The month was May, and the year was 2008. I don’t recall exactly what I was doing, but I vaguely remember I was outside my moms house as it was a beautifully sunny day. My mom had been gone for the majority of the morning singing at a wedding, and when I saw her car pull into the driveway I smiled and waved as I normally would, having no idea what was about to come next.

My mom opened her car door, and nestled above her forearm was a tiny black kitten with ears twice the size of his head. I was confused as to who this tiny kitty belonged to, and the moment my mom said she brought this small bat like fur ball home for me I immediately panicked. I was not prepared for another cat (we already had one at the time), and I can’t believe that for a brief moment in time I did not want this small black cat that would later become my best friend.

Thank goodness my intrusive thoughts didn’t win.

Although I was taken aback by this new arrival, I quickly got over my initial anxiety of another cat and welcomed him to the family. He immediately fit in, and was an absolute menace from day one. I couldn’t have asked for a better cat. Fast forward many years, many ailments, and many memories later – my sweet, spunky, spicy kitty has officially made it to the age of sixteen.

We assume he was around 8 weeks when he came home with my mom in May of 2008 (he was one of many kittens roaming the property at the wedding she was singing at), meaning he was likely born sometime in March of 2008. Last year we decided we would celebrate his birthday in April to meet somewhere in the middle. This year we celebrated again, and will continue to do so for as long as he decides to bless me with his presence. I adore cats, I live for cats, but I never saw myself as someone who would regularly celebrate a cats birthday.

But now, I can never look back.

We chose the first Sunday in April to celebrate, and I bought cupcakes and coffee for my family. For Little I bought fish flakes and a party collar, while Duncan bought him a new whale toy and a catnip filled log thing. Truthfully nothing compares to the cigar Duncan bought him last year, but these are a close second.

We decided before sitting down to eat and sing HBD we would take Little on a birthday drive.

After we drove around it was time to put on the party collar and indulge in some tasty treats. My local cupcake shop does an amazing GF cupcake (the same place I get the brownies from in my previous post), and let’s be real – any excuse for a cupcake is a good excuse. I can blame this on my cat all day long, but really I just needed a cupcake.

I’ve thankfully been back on track with Little and his diet to ensure he is no longer getting constipated (if you’re confused by this comment, see my last post), so I plopped a can of his wet food onto a plate and smothered it with fish flakes before sticking a candle in the top. I sent a photo of this cat “cake” to one of my friends and she said at first glance she thought it was apple pie.

I’m sure he wishes it was.

I can’t help but laugh looking at these photos, I am fully aware of how ridiculous I am in wanting to celebrate a cat. However, after the last few years of ups and downs we have had – every single day I have with him is a blessing. I will continue to celebrate his added years as if they were collectable figurines worth hundreds of dollars with zero shame.

Some people have human children, and some people have cat children. I’ll let you guess which person I am.

Happy sweet sixteen my Little, I am so thankful you were brought to me all those years ago with your tiny head and big ears. You are my best pal, and I love you more than all the cupcakes in the world.

Q: Have you ever had a birthday celebration for a pet? Would you?

Duncan and I first met in October of 2020. We met at my current workplace, and he was assigned to train me for a few hours – something he obviously hated doing. I’ll never forget the way he rushed through customer transactions in a way that offered me little to no knowledge on how to perform the tasks I needed to learn (this is how I prefer dealing with the public as well.) It wasn’t that he was bad at his job, he just couldn’t be bothered to train the new gal, and quite frankly I don’t blame him for that.

What he did offer was amazing banter from the start, and I immediately felt comfortable with him.

We quickly became friends and for three months at work we would chat when we had the chance, until one day at the end of January 2021 he invited me on a hike with two other guys. The four of us spent about two additional months going on weekly hikes and I lived for these adventures. I was freshly back in the area, had very few friends, and was mourning the loss of my “previous life.”

I was elated to have found a group of pals to go on adventures with so quickly after moving back. Not to mention I already had a ridiculously pathetic school girl crush on Duncan.

Then, one week in March our hiking group wasn’t able to go for a hike – so Duncan and I went alone. From there we hungout a handful of times just the two of us, banter at an all time high, having a good time learning more about each other. After a few weeks of this I knew enough was enough, and we had to have a chat. I could tell something was brewing, so I told him how I felt with no intention of dating him (despite having a crush, I was not at all in the market for a boyfriend, but I learned many years ago to always tell people how I felt.)

Alas, it seemed Duncan had a different idea.

He suggested we try dating, just for a bit to see how it goes. Before I could digest what was happening I said yes. What started as more of a summer fling between two people who were not looking for a relationship, has turned into three years of partnership with someone I love very dearly. While we never know what the future holds, I’m thankful we took that leap three years ago to see what might happen. Duncan has since obtained a much better job where he has been the last two years, but I’ll never let him live down that day of training.

We decided to celebrate three years together by visiting Leavenworth, where we spent our first weekend away together in 2021.

We both took a Thursday and Friday off work and left Thursday morning. It’s about a 3.5 hour drive on a weekday from where I live, and we left with enough time to stop by the grocery store in town before heading to our first of two hikes for the weekend. We hiked this same trail when we visited in 2021, and this is the perfect time of year to see the yellow flowers pop.

The Icicle Ridge Trail is about a 5 minute drive from downtown Leavenworth, making this one of the most convenient hikes in the area if you want to stay downtown.

After this hike we checked into the LOGE, aka the REI of hotels where we stayed last time. What I like about this hotel is that they offer both communal and private bathroom rooms. If I were staying there solo I would opt for the communal bathrooms because it saves about $50 a night. Duncan prefers a private bathroom and I don’t dare tell the working man no.

This isn’t sponsored by the LOGE, but it should be.

I love staying in downtown Leavenworth because I can park my car and not worry about using it again unless I am going out of town. Our second day in the area we did in fact go out of town, and this was the highlight of my year thus far. The bar was pretty low as my year hasn’t been overly exciting, but we drove about 20 minutes out of Leavenworth to the town of Cashmere for one of the most beautiful hikes I have done in a while.

This area of Washington has thick green hills for miles, and often reminded me of another country. From Ireland, to Germany, to Romania – I was enamored by these views. I cannot wait to return and sit amongst these hills. We opted for the Spring Canyon Loop Trail, which was an amazing 8 miles of walking with just over 2000′ of elevation. I could not have asked for a better anniversary hike.

We spent our second evening binge watching Curb Your Enthusiasm on HBO and snacking on anything we could. Our third and final day was reserved for wandering downtown Leavenworth before we headed back home. I have been to Leavenworth a handful of times, but I have never walked into the shops. I wanted to spend the afternoon wandering, and that is exactly what we did.

We started our morning with an hour or so walk by the river which is right behind the hotel. Perfect location.

Then we each got a coffee, and I ended up buying some local fudge. From there we walked around most all of the stores before stopping for a sweet treat at The Gingerbread Factory. We walked in and the moment I saw gluten free gingerbread cupcakes I knew I had to buy one. Duncan got a chocolate croissant the size of a newborn foal and we people watched while we ate our baked goods.

I am thankful we went on this trip for a plethora of reasons, but mostly because it helped me to quell my separation anxiety with my cat. This was the first time I have left him for more than one night since May of last year (if you’re a regular round here you’ll know he has had some health struggles.) Deep down I knew he would be fine with my mom, but letting go of control over my child is H-A-R-D.

Duncan has been a huge support with my overwhelm and I’m glad he was able to get away for a weekend too.

Duncan and I were the most unexpected pairing. We have an age gap, we have different hobbies, and we were both happily single. Consistent communication and occasional compromises have brought us this far. Thankfully we both enjoy hiking, and this year he has the bug more than ever before. I look forward to many adventures together, it’s going to be a fun summer.

Q: How did you and your significant other meet? OR if you’re single, how would you WANT to meet your significant other? Also if you’re single, embrace that life – I am blessed to have a fellow introvert for a partner and we spend just as much time apart as we do together. Alone time is so underrated.

So, I ran another half marathon. These are words I never thought I would write again after my last half marathon in October of 2014. It has been just shy of ten years since my last half, so how and why did I find myself running another one after all this time, and why didn’t I run one sooner? Well, let me tell you.

My journey with running went from all in to all out over a few years, but ultimately what caused me to stop all together was the onset of an autoimmune disease diagnosis. I’ll spare you the drama of those details, but now that I am older and wiser I can confidently say this was a classic case of “too much.”

