Neverending supply of up

I've made it through hike number four, and it's only the first weekend in Feb! I'm pretty excited, but in truth, I'm just worried I won't get the opportunities later in the year, so I'm squishing in as many trips as possible. Today I hiked Tiger Mountain, up Chirico Trail, a 4 mile round trip with a 1700ft elevation change. There was a lot of up.

My friend Jessie and her dog Annie made the trip with me. The only downside was an asthma issue from my allergies. I didn't have my inhaler, since this is usually not a problem til the spring. I guess the warm patch we are having might have made some spores shoot off or something. I solved this with benadryl I keep in my pack, but it meant after I returned from the hike I more or less passed out for hours. Still, it was better to be able to breathe.

The hike give some of the most beautiful views of the mountains and the cities on this 55 degree sunny day. My photos don't do the real view justice, but they are good for the memories.

Mount Rainier in the sun!

Jessie and Annie.

I couldn't get tired of this mountain.

Mount Baker to the north.

I'm on top of the world!

Squak and Cougar Mtns, with the Olympics in the far back.

Lake Sammamish.

You could not pay me enough to jump off of the paragliding ramp.

Even though, I have to admit it looks like fun.

Such a good trip. I'll definitely do this hike again, though maybe I'll try the meandering way next time. 1700ft in 1.8 miles was a lot of up. With this hike and my other three of the new year, I've hiked 21 miles and 4100+ft. Pretty cool for a lady with a bum hip!

I'll need to update this blog on other aspects of my life besides hiking, but not tonight. It's dinner time now, then maybe time to catch up on Hulu and work on thesis.

Cougar Mountain with the family

I got to go hiking with my family on Saturday, which was hike number three for me. I was really excited to go with my parents, and I had a great time, though the hike was a little too long and a little too steep. Hopefully my folks will trust me enough to go hiking a second time, even though my guidebook pushed us a little too hard the first time! We hiked somewhere I hadn't been before at Cougar Mountain, and were able to see some really pretty scenes. Wesley loved his first hiking experience, too!

Wesley loved drinking from streams.

Mom and Dad with Wes at the viewpoint.

Can you tell he loved being outside?

Second hike in January

I'm sticking to my goal, with 2 of my 24 hikes out of the way. The few people who read this blog are probably bored, because I put these pictures up on my Facebook account already, but I like having the blog to act as a journal. This hike was to Fragrance Lake, outside Bellingham. It was just shy of 5 miles, and I did it with my friend Alisha in the pouring rain. One of the prettiest hikes I've been on, but I couldn't take photos of some of the best sites, since my camera did not like the cold and the rain. Still, I got some good ones before it decided to rest for the day.

It was enchantingly beautiful.

The last hike reminded me of Narnia- this felt more like the Lord of the Rings.

This hike was worth the soaked clothes.

View of the San Juan Islands on a windy, foggy day. Coming back this summer to see it on a clear day will be a must.

One of the few photos I have of the lake before my camera shut down. It was small and serene, and the trail goes all the way around the lake, with some beautiful rock formations along the way. This has to be one of my favorite hikes so far!

First Hike of 2012

I took a snowy 7 mile hike with my friend Jessie at Cougar Mountain. It was a great way to start the new year, and one of the prettiest experiences I've had. Here are some highlights:

Stream by the meadow.

The waterfall in winter.

The whole thing looked like Narnia.

From one of the viewpoints.

A pretty and peaceful start to my New Year's Resolution.

Olympic National Forest

View from Hurricane Ridge.

My baby deer friend!

Hiking up to Lake Angeles.

Tired from hiking straight up for 3 hours.

The view was worth the climb.

Another shot.

I got all artsy again.

Little stream on the way down.

Cool tree that had been stripped of bark in some places.

Our tent site. Basically you can't have anything out because it attracts animals, so that is why it looks so austere.

Wallace Falls Camping Pics

Wallace Falls is a state park in Gold Bar, Wa. It has some pretty beautiful views, and I'd recommend people check it out. Overnight camping is $20, so that's what I did at the end of July :)

Our site!

Siting the rocks with feet in the water when I took this pic.

Beautiful.

I was glad to get the chance to to do an overnight with my friends Renee and Alisha. This summer has been the epitome of "grab any free second" and take advantage of it. I will be heading back to Wallace Falls at some point soon, it is just too pretty not to visit often. More camping photos to come, as I did two days in the Olympic National Forest in early August.

I Heart Hiking

Spring break is the best! Not only have I gotten to ride my horse every day for the last three days, I got to go hiking today with my friend Jessie from school. We hiked about six miles at Cougar Mountain, an easy hike just out of Seattle. There was maybe a 800-900 ft elevation gain, so there were some parts where we were huffing and puffing, but mainly it was a great time on a pretty day! We're going to try to explore more in April.

Coal Creek Falls- We ate lunch at the base of the falls.

Lots of streams all through the hike.

We wandered off the beaten path for a little bit, found some pretty surprises.

Happy because I'm outside in the sun on a Wednesday!

Jessie is excited to hit the trails.

Such a good time! No I'm going to clean up, work on my garden for a bit, do a little research, then head out for drinks with a friend and to pick up the Kombucha mother! Have I mentioned I love spring break?