top.

This hike would be great for kids and anyone who may be a little limited. It's BEAUTIFUL.

Until the next adventure.

Amazing Views

Mount Ellinor #812 (Olympics)

Summit View

I was so stoked to do this hike, and a little nervous. I knew that this hike was going to test my ability, especially after my trip to Mount Townsend the previous week. Plus it was a gorgeous day and it was summer-like conditions. This hike is not something I would take children on, it is step and the getting up to the summit can be a little scary.  There was absolutely no snow until you got to the summit, and I was a little scared, but managed to push through and get to the top.

It's amazing how that fear goes away when you stand at the top and take in the beauty that is around you. The mountains seem to go on forever, and the views of Mt. Rainier,  Mt. Adams, and Mt. St Helens are pretty awesome. The Brother,  Mt. Constance, and Mt. Washington aren't too shabby either. Coming down seemed to be a lot easier than I expected, probably because of the high that takes over because of what you just did. Nothing can take away that feeling.

Summit View

Hike after you get out of the trees is full of huge boulders and rocks that you have to take your time on. As you get closer to the summit you get to continue the journey on gravel steps. It's exhausting, but it's well worth the view at the top.  As the summit approaches, you get to trek through some snow to the rocky top. 

It probably is not a great idea to take small children, and you should probably be prepared, because it gets very cold at the top. I saw quite a few children cry and not want to continue after a certain point. There were also a lot of unprepared hikers who were freezing at the top in jeans and tank tops.  All and All, it was a great day.

Until the next adventure.

Smiles for days after the summit!

Wallace Falls-Central Cascades

Sunday's  are my favorite day of the week.  But I do believe I have become a little bit of a snob as of late for my hikes. We arrived at Wallace Falls around 12:30pm and the parking lot was full. We had to park down the road and walk up (I hate this). Hands down, the number one reason I love the Olympics.  They never seem to be as crowded.  The trail was packed with hikers of all ages and dogs, but after you get to the main spot for the falls view, you lose a lot of people. We made sure to enjoy every ounce of Vitamin D and enjoy some snacks, after all it is February and the weather was in the 60s. After our break, we trekked up to the upper falls. It was pretty awesome, but next time I would like to discover the trail beyond the Falls. If you are looking for a kid friendly hike, you should check out Wallace Falls, but not during the week if you don't want to  deal with the crowds.

Until the next adventure.

Got to hike with my Idaho Girls. Just the icing on the cake :)

Sabatical

Mount Townsend 2/10/2015

Mount Townsend 6,260ft.

Decided to head up to Mt Townsend on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, we got a late start so we planned on having to use our headlamps and hoped that some of the cloud coverage would lift at the summit. Although, you gain a little over 3,000 feet, but I never felt like it was too tough or strenuous. There was too much beauty surrounding me to even care if the hike was challenging.  I was in pure awe of the water streaming off the rocks and the beautiful view of the trees and mountains.

As I got to the top, everything that I thought mattered just went away. And as I got to the top and the mountains began to peer out of the clouds, I realized that nothing was forever and this moment was the only thing that mattered. I had been lost for so many years, I may have been lost until this very moment. I have not been hiking for long, but it is something that I always wanted to do. Now I am doing it and I could not imagine my life without my adventures.  There are so many fears and faults that I have leave behind in these moments.  

This may sound dumb to some people but I could never feel alone in these moments. The feeling that I get when I am in these moments is something I never want to lose. I love every moment and the way it makes me feel.

Life without limits.

Case of the Mondays

"We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone."

Life has been an emotional roller coaster the past few months. Leaving a company that I hated, a break up, cleansing myself of toxic people, and a new found independence have a way of doing that to you.  In the madness,  I have found the piece of me that I did not know existed anymore. The piece of me that is hungry for something more  in life.  I could never imagine working 50 hours a week in an office again, it crippled me.  Life is not about working for the weekend, it's about seeing the beauty that is around you and taking in every moment.  Sure there are days that I do not want to get out of my bed  and would rather lay around, but sometimes you just got to force yourself up and grab the day by the balls.

I had a bad case of the Mondays,  and wanted to lay in my bed all day because of the rain and grey weather.  But I had a few friends call off work and knew that it was time to go enjoy the Pacific Northwest.  I had never been to Snoqualmie Falls in Fall City. It's only a 45 minute drive from Tacoma, and a quick easy jaunt to the lookout and around the area. 

The Falls are breathtaking and the power of the falls is impressive.  There were a ton of tourist running around, but not many ventured off  the viewing platform. From the platform you can feel the mist of the falls. There is also a cute little bar called the Attic within walking distance.

Monday was pretty rad.

Choices

"Time decides who you meet in your life, 

your heart decides who you want in your life, 

and your behavior decides who stays in your life."

The past few weeks have been a really nice time for me to reflect on the past six months and all the things that have happened. I ran into a friend a few weeks ago and he said something that made me think. He told me that the blog really needed to stop, it was too much emotion. At first, this really bothered me. But this really made me start thinking about choices. It's your choice to read this, so don't read it if you get fired up or do not like what I say. I really do not care.

There are so many people that I have met in my life.  It's funny in hindsight who you thought would still be around and who you thought wouldn't be around. True friends are the ones who stick by you, you have fights with them, and you work through them. But it is your choice and their choice to make the effort.

I realized that when I got into relationships, I would often push aside my choices in life because it was easier to be a people pleaser.  Rocking the boat and standing for something seemed so hard for me. I have finally come to the conclusion that my past relationship was needed so I could find myself.  Losing myself in a relationship was something I could do so easily, not being a priority or something important was okay. Putting another person's needs and wants ahead of mine was something I did without a thought. My dreams began to fade away, and the other person's dreams and wants became mine.  Do not get me wrong, I believe in compromise, but not giving up what you want.  YOU HAVE TO BE A PRIORITY TO THE PERSON YOU LOVE, because it is not okay to be put on the back burner.

YOU HAVE CHOICES.

You have the choice to set expectations for who you will and will not spend your time with.  People freak out about this word, "Expectations," but you are allowed to have these. It is not okay for people to treat you unfair, and it is your choice to whether or not you will allow this treatment. Personally, I am sick of being a doormat and letting people into my heart who do not desire me. Somewhere between my last heartbreak and the independence, I feel like I am more in control. Now, I can show myself that I am not someone's option, but I deserve more than that.