Too much running, too much caffeine, too many 3am wake ups, too much stress, too much sugar, so on and so on. My body was in a full blown storm and each run caused flare ups that I didn’t know how to manage at the time.

I took running off the table sometime in 2016 when I couldn’t find a good balance, and when I was starting to dread the idea of running. It took me a handful of years to realize a simple shift in my efforts would allow me to not only run again, but to run further distances. I started running again somewhat regularly in 2021, but instead of trying to be “faster” I exclusively tried to keep my heart rate below a certain number.

Higher heart rate for me = too big of a cortisol spike = a small flare up = anxiety = not fun.

I continued on this low HR, low milage running journey for a few years because I continued to tell myself there was no way I could possibly run another 13.1 without causing problems. Then 2024 hit, I was about to turn 35, I was stale, unable (or rather unwilling) to travel far because I have a geriatric cat whom I adore, so I did what any sane person would do when they need a change.

I signed up for a half marathon.

I was done telling myself “you can’t.” Running sometimes sucks, and it’s uncomfortable, and even a bit painful at times, but those side effects always pass (unless you have an injury which is another story.) What sticks around is the knowledge that we pushed ourselves to do something we didn’t think we could. A half marathon in the world of running isn’t the biggest feat, but for me it was something I didn’t think was going to be possible.

If I can take one thing away from this experience it would be that my brain is forever my worst enemy. I let my fears and anxieties often dictate what I do, but usually when I push myself outside of my comfort zone I come out on the other side mentally stronger for it. I didn’t run fast, but I ran, and I am proud of destroying the mental barrier of “I can’t.”

OK. Gushy stuff aside, let’s talk about the race!

I chose a half in the city of Yakima, about three hours from where I live. The stars aligned with this run because what gave me the final push to register was finding a hotel within a two minute walk of the starting line. Call me crazy, but half the stress of showing up to an organized run is trying to figure out where to park. With that obstacle out of the way all I had to do was put in the work for training.

I did a 12 week training program, the same program I used to run my very first half marathon, and aside from a few skipped cross training days I followed it to a tee. My training had its ups and downs, with a few moved around long runs, one epic meltdown with so many tears I could have flooded an ant village, and a lot of random foods consumed.

Fueling was the hardest part for me with this training, and for the race I brought one of my favorite foods to eat along the way.

I stuffed a bag of mashed potatoes into my running vest because I won’t eat those garbage filled running gels. However, I am terrible at fueling while running and I didn’t suck any down until mile 11. This also happened to be the hottest weekend we’ve had all year, and with terrible fueling and overheating I had a hard time focusing on the beauty of the trail around me after the first few miles.

Hooray for me and my heat sensitivity!

Miles 1-3 were a breeze, I was vibing to Taylor Swift and loving the views of the river. It was still early and the heat hadn’t crept up yet. Miles 4-6 I started to feel the heat and my pace slowed a bit, I definitely started the race too fast and was going to pay for it later, but I was still going strong. Mile 7 I caved and drank some Gatorade which helped for about 5 minutes. Miles 8-10 I was playing leap frog with a woman and telling myself to make it to the next rest stop for another Gatorade.

Miles 11-12.5 I was deep in the pain cave. My hips hurt, my back hurt, the heat was strong, and I was gassed.

Duncan came with me, and I texted him at mile 11 to let him know I was within 20 minutes of finishing. The final push from 12.5-the end was all mental. I felt like my legs were moving through molasses, and thank goodness for this song. I played it over and over and over and over just to keep my feet moving to the beat. Seriously though, what a BOP.

I told myself I never have to do this again, just keep going and the sooner you get to the end the sooner it’s over. I saw Duncan waiting for me about .3 miles from the end, and this gave me the final push I needed. I finished 13.2 miles (course was a bit off) in 2:23 with a pace of 10:52. I went into this run with ZERO goals, zero expectations, but in the depths of my mind I knew I wanted to maintain a pace under 11min miles.

I immediately took my shoes off, sat in the grass, and watched other runners finish their run for about ten minutes before walking the two minutes back to my hotel for a shower. My original plan was to walk around the area a bit before driving home, but the heat was so oppressive we decided to head home early. Sitting in a car for 3.5 hours after running a half marathon was arguably more difficult than the run.

Would not recommend.

It’s been a week and a half since this run, and it only took me 24 hours before I started looking for my next one. It’s amazing how quickly we forget the pain or discomforts of running and want to go through the mental push all over again. I know I want to do another half marathon, I just don’t know when. My summer is reserved for hiking as much as I can, and I don’t want any training to interfere with that.

The training for this was more difficult at this stage of my life than when I was in my 20’s. My diet is drastically different, my energy reserves are fewer, and I have to be mindful of every daily decision to ensure I can train successfully. By the final month of training I was more than ready to be done. It was just as much mentally draining as physically, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

My goals with running now are to focus on better form to help minimize hip/back pain (I have a lingering disc issue I am constantly nurturing), maintain running 3-5 miles with ease, and to keep experimenting with foods to find a good balance. If only I could just eat a bagel like every other runner. I’m stoked I pushed through this barrier, and I’m even more stoked that my 35 yr old brain could care less about being a slower runner.

Shoutout to Duncan for being the lone sheep on the hill waving to me at mile 1, and welcoming me in at mile 12.8. I’m thankful he was with me, and even more thankful he forced me to wear my hydration vest. I’d have been dead without the consistent water. Perished on the side of the valley.

Thanks for reading my journey. Take this as your sign to do whatever it is that you’ve been telling yourself you cannot do. I’m willing to bet your brain is just as much of a liar as mine is at times. This was my seventh half marathon, and it was likely more meaningful to me than my first. For so long I let Sjögren’s tell me what I could and could not do. Alas, Sjögren’s can suck it because it turns out I can still run 13.1 after all.

Q: What is something you’ve done recently that you’re proud of? Let’s celebrate together!

Somewhere, somehow, and someway I managed to forget that Duncan would have Memorial Day off from work. I always have Monday’s off, and lucky for me most of the major holidays fall on a Monday. When I realized Duncan also had a three day weekend, I decided to plan a very last minute overnight trip to Eastern Washington.

I got off of work on Friday, booked a hotel, and we left Saturday morning.

I’m finding it helpful to have getaways somewhat planned ahead of time. By that I mean I have a handful of hikes saved that require more than a 2.5 hour drive. Most all of my weekend getaways revolve around hiking, making it easier to choose where I want to go. For this overnight trip I chose to go see the White Bluffs. All it takes is for me to see one photo of a good hike (or in this case a walk) and I will plan an entire day/weekend around this location.

This is the third time in one month I have made the trek to Eastern Washington, and it proved to be the final straw for my lower back. The continual 3.5-4hr drives (one way) did a number on my muscles and this adventure was ever so slightly tainted by the discomfort. Alas, we still had a great time. The journey to the bluffs was an adventure unlike one I’ve had thus far in my life.

The winds off the Columbia River were stronger than I anticipated. Wind alone is not a big deal, but the sand blowing into the sides of my legs and face at what felt like 100 MPH were not only painful, but disorienting. We were also warned by fellow walkers that they had seen a rattlesnake, adding to the heightened awareness of our surroundings.

Despite the wind blowing tiny spherical daggers into my skin, this was an epic adventure. The dunes were much cooler than I expected, and the surrounding views were just what I was hoping for. We stayed on the dune just long enough for me to summon a Sandworm while looking for Paul Atreides, and for Duncan to rescue my hat after it blew off.

The walk back to the car turned into sporadic jogging and occasional pauses to wait for our vision to be cleared. The wind started to get even worse, and I was thankful to be almost done with the sideways sand. I didn’t find the Fremen, but I did leave with 2lbs of sand in my ears that took me days to clean out.

All in all this visit to the dunes was worth it. Even though I lost a hubcap along the way.

We spent the night in the town of Othello, which let me tell you is nothing to write home about. We had a cheap bed to sleep on and a bathroom to shower in (fully equipped with a cracked leaking toilet) and that’s really all I could ask for. After a full nights sleep I woke to find my car had not blown away in the wind, and we set off on our second adventure.

Next up was a 25 minute drive north to Blythe Lake. I typically read trail reviews like I’m studying for a test, but I somehow glazed over this one. Thankfully I had battery on my phone because this trail turned into a walk through wild, trail-less terrain that required me to follow the little blue dot multiple times on the AllTrails app.

