"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." - L. M. Montgomery
The air is crisp,
The colors are vibrant just before the inevitable fade to grey
The drinks get warm and the blankets get cozy.
I love fall
Glacier: for the first time in forever
Living near Glacier NP is such a gift. This park is one of my favorite as far as craggy mountains that shoot up into the wide sky and deep pure lakes that spread around the bases.
The very rugged I find to be the most beautiful.
I love our National Parks, however, this little gem is one of my all time favorites. And it's in my back yard.
The amount of time that's passed since I was purposefully out in some real nature blows me away. Life get's busy and you move to a different state and have to change health insurances as and get the new job figured out and find the good grocery store and get caught up in the busy day-to-day tasks.
When my Annual Park pass showed up in the mail, within an hour I was driving to the park with two visiting girlfriends in tow. We didn't go on any aggressive adventures, we just walked along the lake, sat in the sun, had a picnic, talked to some chipmunks, and soaked up the quiet and peace.
I won't be waiting so long to get back out there. This place is my home now, and I'm going to get the dirt under my fingers, the wind in my hair, and the crips mountain air in my lungs more often.
Bring on the fall adventures.
Be Bold
As a 27 year old woman who spends a great deal of my free time in the outdoors, I am fully aware of the many campaigns pushing women to be bold and confident outdoor women. (Have you ever scrolled through the outdoorsy tags of instagram?)
I call myself a feminist.
I agree that we should be able to walk down a street safely and in peace regardless of our attire.
I agree that we should be paid the same wage if we are doing the same job as men.
I agree that there is still a long ways to go to have equal representation for all the sub-groups in America, not just women.
I appreciate the efforts of those with the vision and energy to champion these causes.
But I realized...
Sometimes I don't want to be bold. Sometimes I'd rather just be quiet. Every second of my outdoor experience does not need to be about proving that "I can do it too" or trying to get validation from others because I'm so daring.
Yes settling for nothing less than equality is valiant, however I still need to be allowed to be uniquely a woman in the outdoors and process my experiences thus. I cry when the sun hits an alpine lake just so. Not out of sadness or grief, but from the overwhelm of the natural beauty that I love so acutely. I'm still a tender and emotional creature and must experience the outdoors my own way. Yes my experience looks different from a man's, however it is no less valid. It is simply and uniquely my own perspective.
Women should be supporting other women's experiences, not creating a template of being a badass tough gal as though that were the standard we need.
What I really want is to hike quietly and touch the flowers and climb the rocks and count the stars and smell the wood crackle in the fire.
First Kayaking of the Year
Oy was I itching to get out on the water! The winter up here has been extra long and extra cold!
The first promise of a medeochre day had me strapping my Oru Kayak together and shoving off into some chilly waters with my music and my snacks.
The day started off POURING rain as I drove out to Rattlesnake Lake, but as I parked and started putting my kayak together the sun popped out and I was actually sweating from the sun's warmth for the first time in...basically a hundred years.
MMmmmmm I felt extatic and giddy, pushing my wee vessel out onto the glossy green waters.
One.
Two.
Three.
I wiggled my way off the ramp until...
Woosh!
*sigh of exhilarating relief*
Out into the expanse I paddled as fast as my very unconditioned arms would take me!
As I circumnavigated the lake I stopped every so often to rest, check out the underwater stumps of the trees of yore, chat with an old man walking his dog on a trail...
feel the wind ripple the water and move me along with it....
soak up the weak rays from a tentative sun
breathe in the fresh fresh oxygen in this green and growing place
eyeball some aggressive dark clouds over East.
As is natural...I reached the farthest point from where I put in just as the wind ripped across the lake quickly frothing white caps and pushing me into places I did not want to be....like the center of the lake. Unconditioned arms be hanged, I power paddled as fast as I could manage. My first thought was "oh this will just pass over real fast" as Washington spring storms are apt to do. However that hope was dashed when there was a deafening BOOM and the bottom of the sky fell out...all over me. The panic rose in the back of my throat as my spent arms struggled to make progress cutting though the rough waters and the boat ramp disappeared behind a veil, nay, drapes of rain.
I took a moment and rested next to a giant stob sticking out of the water and started chuckling, then full on belly laughing.
This is how it goes for me.
I have a grand plan of an epically photogenic Instagram worthy outdoor experience and feeling fulfilled with my outdoor prowess. Instead I am a soggy, weak, and frightened novice kayaker who dropped her sandwich in the lake.
Keep it real my friends.
I'm never going to be one of those girls who has perfect Insta shots and get's a million followers and and sponsored by top outdoor brands. Kudos to those ladies.
But for us normal humans, I'm going to share a little more reality and hopefully encouragement for you all. We don't have to be amazingly skilled before we go out there to experience the outdoors and we don't have to look cool while we're doing it.
OUT THERE is where we grow the skills!
So here's to all you folk like me, just getting out there, learning, trying, exploring, being refreshed by nature and building confidence in our abilities and sometimes...
getting our butt's handed to us, but having a good story after :)
Mount Si
8 miles doesn't seem like much...until you did it straight up and straight down.
My soul was in need of the woods. In need of the peace of dripping green trees, sword ferns rustling around my ankles, and some muddy/rocky trails.
Washington Trails Association is a fantastic website that lists all the trails in Washington based on location, difficulty, elevation, length, and season. Super helpful for me, a newbie to the area!
My friend Marika and I chose to climb Mt. Si before we worked that afternoon. Up at the crack of dawn to get on the trail at a decent time, we met in Falls City and head out on I-90.
Following the website's directions, we made it to the trail head from Falls City with out a hitch!
Let me throw a note in here.
