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Spruce Railroad Trail: Lake Crescent
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK, WA: This morning, as dawn began to unfold along the Spruce Railroad Trail at Lake Crescent, I found myself enveloped in an atmosphere of serene anticipation. The air was crisp, with low fog draping the hills like a soft blanket. Each step I took felt like a gentle awakening, a reminder of…
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Dash Point Trail
DASH POINT STATE PARK, FEDERAL WAY, WA: This morning, I found myself at Dash Point State Park, sticking to urban trails as floods continue to impact much of Western Washington. It was just before sunrise, and the woods were quiet during the rush of the holidays. The air was cool with the smell of damp…
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Point Defiance Park
POINT DEFIANCE PARK, TACOMA, WA: My early morning drive to Point Defiance Park felt familiar in the dark, and full of promise. I rolled down the window and let the crisp air fill my lungs, waiting on the kind of clear sunrise that comes rarely enough here this time of year. Each step along the…
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Bellevue Botanical Garden
WILBURTON, BELLEVUE, WA: This morning, as steady rain fell in the Pacific Northwest, Ronin and I set off on an urban adventure through the Bellevue Botanical Garden, a green refuge in the middle of the city. The soft patter of raindrops accompanied our footsteps, blending with a hint of nature awakening under a thick blanket…
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Twin Falls Trail
OLALLIE STATE PARK, NORTH BEND, WA: Today, I ventured to the Twin Falls Trail near 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…
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Colchuck Lake
THE ENCHANTMENTS, ALPINE LAKES WILDERNESS, WA: This morning, as I moved through the stillness of the early morning, just before dawn, with my headlamp illuminating the path ahead, I was filled with a deep sense of gratitude. The crisp air carried hints of winter, and the anticipation of my hike to Colchuck Lake in Leavenworth’s…
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“One Square Inch of Silence”
HOH RAINFOREST, OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK, WA: Before the sun began to rise, I set out on yet another adventure into the heart of nature, a ritual that nourishes my body, mind, and soul. Driving through the coastal darkness, the road felt like a blank canvas, inviting me to reflect on the gratitude I carry for…
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Packwood Lake Trail
GOAT ROCKS WILDERNESS, WA: As dawn was about to break, I found solace in the quiet of my early morning drive. The roads provided a blank canvas for gratitude and today’s trail-thought. This morning, my heart embraced the cheesy romantic comedies that offer a break from reality, even if only for a couple hours. Romcoms…
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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, alive and bright. I…
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Lake Angeles Trail
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK, PORT ANGELES, WA: As I journeyed toward the trailhead on Hurricane Ridge Road, the world outside my car was still dark, slowly giving way to the first hints of day, with shades of autumn along each side of the road. The drive through Olympic National Park felt like another pilgrimage, each winding…