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Twin Falls Trail
OLALLIE STATE PARK, NORTH BEND, WA: Today, I ventured to North Bend, WA, the crisp air invigorating my spirit as I parked my car at the trailhead just before sunrise. The deep blue sky promised a beautiful clear day and I felt a familiar thrill coursing through me. Today’s hike would be a gentle journey,…
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Falls Creek Falls
GIFFORD PINCHOT NATIONAL FOREST, WA: As I turned off Wind River Highway, about 20 miles north of the Washington-Oregon border, I headed down a forest road towards Falls Creek Falls—the rain tapping a steady rhythm on my windshield. With every mile, the lush green scenery transformed into a watercolor masterpiece, vibrant and alive. I parked…
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Skyline Loop, Paradise
MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, WA: Today marks a poignant milestone, a year since our beloved Kelly took her last breath. It’s a heart-rending moment, a delicate balance of sorrow and renewal, a reflection of the 7.3 million breaths I’ve taken since, without her. Each breath feels heavy yet transformative, a reminder of the love we…
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Lewis River Falls Trail
GIFFORD PINCHOT NATIONAL FOREST, WA: This waypoint excursion began the day before my hike, as I journeyed to Southwest Washington, where I found a comforting place to rest for the night, positioning myself only a couple of hours from the trailhead of the Lewis River Falls. With a little time on my hands, I ventured…
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Carter and Madcap Falls
MT. RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, LONGMIRE, WA: As the first hints of dawn began to paint the sky, I found myself behind the wheel, embarking on my cherished ritual of early morning drives to a trailhead. With much of the Pacific Northwest still tucked away in bed, the quiet hum of my car accompanied me through…
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Lake Twenty-Two
MOUNT PILCHUCK STATE PARK, GANITE FALLS, WA: An early start finds me out the door by 4am, eagerly heading to Mount Pilchuck to hike the Lake Twenty-Two Trail. This beautiful destination, a couple of hours north, opens up an opportunity to stop by my mother’s—today is a special day, her birthday. As I embark on…
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Wallace Falls and Lake Loop
MT. BAKER-SNOQUALMIE NATIONAL FOREST, WA: It’s Memorial Weekend, one that I don’t recognize. The house is quiet, the cooler sits empty, and the grill stands there, waiting to be broken in for the season. In this stillness, I sit in my thoughts, resisting to what nowadays is commonly called a “new norm.” I’m not a…
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Palisades #1198
MT. BAKER-SNOQUALMIE NATIONAL FOREST, WA: It was an early Sunday morning, a day that held a special kind of weight—it was Mother’s Day. As I set out on my journey, my heart was heavy with thoughts of our children, who are navigating the rocky terrain of what this day may mean for them now and…
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Lovers Lane and Sol Duc Falls
OLYMPIC NATIONAL FOREST, WA: Returning home this week, I looked forward to getting back out on a beautiful Pacific Northwest trail, which was a delightful contrast to my recent desert adventure in Arizona, just as beautiful in its own rugged way. Lovers Lane & Sol Duc Nature Trail in the Olympic National Forest seemed like…
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Upper Big Creek
OLYMPIC NATIONAL FOREST, WA: What reason would someone have to rise at 5am on a Sunday morning if not to embrace the beauty of a gorgeous Pacific Northwest sunrise? This week, I had the motivation to travel to the peninsula for a hike in the breathtaking Olympic National Forest, and I was eager to arrive…
Musings 