This started simple enough, an old road led us up to a decent view as we continued to wrap around the nature preserve.

We continued to play “where’s the rattlesnake” throughout this walk, but truthfully I was more concerned with ticks. The shrubbery was sharp at times, and I couldn’t tell you how many spur like needle things I had attached to my socks after this. Spirits were high despite the rogue wandering, until we came to an opening providing a view of where we parked.

From here we had to make our own path, and as one AllTrails reviewer said the trail became “a crapshoot.” Truthfully this was kind of fun, but I was ready to be done after a couple hours had passed. With no clear trail to the bottom of a moderately steep drop off we decided to make our own. And by we I mean Duncan saw a path someone else had gone on after I can only assume they were fed up.

Am I glad we did this one? Yes. Would I do it again? Definitely not. The views were quite something though.

From here we made the trek back home, and despite the back pain I still carry two weeks later (the joys of aging?) this was a fun overnight away. The story doesn’t stop here though. Remember how I lost a hupcap? Back in 2012 my car lost a hubcap for the first time. Then in 2014 a secret santa brought me a new one. Shortly after this wonderful gift, I found a hubcap on the side of the road that looked to be similar to the ones on my car.

Naturally, I kept the hubcap just in case I needed one someday.

A decade later, this slightly cracked and discolored hubcap that has been living in my garage is having its moment. These hubcaps sell brand new for $55. That is insane to me. I’d rather drive around hubcap-less than spend that kind of money on something aesthetic. The amount of joy it brought me to use this once lost hubcap is indescribable.

She ain’t perfect, but it’s better than the before.

I’m not typically one for last minute trips, I need a tentative plan and I don’t like flying by the seat of my pants. This getaway was a small mix of both spontaneous and planned. I already have another hike trip up my sleeve should the last minute opportunity present itself. Or when I can wrangle Duncan for another two night getaway. Only time will tell which comes first.

Q: Do you prefer spontaneous adventures, or preplanned? I can do shorter trips with some spontaneity, but longer trips I need to plan.

If you don’t like cats, skip this post and come back next time.

It’s absolutely no secret around these parts that I am obsessed with cats. I am also obsessed with coffee, and when you pair the two together in one location I am over the moon with joy. Duncan and I found a cat cafe a couple years ago and while I enjoyed visiting, it was a bit sad to only have a few cats to socialize with. Seattle has some larger cafe’s with upwards of 20+ cats, but I have zero desire to go to the city these days.

A couple weeks ago my friend Laura and I were trying to decide on somewhere to meet between the two of us for a hangout. We chose to meet at Ziggy’s Cat Lounge because she loves cats and coffee just as much as I do. While I didn’t love that coffee was extra at this cafe (the last one I went to included coffee in admission price), I am happy to support a good cause and to play with cats.

The americano I ordered was delicious though, worth the $4.

First impression was great. I could see multiple cats from outside of the building, and the main lobby next to the cat room was large, welcoming, and full of black cat decor. After we ordered our drinks we went into the cat room where we had 45 minutes to socialize with the cats. There were 10-11 cats on this day, more than I could have imagined. All the cats were great, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t immediately choose favorites.

I’ll give you one guess as to which colored cats were my favorite…

Shocker – Pawl and Clawdia, the two resident black cats were my favorites. Pawl was like the dad who wandered around making sure everyone was where they should be, while Clawdia chased a red laser beam like a drug addict searching for drugs. The little grey and white one was equally playful, and my other favorite. Please don’t tell him I have forgotten his name.

Cassie is holding a small toy in her left paw. She carried this thing around like she gave birth to it herself, and at one point got it lodged under a giant cat wheel (think hamster wheel, but large and for cats.) I saw my opportunity to save her kin, and freed the toy from its dungeon. She didn’t give me so much as a thank you meow, but I know she immediately categorized me as the best human in all the land.

The above black and white kitty was a sweet one. That’s all I have to say about her. Although there was a grey and white 2yr old going on 16yr old curmudgeon who did not like this black and white sweetie. When the black and white babe climbed up onto the local cat tree, grey and white came out of his hole hissing the most non threatening breath of air I have ever heard.

I can’t say I blame him, living in a room with 10 other roaming felines has to take its toll.

Aside from that, everyone got along famously. The feeding and watering holes were frequented by multiple cats at a time without any fights breaking out. All but four cats were social and in the main lobby with us, the other four were in a staff only room. Because these four were also up for adoption we were allowed to take a peek and say hello to them.

Initially I was bummed we only had 45 minutes here whereas at the last cat cafe I went to we had a full hour. Then 40 minutes passed and I felt ready to leave. We said our goodbyes in the last five minutes and headed off to spend the rest of our day drinking more coffee and catching up on life.

But not before taking a photo with the epic mural.

And that my friends is Ziggy’s Cat Lounge. 10/10 would recommend. While I would love to adopt another cat someday, Little would claw my face off if I came home with another cat. Or maybe he would love having a companion, we will never know. I think he quite likes being the center of attention though, and I quite like keeping a hawk eye on his eating and bathroom habits without the confusion of another eater and pooper.

Somedays I think about volunteering at my local humane society, something I used to do in my early 20’s. Back then I volunteered as a dog walker, but truth be told it was a bit scary at times. After too many mornings where I was the only volunteer to show up I decided to stop doing this. They have a need for cat socializers as well, and this seems more my speed.

Until then, I will spend my dollars on donations and socialize my own little black spawn.

Q: This post is so niche, I know there aren’t many cat lovers who come by this blog, so I’ll ask this: Do you donate anywhere in particular that you are proud to support?

I have been in love with pairing coffee and a sweet treat together since I delved deeper into my love for a proper coffee tasting. Coffee started for me as just a way to get my body moving (in more ways than one), but turned into a social and almost spiritual experience for me. A warm cup of good coffee transports me to my happy place.

Sadly, I went without coffee for a period of time before finding the right balance of caffeine and the right blend of beans. Those were dark times.

When I moved to Germany, I worked in a coffee shop and discovered the German cultural tradition of Kaffee und Kuchen. Otherwise known as coffee and cake (I discovered Sweden also has a similar tradition called a ‘fika’ and at this rate I think most cultures have a time where they like to stop mid day for coffee and a sweet treat.) I am more than happy to oblige these cultural traditions I have picked up during my existence.

When my friend Caitlin told me her sister had somewhat of a lackluster birthday at the beginning of the month, I suggested we do what I would want to do for my birthday. Kaffee und Kuchen on a mountain. We ended up hiking to a lake, so we had coffee and cake at the lake. What a treat. Caitlin was in charge of bringing the stove/pot/coffee, while I was in charge of securing the cake.

I chose cupcakes because that was 10x easier than transferring a cake.

Duncan came with us on this adventure, and he opted out of a cupcake so I brought him a granola bar because I wanted him to participate in the candle lighting and birthday singing. I stuck a candle in his granola bar just as I did with our cupcakes. My cupcake was the bottom right of the above photo, a GF ube flavor. Would never be my first choice, but it was still quite delicious.

We hiked to Annette Lake in the Snoqualmie Pass region of Washington. This area is only about an hour and a half from us, and makes for an easy day hike. I have done this hike a few times, and truth be told it is far too popular for my liking. I think I prefer this one in the winter when the traffic is lessened. It was still a beautiful hike and always great to get outside.

This was my first time bringing a box of cupcakes on a hike, and thankfully my pack wasn’t uncomfortable. Caitlins sister knew we were going to make coffee at the lake, but she had no idea about the cupcakes. It was such a joy to see her face light up when I brought out cupcakes with lit candles in them and we started to sing to her. We all shared a good laugh at Duncan’s granola bar.

It took each of us all of 5 seconds to hoover our cupcakes, and despite how quick they were demolished they still tasted infinitely better than they would have at a lower elevation. It’s just science. The coffee was equally delicious, a medium roast with notes of oak, chocolate, and honey. I chose the blend because I am a picky lass when it comes to coffee.

After sipping and savoring we made our way back down to the car, and I am confident this was a successful birthday hike. Some people want to fly to Vegas for their birthday, and some people want to eat cake on a mountain. Both are valid, but I know which group I would rather spend time with. Any excuse for kaffee und kuchen is a good excuse.

I’d like to make coffee on hikes more of a thing this summer, but that means I’ll need to bring cake too. Oh no, twist my arm. Cookies also work, or scones, or donuts…

Q: Would you haul a box of cupcakes up a mountain to eat them at the top?

