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Dry Creek Trail
OLYMPIC NATIONAL FOREST, HOODSPORT, WA: Today, I set off for the Olympic National Forest, eager to tackle the Dry Creek Trail near Hoodsport, WA. The drive was mostly in darkness, my headlights cutting through the early morning haze, as I anticipated the sunrise behind the mountains surrounding Lake Cushman. I made the most of my…
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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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Lena Lake Trail
OLYMPIC NATIONAL FOREST, WA: Fueled by confidence from my last waypoint, I felt optimistic about my search for a new trail. The Olympic National Forest resonates with my spirit. I rise early, embarking on a serene two-hour drive to the Lower Lena Lake Trailhead, located off HWY 101 on N Hamma Hamma Rd (NF-25). It…
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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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Ford Canyon
WHITE TANK MOUNTAINS, AZ: This waypoint takes a delightful turn from the lush Pacific Northwest to a sunny Southwest desert near Surprise, Arizona, the home of my in-laws. During this brief visit, I was thrilled to seize the opportunity for an early morning hike just minutes away in the beautiful White Tank Mountains. The park’s…
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Crestline, Greenline
CAPITAL STATE FOREST, WA: It’s Easter and a nice cool day for a morning hike. Up and out early, I arrive at the Capitol State Forest by 6:30, and on the Crestline, Greenline trail before seven. At just under six miles with a modest 833 ft elevation gain, my hike was filled with all kinds…
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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…
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Licorice Fern Trail
COUGAR MOUNTAIN REGIONAL WILDLAND PARK, WA: was a perfect day for a hike! I must admit, I was preparing for a wet and rainy day, which I was ready to embrace, but I was delighted by the cool, overcast weather that accompanied me throughout my journey. An early riser, I arrived at the Licorice Fern…
Musings 