Having the right gear can make all the difference. Layers for cold, the right jacket to keep you dry, boots that protect your ankles...having what you need is key. Just like when on a trail run in Arizona, I need to be packing water to stay hydrated, and always extra in case of emergency. Well now I'm in the snow and the type of gear is different. It's another end of the elements spectrum. Starting in the rain and summiting in 3 feet of snow is definitely something to be planned for. I have no intention of being one of those news stories of a foolish hiker who made no allowances for things going wrong and died.
So for my winter hike that also had to include lunch...I packed accordingly
Hiking Must Haves for Winter
- Water proof boots - Mine are Keen brand because I have wide feet and those boots are shaped like a duck. Perfection. They are the boots I trekked around a soggy UK last January in and my feets stayed dry and warm!
- Moisture wicking base layers - You're going to sweat, but that moisture will give you chills on the downhill or flat parts or in the wind if it remains. So we want it to wick away. I use merino wool base layers from smartwool and Icebreaker. They keep me warm on the move but don't over heat me to the point of crazy sweats
- Pack dry layers. - At the bottom of the hill I only wore my merino shirt with a ghost lite rain jacket. As the elevation increased and the temperature dropped, I needed more layers, so added my nano jacket. I also had a fleece that I never put on but had just in case.
- Plenty of water - Yes it's winter and rain and snow is everywhere. That doesn't mean you don't need to be drinking just like you would in Arizona summer. Being dehydrated in winter is just as severe as being dehydrated in summer.
- Food - Even on short hikes, you may need a boost of energy. Also plan for the worst...if you slip, fall, get sick, something unplanned...you want to have some snacks to keep your energy up and keep you warm in a bad situation. I packed trail mix, my jet boil with instant soup (and extra water), and some clementines.
- A good attitude. - Nothing is more miserable than being unprepared and miserable because of it...so plan ahead, get your supplies together, be prepared so you will have a good experience, and stay positive even when it pours rain.
About the time we hit snow, we were half way up and added our extra layers and had a snack. Made sure we had our boots laced tight, our clothes were dry under our rain gear, and we could stay warm in the lowering temperatures. It is important to make assessments as you go to evaluate whether you should continue or not.
Don't push beyond what you can do...just get to the edge. The edge is where you wake up sore the next day and you know you did work. The edge is not complete exhaustion, it is the good feeling of being tuckered.
4 miles away from the parking lot isn't the time to realize you're out of energy and need to stop. Pay attention to your body.
I was excited to be in snow for the first time this winter! Yes I was cold, but if I kept moving I was good.
I also enjoyed practicing with my Go Pro. I'm not terribly good at it yet but I'm getting slightly better! All the photos in this post are taken with my GoPro Hero 4.
The day was great, I scrambled up to the tipy top in blowing snow and shared hot apple cider with some other folk who had climbed up the other side. We chatted, shared snacks, and talked about gear. It was amazing. Very glad I went and excited to do more!!
#optoutside
Thanks REI for the campaign to spend Black Friday not shopping and shoving for $1 socks and a new coffee maker.
As a newbie minimalist, I didn't want to join the commercialism the day has come to be filled with...but let's face it...sometimes I'm shallow and want to buy things or just lay around the house in yoga pants.
Just keeping it real y'all!
Thankfully I'd gone to REI a few weeks back to pick up a HydroFlask True Pint and I saw the #optoutside sticker.
I was intrigued because I had an open spot on my 16 oz HydroFlask for a new sticker. Yes I'm so deep and yes I own a lot of HydroFlask sizes.
Don't judge me.
The cashier let me know that REI stores were going to be closed on Black Friday to encourage people to spend the day outside being active instead jostling outside Walmart.
Boom!
New sticker and a bandwagon I can jump on to get me out of the house after Thanksgiving!
If you look up the hashtag on Instagram you'll see a plethora of folks doing outdoor activities and enjoying nature. After a whole day dedicated to being thankful...somehow it just seems right to step away from the normal Black Friday madness.
None of this is to put down those who took advantage of great sales! Way to be frugal! This post is to encourage all of us to take a step back (preferably outside) and get active and explore nature, the most beautiful free experience we have on this planet!
Selfie of my Uncle Jim and I as we spent the morning and early afternoon biking around Lake Washington. Such a sunny gloriously crisp day!
Hometown Tourist
One of the best ways to get out of the house and try new things without much fuss or expense is to be a tourist in your own town. You may think since you've been there a long time there is nothing fascinating or interesting there. It's all old news. WRONG! Look on Trip Advisor or just google you town or area and all sorts of things will pop up!
Since I live on the boarder of the Umpqua National Forest, there are waterfalls and hiking trails galore! Some I'd totally forgotten about until this winter when my bro and I decided to change from road running to trail running as we prep for the upcoming fire season. {we are both wildland firefighters}
On the only sunny day in the forecast for a long time {good old PNW} my bro and my sweet-sister-in-law were planning a family hike with the baby. Of course I invited myself along. It's like they meant for me to crash the party. That's how I roll.
Up the North Umpqua Highway we toodled, enjoying the last rays of sun for awhile.
Check out these awesome lava tunnels!
We have this thing about trees. We love them. They clean our air for free...breathe deep man.
Waterfalls. I never get tired of them. How is water falling off rocks unspeakably wonderful?
And then there is always the random photo shoot with my bro.
And then he steels the camera.
I've been learning how great it is to know more about where I live. It's one thing to live there. Having actual knowledge and experience about what is around is a whole other ball game. I encourage you to see what makes your area cool, unique, quirky, relaxing, up-beat, tasty...etc. Go get 'em!