It’s been raining a lot this week – at the end of June and just days after the arrival of summer. The thing is, I’m not upset about it. My summer has started off on a lack luster foot this year, and while I plan to get out and hike as much as I can, I know this will be a low key summer all around for me. It’s bittersweet because I would love to hop on a plane and spend a month in Germany with my dear pal MaryBeth, something I have been itching to do for a while, but I know leaving my sweet fur child that long is not an option.

I have a six day trip planned in September and while I love having something international on my calendar (even if it’s just a road trip into Canada, anything outside of the US counts), I have some underlying anxiety about leaving my cat for that long. My only goal for this summer is to continue finding smaller day/weekend trips to keep my stale soul as mold free as possible. Sometimes life forces us to slow down, and that’s ok. Or so I keep telling myself.

A helpful tool for me when slowing down is a good book.

I recently got back into reading, and this has been a wonderful hobby to help pass time instead of lusting over traveling too far. I am amongst the millennial community who succumbed to one particular book series last year, and from there I took off running. I have read 36 books since January, and have had to change my reading goal three times. I will be changing it again as my current goal is 40 books this year.

I have become obsessed with Goodreads. Anyone wanna be friends on there?

For my birthday back in February, Duncan gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card and told me we would each get a copy of a book to read for a two person book club. I am usually exclusively a library girl (owning books gives me clutter anxiety), but I loved this idea. We chose Watership Down and while we have been slow to finish, it’s been fun to discuss with him as we go.

Speaking of Duncan, he has been quite the handyman around my moms house lately. He fixed a leaking tub spout in the bathroom a few months back, replaced a cracked toilet, takes care of the grass in the backyard for me, and helped bring home some gardening materials. We have one trough filled with broccoli and other similar vegetables, but I need one of my own for potatoes.

My main hesitation are the slugs. I do not mess with slugs, hence the copper tape in the below photos.

This post is like a scatter of word vomit because I feel like I am currently running on a hamster wheel. I am going through the motions to exist within a society that I don’t really enjoy existing in. I strive to play by my own rules, but there is only so much of that I can feasibly do. I don’t relate to most people I encounter, I prefer a simpler way of life, and spending all my time working for someone else until I die is not my path.

I’ve been seeking the best fit for me for a while now, but I suppose it becomes more complicated when you feel obligated to stay close to family.

When I do find the rare few people I click with I hold onto them tight. My friend Caitlin turned 30 this week and we went on a whale watching adventure to start the celebrations. Truth be told I am indifferent to whales and I am even more indifferent to spending four hours on a boat. This tour was two hours too long, but it was good to get out of town for a day. It was also a good metaphor for my current life.

Sometimes we want to be somewhere else, but we learn to make the best of where we are until we can change our situations.

I sound dramatic, but I would have done this all over again because it was special to my good friend. Sometimes it’s more about the people we are with than the destination/location. Caitlin is the real deal because she saved the day with a spare hat and sunglasses for me. What kind of putz doesn’t bring these two essentials whale watching?

As someone who is usually overly prepared I don’t know who I am anymore.

Each excursion I take on a water vessel confirms that I am hands down a mountain/forest lover vs. a beach/water lover. We saw one pair of humpback whales waving their fins, but I was more interested in the sea lions we passed living their lives on a buoy. I strive for that kind of carefree life.

I’ve spend the last decade of my life navigating the thoughts of whether or not I am missing something vital to succeeding in modern life. I don’t want kids, I don’t think I want to get married, I don’t want a traditional career, I have revolved my life around my aging cat, I prioritize flexible schedules, and I’m not waiting until I am 59.5 to start living freely (I’ve at least been maxing out my Roth IRA contributions since I was 23) – and yet these are all things I have chosen because they are what I want. Not what someone else wants for me.

However, sometimes it’s hard to not feel like I am failing to progress as a fully functioning human adult, but that’s my ego talking.

That’s my mini rant/vent session. I don’t have much else. I’m just out here doing my best to find pockets of excitement in my day to day life, and change what I can (because change and knowledge are where I feel revived.) I hope everyone’s summer is off to a good start, please share with me any upcoming plans you may have.

Q: Current book recommendations? I like science, psychology, romance/romcom, mind benders, and WWII books. I do not like horror, thriller, or extremely dense reads.

1. My last post started with a statement about the weather. It was drizzly and dreary throughout June, but I didn’t mind it. I must have jinxed the atmosphere because almost immediately the temperatures skyrocketed into the mid 90’s. For about three weeks we have had uncomfortable temps in Washington, but I finally caved and bought a portable AC unit.

Verdict is still out on if it’s helping the 1400sqft house.

2. Temps are hot, but Duncan and I managed our first bike ride of the summer together. I often reminisce about my life when I rode my bike everywhere for two years, but sadly where I live now is not conducive to this lifestyle. Thankfully I know a few areas where we can bike that are safe and end with beautiful views.

3. Remember after my half marathon when I said I wanted to maintain running 3-5 miles with ease? Yeahhhh, I stopped running all together and have switched my focus to hiking. I’ve realized I like changing my sport up depending on the season. I might run here and there, but my focus is now on incline walks to have an easier time on my hikes. I’ll probably pick up running regularly again in the late fall. Who knows.

Variety is the spice of life.

4. I am incapable of going into a store that sells plants without looking at the plants. I am at full capacity, and yet I will find a reason to buy another one. I’m like a child at the checkout begging for a candy bar. Just one more plant, please. Duncan and I went to Home Depot for a drill bit recently and I HAD to have this small plant.

5. I have been blessed with nice skin for the majority of my life, but this doesn’t mean I am immune to the occasional zit or blackhead. No matter how many times I tell myself to leave the problem area alone, I always end up picking or popping. No one around me is safe either, specifically Duncan. He too has nice skin, but when I see a bump ripe for the picking he knows he has to run.

I’m gross, and I am aware.

6. My mid July was jam packed. My dad came to visit for five days, and just after that I drove down to Portland to spend 24 hours with two old blog pals. Lily is a swimming machine and swam the Portland Bridge Swim – an 11 mile open water swim under 11 Portland Bridges. Megan was her kayaker, helping her to refuel and keep her safe.

I was the post race out of town accomplice along for the ride.

We’ve known each other since 2011/2012, and it is fun to think back on how many pals I have made through this blog. While they no longer blog, I am thankful to have kept in touch all these years. We shared a couple meals, went for a walk around the city, had a sleepover, and tromped through Forest Park before saying our goodbyes.

7. It’s nice to see friends and family, but admittedly after the above mentioned week of socializing I was mentally fried. I had a few days where I needed silence and a dark room. In reality I was PMSing during this time, Little had a minor health snafu (he is fine), and I was exhausted from the heat. My equilibrium has since been reset and I feel back to normal.

8. One recent morning I was out in my backyard looking at the plants and growing vegetables when I noticed the biggest slug crawling on the base of the planter containing zucchini. Thankfully Duncan was on his way over, because I have the biggest, most irrationally ridiculous fear of slugs. Little and I watched from afar making sure Duncan properly removed the slug from the premise (don’t touch it with hands, but don’t kill it.)

I’m still haunted by this moment.

9. There has been a lost cat poster on the mailboxes around my neighborhood for a couple weeks now. A chunky black girl kitty, and my heart breaks for her owners. She got out one day and never came home. I continue to send hopeful thoughts her way. I have been extra emotional over these types of things lately. Sad video on social media about a pet? Game over – I’ll be sobbing.

10. My friend Caitlin and I embarked on a hike at the beginning of the month we have been wanting to do for quite some time, however it did not go as planned. Within the Olympic National Forest lies a crashed B-17 that was once a search and rescue plane. This plane was rescuing 8 people during the winter months in 1952, but after heading back towards its home base the plane clipped a ridge in the Olympics and skidded into the forest killing 3 of the 8 passengers.

The remnants of this crash remain on the Tull Canyon Trail, bringing hikers from all around to view the wreckage. We had been wanting to find this plane for years, and we finally chose this trail as one of our summer hikes. What we did not do was thoroughly read the trail description, something I typically do obsessively. As it turns out the trail you start on turns into a network of other trails. We missed the trail we needed to be on and continued two miles farther than where we were supposed to turn. All that to say we did not find the plane this visit, but now we know where to go and will return.

I was mega bummed we were so close (we saw the turn off on the way down), but it was a lovely day nonetheless. Another 10 mile hike through the Olympics.

