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Sourdough Gap
I have stopped being surprised by how often I go looking for one thing and come back with another. It happens on trails, and it happens off them. This one started before sunrise, driving toward Chinook Pass with the cold blue sky gathering light behind the mountains, the warm colors yet to arrive, and it…
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Myrtle Falls, Skyline
I still lay everything out the night before a hike, then pack a little more than I know I will need. Old habit. The drive to Paradise started in the dark, headlights reaching only as far as the next bend, a familiar playlist keeping me company the way it always does. Somewhere on that winding…
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Kelly Butte Trail
We don’t always notice the things that shape us. Sometimes it takes a shift to bring them into view. I had time to think about that on my early morning drive, in the dark hours before sunrise, with a familiar playlist keeping me company the way it always does. A song I’ve heard a thousand…
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Crystal Peak
MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, WA: Some questions arrive loudly. Others just sit quietly and wait. Long before daylight reached Crystal Peak, I travelled familiar roads, through Buckley and Enumclaw, beneath the night sky gently softening into day. Gratitude found me on the drive, the way it usually does. This time it wasn’t tied to something…
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Rampart Ridge
MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, WA: Dawn was just coloring the horizon pink and gold as I set out for Rampart Ridge, a ritual that fills me with anticipation and gratitude. Just prior, the world was still in darkness, a familiar comfort on my drive that encouraged reflection on gratitude. With each mile, I pondered a…
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Snoquera Falls
MOUNT BAKER-SNOQUALMIE NATIONAL FOREST, WA: Driving toward Snoquera Falls in the early morning darkness, the world outside felt still and serene. Each mile brought a renewed sense of gratitude, especially when I learned that the bridge between Buckley and Enumclaw had reopened, clearing a path without obstacles, making this journey feel a little more special.…
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Skyline to Glacier Vista
MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, PARADISE: In the darkness of my early morning drive to Mount Rainier, anticipation kept me wide awake. The sun was still a couple of hours from reaching Paradise, but the morning already felt like something. Each breath of the crisp morning air filled me with gratitude, setting the tone for a…
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Crystal Lakes Trail
MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL FOREST, WA: Reaching the Crystal Lakes Trailhead, still enveloped in darkness, I felt a mix of excitement and nerves about the adventure that awaited me. The crisp winter air filled my lungs, a reminder that this journey would be a physical challenge, but also provide a space for me to reflect on…
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Burroughs Mountain Trail
SUNRISE, MT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK: The sun was just beginning to rise, warming the sky with autumn color, as I set out thinking about the rituals and traditions that tell our story. As I climbed the Burroughs Mountain Trail, each step drew me closer to Mount Rainier and filled my heart with wonder. Breathing in…
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Glacier Basin Trail
MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, WA: The early morning air was crisp as I drove toward the Glacier Basin Trail on the eastern side of Mount Rainier, anticipation flowing within me like the river that would accompany me on my hike. With each bend in the road, I reflected on the gratitude I felt for the…