Q: What’s your confession?

I tend to change with the seasons both mentally and physically. My moods change, my activities change, and my habits change. I find that living in a state with four seasons allows me to appreciate the changes, and allows me to let go of what no longer serves me. When summer hits I know I will stay up later in the evening, feel naturally a bit more joyful from the extra vitamin D, and most importantly my hiking shoes get a lot more use.

I still hike year round when possible, but in the summer I can climb into the mountains that were once off limits because of snow. I appreciate the seasons forcing me to wait for these moments each year. In a world surrounded by instant gratification I enjoy the delay. Waiting for an adventure makes the journey that much sweeter.

When it comes to choosing a hike, I am one who reads trail reports like I am studying for a college exam. I need as much information as possible to feel prepared and to quell my anxiety. Once I find a trail that is up to snuff in my book I wrangle a willing participant and venture to the mountains. Lucky for me, last summer I befriended my coworker Caitlin and the rest has been history.

She is just as eager to hike as I am, which lets Duncan off the hook for weekly excursions.

Our first bigger summit of the season happened to coincide with the first 90 degree day of a very hot week. We left as early as possible to beat the heat, and overall we were successful. Caitlin, her sister Christina, Duncan, myself, and Caitlin’s sweet pup hiked to the top of Mount Townsend, a trail I have done a handful of times now.

This is a great hike to welcome the season, with spectacular views of the surrounding Olympic mountains.

The day was certainly hot, but when we are on mountain time there is no rush in getting to the top. Gone are the days I used to hike just to rush to the top. There was once a period of my life where I hiked solo a lot. I enjoyed this season of my life, but just like the seasons of weather – things change.

I enjoyed hiking alone and going at my own pace, but the reason I started doing it was because I couldn’t find any willing participants. Now that I am older and wiser (and far more anxious) I avoid hiking alone. I am thankful to have met both Caitlin and Duncan in the last few years, because now I never have to go alone.

While summer is likely my least favorite season, I take full advantage of the longer days. Summer months bring early starts to beat the crowds, and less fear of trying to beat the darkness of the setting sun. We only saw a handful of people on this hike, allowing us to find our own pocket of solace at the summit. We snacked, we savored, and then we sauntered our way back to the car.

Day hikes like this are the perfect summer excursion for me because I have something to look forward to on my weekends, but I am home in time to snuggle with my kitty in the evening. It’s taken me a while to appreciate the simpler things in life, but sometimes all it takes is a hike in my own backyard (metaphorically speaking of course) to bring me to life after a long week.

While I am ready for the high 80 / low 90 degree days to go away, I plan to use them to my advantage on some of these hikes. Insert alpine lake here. More on that in my next post. Who doesn’t love a good cold plunge after a grueling hike.

Q: What’s your favorite season? Hands down fall for me. I don’t care that it’s only August, I LOVE seeing all the fall themed items in the stores.

Just on the outskirts of my most beloved town of Leavenworth sits a bumpy, pot hole filled road that leads to one of the most popular hiking trails in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. I have lived in Washington for most of my life, aside from a couple temporary moves for jobs, and the hike to Colchuck Lake has been on my radar for many of those years.

The main deterrents for why I had not yet hiked to Colchuck Lake were: distance (three and a half hour drive to trail head from my house), road to trail head (no way my Toyota Camry would make it), and popularity (trails are popular for a reason, but I loathe huge crowds while hiking.) All that said, I knew I still wanted to hike this trail at least once in my life. Lucky for me my pal Caitlin has a car made for roads like this, and she matches my go getter attitude when it comes to hiking.

This meant we decided to leave at 4am on a Friday, and drive the three and a half hours to the trail head to beat the crowds.

We arrived around 0745 to find the parking lot full, but we only had to park a few spaces down on the road. Caitlin has done this trail before, and she told me parking on the road backs up multiple miles during the peak weekends in the summer. We arrived at a good time. Despite doing this hike at the tail end of July, I was shocked to discover how cold it was at this time of the morning.

The temps were in the mid 30’s and it took me close to an hour to fully warm up my fingers and my legs.

The first couple miles of this trail pass through wooded forests with tall trees and lush green plants. The trail is moderate for these miles and doesn’t begin to climb until you’re out of the trees. From there the lush green disappears, the trees get shorter, and the legs feel wobblier. We took our time getting to the lake, and we arrived around 1020. The downside of arriving this early was that the lighting was terrible.

The upside was that there were minimal people at the lake and we were able to find our own pocket to sit.

We snacked and savored the view for about 20 minutes, all the while I was gathering the courage to get into the water. The hike warmed me up, but it was still slightly cooler than I would have liked in order to dive head first into the water. In all reality, I never dive head first – I walk out and take far too long to commit to the cold because I am a wimp. Alas, I always submerge myself eventually.

After sitting on a rock contemplating when I wanted to shock my body I finally decided to pull the trigger. If the sun is shining, and the temps are above 70 I will without a doubt get into the water. I try to collect alpine lake swims like 1999 Pokémon cards. Gotta catch em’ all.

Caitlin eventually joined me in the water, and we played mermaids for quite some time. I found it difficult to get out of the water once I was in. There are few things more invigorating than a cold alpine lake surrounded by mountains. I finally dragged my soaked skin out of the water to dry in the sun, and I was thankful I had my jacket once again.

I needed my jacket for another couple miles after we left the lake despite a comfortable 70 degree wind and sunshine.

Colchuck Lake was just as beautiful as I expected, but I think I enjoyed the second half of our hike more than this lake. The trailhead for Colchuck begins at the trailhead for Lake Stuart, another lake within the forested area. The trail comes to a fork about 2 miles in, and this is where most people go to the left and head towards Colchuck.

We decided that we were going to hike to both Colchuck and to Lake Stuart since we were already in the area.

The additional hike to Lake Stuart only added another 4 or so miles, and while overall this was doable, once the heat kicked in and the bugs started to party next to our faces the slog became tough. The main trail to Lake Stuart isn’t anything to write home about, but just under a mile or so into this portion of the trail the forested surroundings open up to one of the most unbelievable meadows I have ever seen. I am still dreaming about these views.

The trail is barely visible amongst the brush, but this added to the fully immersed sensations of being in the meadow. If it weren’t for the incessant buzzing of bugs trying to feast on my flesh I could have stood here for hours. We trudged on another mile and some change before seeing Lake Stuart in all his glory. Not quite as in your face as Colchuck, but beautiful nonetheless.

I appreciate a modest lake.

Lake Stuart was quiet and we only saw one patch of campers in this location, allowing us our own pocket of nature. We sat here just long enough for me to eat 3/4 of an apple before making our way back through the meadow, and back to the car. We arrived back to the car around 1545, making this an 8 hour excursion covering 13.1 miles. The most beautiful half marathon I have walked in years.

You can see the official trail details if you click here. Just know AllTrails is notorious for being off on milage.

Just when I thought the hike couldn’t get any better, we encountered a chipmunk at the tail end of the hike with cheeks stuffed to the brim. I am still laughing at the sight of his swollen cheeks, but I was too focused on him begging for more food to snap a photo. This will be one of the mental snapshots that will forever live within my memories.

We ended our adventure with a walk through the town of Leavenworth for a cup of coffee and a scoop of ice cream from Whistlepunk Ice Cream Co. I had been wanting to try this ice cream since Duncan and I were in Leavenworth back in April. I didn’t get any then because I had already eaten a cupcake the size of my face, and while it goes against my intrusive thoughts I do in fact have self control over my sweets intake.

The ice cream was worth the wait, and you may tell me it’s boring to get vanilla flavored ice cream, but I will tell you the best way to test ice cream is by getting the basic flavor. That and I just like vanilla. Too many bells and whistles in my ice cream and I’ll feel 10x worse than ice cream already makes me feel. This pit stop was the perfect ending to an epic adventure. We started the drive back home around 1730, and I arrived back to my fur child just after 2100. A full day, a full belly, and a full spirit.

Q: What is your go to ice cream flavor? Vanilla for me these days, but back in my heyday I was known to go for cookie dough, anything with peanut butter and chocolate chunks, or cookies and cream.

This summer has been the season of the lakes for me. My activity of choice changes with the seasons, and summer is reserved for hiking as many places as possible. While I prefer hiking in the fall, summer hiking means I am far more likely to submerge myself in a body of water. I have managed a few more lake hikes since I last posted, one of which I swam in.

All of these hikes I have done before (and blogged about!) so I will share the link to the previous adventures because I like looking back in time.

First up I ventured to the Olympics for a tromp up to Lake Angeles. I did not swim in this lake because it was under 65 and I was a wimp. We did see one swimmer, and I commend him for his bravery. Caitlin, Duncan, and I had a lovely time on this adventure. We saw a multitude of frogs, very few other humans, and had coffee and ice cream after we finished. I was wild and chose a honey lavender flavor, but it did not sit well. This is why I stick to vanilla.

Hike Highlight: spending time giggling with my two favorite people. Read about my last venture to Lake Angeles here. (I was much more philosophical in that post. lol.)

Next up was a trek to my favorite alpine lake within the Alpine Lake Wilderness. I used to embark on this trail solo after a long week working at Starbucks, and it holds a very close spot in my heart. I wrangled up three of my coworkers (including Caitlin because duh) and we headed to Melakwa Lake on a Friday morning.

I almost didn’t make it out the door however, because look at what I had to say goodbye to…

I warned my other two coworkers who had not been hiking much that this trail was relatively steep, but they were up for the challenge. Despite the fact that I had done this trail many times, I had not been since they reconstructed the parking. I was thrown off by this and ended up taking us on the adjacent trail adding another 2 miles to our day.

While this made for a longer hike overall, I was jazzed we made this detour because I had never ventured down this other trail. This 2 mile out and back leads to Franklin Falls, and I can’t believe I never took the time to make this detour on my last few visits to Melakwa Lake.

We managed around 12 miles total this day, and while one of my pals was in a good bit of discomfort after, she is still up for another adventure. We spent just enough time at the lake for three of us to swim, snack, and SAVOR the surrounding beauty! No ice cream after this hike, how sad for me.

Hike Highlight: swimming in my favorite alpine lake. Read about my last trek to Melakwa Lake here.

Next up was a stroll to Snow Lake, one of the most popular trails in the Alpine Lake Wilderness. I was quickly reminded why I do not hike this trail on a weekend, alas I wanted my Monday – Friday working boyfriend to go with us on this hike. I also saw a woman hiking up with a cat in a mesh backpack, so I guess it was worth it.

We started early making the hike up pleasant because we didn’t see many people. We secured the perfect spot on a rock by the lake to drool over the view before heading back to the car. This hike is more of a moderate one, which is partially why it’s so popular. Caitlin, her pup Poncho, Duncan, and I ventured off for this stroll on a Sunday. Never again.

This was another chilly day so we did not swim in this lake either, which is a bit of a bummer. Last summer Caitlin and I hiked to Snow Lake, and continued on further to Gem Lake where we did swim. I have yet to swim in Snow Lake, so next year it will be a must. Coming back down after we enjoyed our snacks was a nightmare. There were more people than a big city train station and I was loosing my mind. No more popular weekend hikes for me, sorry Duncan. Also no ice cream after this. I am deprived.

Hike Highlight: cat in a backpack. Read about my first stroll to Snow Lake here. So young, and my photo quality was so, so bad.

Lastly a quick honorable mention. My mom spent a week in Glacier with one of her girlfriends last month, which meant I got to stay home with my sister. For those of you who don’t know, my older sister has autism. My mom and I tag team taking care of her, and while she will never be fully independent she is relatively high functioning.

She loves going on adventures, and was keen on the idea of going for a hike with me and Duncan.

We took her to a moderate trial, and while I dressed her myself I was shocked to discover just minutes before arriving at the trail head that she had changed out of her Nike shoes and into her Converse shoes. I refused to turn back, so we hoped for the best. Turns out she was more eager than both of us to get to the top (perhaps because Duncan told her she could have a Beanie Baby from our bin in the garage after), and her shoes worked fine.

Hike Highlight: watching her trail blaze like a pro.

Q: Do you prefer savory or sweet after a long physical endeavor?

I try to visit Mount Rainier as least once a year, typically towards the end of the summer or the beginning of the fall. This year due to increased traffic, Rainier required a timed entry for the peak weeks of the summer. I had zero desire to get a timed ticket, and I knew if I wanted to visit I would have to arrive before 0700 when a ticket was not required.

A perk of living in the same state I suppose, more flexibility.

In order to arrive by 0700, my gal pal Caitlin and I left at 0345 on Sept 2, which happened to be the last day of needing a timed entry. It also happened to be Labor Day, and we were hoping the end of the holiday weekend meant fewer people. Thankfully we were right, and overall we did not encounter too many other humans. We didn’t encounter too many non humans either.

We started our hike around 0630, and the dark sky gave the mountain a beautiful blue hue.

We chose to do a trail we had both done before, but I had not done this hike since 2015. The Burroughs Mountain Trail was my very first hike at Mount Rainier, and how fitting that in 2015 I did it on a holiday as well. This time we did the looped trail which took us along the opposite side we came up providing different views I hadn’t seen before.

The hike up starts moderate, but begins to climb as you head towards Second Burroughs. A lot of people choose to stop here because the view is stunning no matter how far you go. We sat here just long enough to refuel our stomachs and enjoy the view, but our plan was to continue on towards Third Burroughs. If you have enough gas in the tank when doing this trail, continuing on is a must.

We encountered a few other hikers, one of which we played leap frog with to Second Burroughs, but overall it was a quiet hike. This is one of the many perks of starting before the sun is fully awake. We made it to Third Burroughs and momentarily had the entire area to ourselves. The climb up is a bit steeper than the climb to Second Burroughs, but the views are significantly more magnificent.

The view from Third Burroughs feels like you’re sitting right on top of the mountain. Being this close gives me a false sense of distance, and it seems like the summit isn’t all that far away. In reality I would probably cry attempting to summit Mount Rainier. I do not like snowy crevasses. Or heights. Or snow covered heights.

Basically what I’m saying is that I’m a wimp, and I wear it with pride.

We sat at Third Burroughs for a while to refuel again, and if you clicked the above link to see my first visit to this trail you will see I ate a Larabar on that adventure (you will also see poor photo quality and me with a bob haircut vs a pixie cut.) I seem to have started a tradition of taking photos with my Larabars in beautiful locations, and this trip was no different.

Food just tastes better when you are in nature looking at epic mountains.

After enjoying the view we made our way back towards the trail before splitting off onto the loop. From here the trail became lush and green, and the day grew much warmer than either of us anticipated. We are officially in the season of constantly changing temps throughout the day.

This took us 5 hours and 36 minutes including our breaks at each Burrough, putting us back at my car around noon. We clocked in at 9.47 miles, and the last mile I was powered exclusively by visions of vanilla ice cream. One of my favorite reasons to go to Rainier is the ice cream spot we stop at after we are done. This local shop has amazing ice cream, and I look forward to it the day before we leave.

I brought some butter toffee cashews from Costco to go on my ice cream, and I made the right choice.

I’m not sure if I will make the trek to Rainier again this season, but maybe I can drag Duncan just for another excuse to get this ice cream. He too is motivated by treats, and there are so many trails to explore. I used to drive three hours to Portland and back in one day just to eat, so I don’t see how this is any different.

Just one week after this adventure Caitlin and I packed up her CRV and took a road trip to Banff, AB. We arrived home this past Saturday, and I cannot wait to share the photos and stories from our short week hiking in the Canadian Rockies. It feels so good to have a pal to road trip with for an exhausting yet exhilarating adventure of non stop hiking.

Q: Would you rather fight for a timed slot, or arrive before the sun to avoid the crowds?

When I was in my early 20’s I took a weekend trip to Victoria, BC. My pal and I took a boat from Seattle into Victoria where we spent a couple days wandering the city. I can’t recall many trips to Canada prior to this, but it was time I had a proper visit to this neighboring country of mine. At the beginning of the year my dear friend Caitlin asked me if I wanted to go to Banff with her in the fall, and it seemed like a no brainer.

If it weren’t for my sweet geriatric cat this would have been the easiest yes. Someone else wants to drive, someone who hikes just as frequently as me (and at the same pace), someone who is chill and I enjoy spending time with…yes, yes, yes. Although I did said yes, my anxiety leading up to this trip was gnarly. Leaving my cat with my mom for six days was hard.

Thankfully this trip was great, my cat was fine, and I wish I could go back and do it all over again.

Banff had been on my bucket list for many years, and rightfully so. This area of Canada is unbelievably beautiful, but what I learned quite quickly was that the entire journey getting to Banff was going to be progressively scenic. The drive from where we live to where we were staying in Banff was about 10-12 hours depending on traffic, and we decided to break the drive up into two days.

We drove around 8 hours the first day to a mountain town called Revelstoke. We spent one of five nights living large in a nice hotel, and it was in this town we pretended we were royalty. We left Washington around 0500, and arrived in Revelstoke around 1330. With plenty of daylight left we walked around the small town, grabbed a coffee, and headed to a nearby river for a 6 mile walk.

This town was cozy and quaint, and I can see why people flock here in the ski season. Our walk was wonderful, and the perfect introduction for the week to come. Truth be told one of my biggest worries for this trip was entering into bear country. We have bears where I live, and there are sightings all the time, but something about the Canadian Rockies screamed grizzly to me.

I developed a somewhat unhealthy fear of bears after falling down the Grizzly Man rabbit hole. If you don’t know who that is, give him a Google. Since I became obsessed with his story I have been terrified of bears. I carried my bear spray with me almost everywhere, and I even slept with it in the tent. More on that later.

After our long walk through town and on parts of the Greenbelt Pathway we headed to our fancy pants hotel to soak up our last night of luxury before four days of tent camping. We stayed at the Basecamp Resorts property in Revelstoke, but this company has locations all over Western Canada. We stayed in the plebeian micro apartment, but they have luxury suites that were far beyond my willingness to pay.

Overall this hotel was worth the cost, had beautiful river views, a proper kitchen to cook dinner, and the most amazing hand soap I have ever used/smelled. Too bad the small bottle would have been $20. We savored the space for as long as we could keep our eyes open before heading off to bed. Our plan for the following morning was a hike in Mount Revelstoke National Park before making the final drive to Banff.

Revelstoke was lovely. I would absolutely return to this town and also to this hotel. The coffee shop we visited had multiple Australian employees, and it had me daydreaming of the days I too moved around to different states or different countries to work. I think of those days fondly, and while I may not be getting any younger, I think there are more of those days in my future.

Next up: hiking in Mount Revelstoke National Park

Q: Do you have a normal, healthy fear or bears, or would you be constantly on edge knowing they might cross your path?

If you read my previous post you will know my friend Caitlin and I took a trip to Canada with the intention of visiting Banff National Park. The entire goal of this trip was to hike as many trails as we could squeeze into four days. We spent our first night a few hours shy of the Lake Louise area in a town called Revelstoke.

In Revelstoke there was another national park we wanted to hike in, so as to experience multiple different parks within the Canadian Rockies.

We chose arguably the most popular trail in Mount Revelstoke National Park, seeing as there are few hikes and this is a very small national park. We hiked the Eva and Miller Lake Trail, giving us 11 miles to explore. We started the hike early as we always do, because trail reports indicated this was a popular spot. We wanted to ensure a place to park and avoid the main crowd.

The trail began through the woods, coming upon small meadows, and eventually opening up to expansive views of the surrounding mountains.

I was on high alert for nearly the entire first half of this hike. It was our first hike for the week, my bear meter was scanning a mile a minute, and within the first five minutes we stumbled upon bear poop right in the middle of the trail. Cool. Caitlin waved her magic hand over the dung to inquire if it were warm or not, and after we shared a laugh we continued on.

Finally when we made it to the first of these two lakes (Miller) I calmed down. We saw two other humans, and more humans always makes me feel better when I am in bear country. This lake was small, and the lighting was horrible so I did not take any photos. I did however take a photo of the facilities at this lake to show my plumber boyfriend.

Most luxurious toilet I’ve seen in the wild. The things I never thought I would photograph.

From here Eva lake is only a wee bit further, and is well worth the continuation. This lake was far superior in my opinion, and the perfect place to stop and eat a snack. The reflections of the surrounding trees provided the perfect symmetrical image to savor while eating my very first gingerbread flavored Larabar of the season. I wait all year for these spicy treats.

The trail makes an entire loop around the lake, offering different views as you go, but this initial view was my favorite. Close to the path leading to the lake sits a cabin where many previous hikers and campers have come. The inside walls are covered with messages and stories of those who came before us. The small table had a notebook for travelers, as well as some old candles to burn.

Many years ago I had a Canadian acquaintance who told me all throughout the trails and mountains of British Columbia sat little cabins like this where hikers could come and sleep. It sounded like it was a first come first serve/communal situation, and I remember being enamored by the idea of being able to hike deep into the mountains and always have a safe place to sleep.

Assuming you didn’t encounter any other psychotic hikers of course.

We walked the full loop before heading back towards the car. This national park had plenty of accessible views for people who were not as active as the hikers, and we wandered around the area near the parking lot before making the drive to our home for the next four nights. I could have sat savoring the views for hours.

We made it to the Lake Louise campground with plenty of daylight to spare, and I watched helplessly while Caitlin set up the tent. I’m half kidding, I did help her, but I had never set up her tent before and it was new to me. While I have camped in my life, it is never my go to choice when traveling.

I slept like hot garbage our first night, but I eventually settled into the routine of a campground and came to enjoy it.

We awoke early the next morning for our first day in Banff, which happened to be my favorite day of the trip. We hiked two trails in one day, the second of which being one I will dream about for many years to come.

Bear sightings: 0

Next up: Peyto Lake and Helen Lake.

Q: Do you like tent camping?

In my last post I shared about my adventures hiking in Mount Revelstoke National Park, setting up camp at the Lake Louise campground, and attempting to fall asleep our first night of tent camping. I say attempt because we happened to be situated right next to a shipping train route. When I tell you the train was hollering all night long, I mean allllll nigggghhttt looonnnggg.

I did not sleep well this first night, but there was no time to dwell on a lack of slumber. Our first day in Banff we decided to do a double – hike the short trail down to Peyto Lake, and then hop over to Helen Lake and say hi to her. We started with Peyto because while there is a path hiking down to the lake, most people take the easily accessible paved path to see the overlook. This makes for a very crowded spot after 0900.

For good reason, this was one of the most stunning colors of blue I have ever seen.

We had the entire lookout to ourselves for a short while, which was something I don’t imagine many people get. As always, the early bird catches the view without throngs of other people around. From here we made our way to the trail, and I do not anticipate many people go down this trail. For one, it was steep as hell. For two, it’s not marked well. You’ll only really see it if you’re actively looking for it.

Thankfully for us we were looking for it and we made our way, down, down, dowwwnnn to the lake. This hike is only 2.5 miles round trip, with a gain of 1050ft. This may not sound like much, but going straight up 925ft of that in 0.80 miles hits the buns with a burn much like a scorched s’mores marshmallow.

The view from below felt like we were deep within the mountains. We wandered around this open plain for a bit before making the climb back up. I’m being dramatic about the climb, it was certainly steep, but nothing we couldn’t handle. It was a good wake up, and a good warm up with the chilly morning air.

By the time we made it back to the main path we had to dodge so many people I felt like a fish swimming up stream. We clearly came at the right time because we missed all the tour buses. This is one of the more popular spots within Banff, and while it’s worth the visit, coming early is a must.

With our first hike tucked in our shoes we headed towards our second, and longer destination of the day. Banff has so many hikes off the main roads making driving from one location to another incredibly easy. We chose to hike the Helen Lake Trail, and other than a nice photo of a lake on AllTrails we had no idea what to expect.

The sign at the trail head told us this trail lead to a myriad of other off shoots, the closest one being the Dolomite Ridge. I had read a review on AllTrails stating the extra journey to the ridge was well worth the effort, but Caitlin and I decided to get to Helen Lake and decide from there if we wanted to keep going.

A no pressure approach, the kind that always pushes me to keep going.

The start of this trail was coo coo bananas. We quickly discovered that Canada doesn’t believe in the switchback system, and after a night of shit sleep we were both moving slow up what felt like another vertical climb. The hike started through open woods with minimal views, and while I enjoyed the challenge I found myself bored with the surroundings.

Just when I thought this was going to be a lackluster experience, the trail flattened out and the landscape widened. It only got better, and better, and better from here.

We made it to Helen and saw only one other party savoring the view. They asked us if we had binoculars, because on the peak in the above photo there were two tiny human specks at the top, and two coming down the trail. Turns out this was Cirque Peak, and was the most mild peak we ended up seeing within Banff.

Banff doesn’t mess around with the sketchy peaks.

We watched people coming down while debating if we wanted to continue along the trail to the ridge (not to be confused with the peak, no shot we were climbing up that.) I was feeling good, and I had plenty of juice in the tank. I credit this to the constant flow of adrenaline in my blood thanks to the awareness of the surrounding wildlife. I was on slight edge for this hike, hoping not to come face to face with Smokey Bear.

We eventually decided to “send it” and go up the ridge a bit and see what we thought.

A couple was coming back down as we passed, and we chatted with them briefly. They assured us the ridge was well worth the trek, so we eagerly continued on. Chatting with strangers along the way during our hikes became one of my favorite memories of this trip. Each interaction was brief, but a wholesome reminder that people are kind.

The views we saw on this ridge will live in my memories for a lifetime. I am still dreaming of this day, and it will likely be one of my all time favorite hikes. I was enamored. The 360 degree views of the changing landscape is a mental photograph I will forever be thankful for witnessing. It’s moments like this that remind me why I hike.

The hike ended up being 9.5 miles, and took us 5:24 hours with breaks and view savoring. This turned out to be my favorite hike of our quick trip to Canada, one I would happily do again. About a mile from the car it started to rain, and we were good and soaked by the time we finished. The rain was looming as a possibility for this day, but overall we avoided the bulk of it.

I would have jumped in a lake and hiked back dripping just to see these views.

I quite enjoyed seeing Peyto and Helen both from above and from below. Such differing perspectives.

After a shower, a meal, and settling back into the campsite we decided to go for a short walk around the Lake Louise campground. Somehow we both still had energy in the tank. I blame excitement of a new location. We knew the rain was meant to continue into the following morning, so we planned to spend the first half of the day in the town of Banff playing tourists to wait it out.

We ended the night with a few games of Uno in the tent. I won the majority of them. But who’s counting.

Bear sightings: 0

Next up: Banff the town, and a visit to Yoho National Park

Q: Do you have extra energy when traveling, or does it have the opposite effect?

After a full day of hiking, kicking Caitlins butt in UNO, and a surprisingly restful night of sleep, we woke with minimal pressure on our second day in Banff. We knew there was going to be rain in the morning, and while we are from the rainy state of Washington we didn’t want to spend the day feeling like cereal sitting in milk.

We chose instead to go into the town of Banff (about 40 min drive from Lake Louise campground) to look at the touristy stuff, wait out the rain, and go for a smaller hike in the afternoon.

We drove along the Bow Valley Parkway to get into town instead of driving on the freeway. This took slightly longer, but the views were more dense and the possibility for wildlife sightings were higher. We didn’t see any animals, but we did see Morant’s Curve – a beautiful viewpoint where trains pass through multiple times a day.

We had no plans while in town, other that to wander and possibly find a sweatshirt for Caitlin. Shortly after we arrived we decided it would be nice to find a hot meal. After three days of car snacks, and random foods thrown together it was nice to have a real meal. I’m more hesitant than most to go out to eat, but thankfully we found a farm to table restaurant that had just what we each needed.

I may not like to go out for meals, but traveling with me helps keep your wallet full.

After licking my plate clean I ventured next door for a cup of coffee. When researching the town for good coffee, one website recommended Good Earth Coffeehouse. This was attached to a hotel, which was attached to the restaurant we ate. The interior looked like a Panera Bread or any other comparable big chain cafe with mediocre coffee.

I didn’t have high hopes.

I was in dire need of a good cup after multiple days without, and thankfully my initial judgement did not translate to the coffee. This coffee was delicious (I got the dark roast), and just what I needed to settle my stomach after my breakfast. This java fueled me for a walk along the river, and into the forest to see the Art in Nature pieces.

There were over 65 pieces of art from local artists on all types of mediums.

We wandered the town of Banff for around 3 hours, ending with a walk around the Cascade of Time Gardens. This was an unexpected treat, and the building on the grounds looks straight out of Europe. No sweatshirts were found for Caitlin, but I did get a Banff National Park pin to add to my collection.

The plan after town was to hike to Sherbrooke Lake in the neighboring National Park of YOHO. This was a very mild 6 mile hike with minimal elevation to another beautiful Canadian lake. No pressure, no snacks needed, and I almost didn’t bring my backpack. I decided last minute to bring it because I was too lazy to carry my water, and it was a good thing I did.

First things first, we had to walk through a Jurassic Park like bear gate and if this doesn’t make the hairs on your neck stand I don’t know what would. I was immediately on edge, as I often was when starting any of our hikes in Canada. We started around 1500 which is much later than we’ve ever started a hike. It wasn’t early in the day, but I knew people would still be on the trail and this calmed my nerves a bit.

We eventually saw a guy who was running down the trail and I flat out said to him: “WHY ARE YOU RUNNING!?” He replied: “oh you know, because it just feels like a good idea.” I then told him I was worried he had seen a bear, we shared a laugh, and he continued on his way. Honestly it’s a good thing I have no shame.

As we were heading towards the lake we passed an offshoot that climbed to Paget Lookout. It just so happened we had previously looked into possible hiking Paget Peak, but decided against it after reading there was scrambling involved. I don’t scramble my eggs and I sure as hell don’t scramble my legs up sketchy terrain. Paget Peak was not an option, but the lookout before the peak suddenly was.

We did what we do and told ourselves we would get to Sherbrooke, and decide how we felt about the side quest to the lookout.

Here’s the thing, we were not planning on hiking an extra mile that was nearly vertical, Caitlin had nothing with her other than a heavy water bottle, and it was close to 1700. Evening hours mean bears come out, which means death and regret. At the same time, we both had the “we’re here we should absolutely do this” mindset.

So we did it.

I shoved Caitlin’s bottle in my pack along with one of her layers and we began the ascent at a pace much quicker than either of us would have liked. Unfortunately for both of us my anxiety was high due to the time of day and the lack of other people around. This caused me to push the pedal to the metal and I was booking it. After about 45 mins we both started to get unsure of how close we were, and unsure if we wanted to continue.

The trail was narrow, the turns were winding and all I could think about was coming face to face with my nightmare.

Then, just as I was sure we would turn around I heard the clanking of trekking poles. Two American angels were coming down and I asked them if it was a worthy trek. They assured us we were close, and that the views were superb. This was the second time I stopped to ask a set of strangers if we should continue or not, and both times I was thankful for the push.

Seeing these trail angels quelled my anxiety and we kept going. Turns out we were about 5 minutes from the lookout. Thank you fellow Americans, you gave me confidence that the bears would get to you before us. I’m kidding, you just let me know I wasn’t alone out there. (I knew they were Americans because they both had REI jackets on, my suspicions were confirmed upon seeing their UTAH license plate when we finished.)

The hike up to this lookout climbs around 1100 ft in 1.3 miles. After two full days of hiking before this we were tired, but the push was worth it. This was the second time we planned for one thing and decided to “send it” adding on another side quest to the journey. I couldn’t be more thankful for Caitlin’s willingness to change things up last minute.

Also, shoutout to our breakfast keeping us full. We brought zero snacks on this 6.7 mile hike, and we didn’t need any. Don’t follow our lead.

As I mentioned earlier, I noticed the Utah plates on the car of the couple we saw coming down. They were sitting in the parking lot when we finished and they were the last car there. I decided to go up to them and tell them the through process I had, and how I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep going. I told them they had given us the confidence to keep climbing and it was so worth it.

They were a lovely couple who looked to be in their 60’s, and we shared a laugh. I will always remember this interaction. Another wonderful day in Canada. I boiled some potatoes for dinner to pair with a can of sardines and Kalamata olives before climbing into the tent for another night of listening to the trains carrying cargo. By this point the train sounds no longer bothered me.

Our last full day in Banff was spent at the most popular trail of the trip. More on that next.

Bear sightings: 0

Next Up: Lake Louise loop.

Q: Tell me I’m not alone with my incessant fear of the bears? It just never quit…

Before ironing out all the details for our short trip to Banff, Caitlin and I both decided there was one hike we could not miss. The Lake Louise area of Banff is well known, and for good reason. The stunning blue waters of both Lake Louise and Lake Moraine (they’re neighbors) bring thousands of tourists each year. While Caitlin and I don’t love big crowds, we knew we had to hike in this area at least once.

Lake Louise is accessible without any reservations, the only catch is that the parking lot fills up early. Lake Moraine on the other hand requires a shuttle reservation of which we did not obtain. We knew this ahead of time and planned to attempt booking a shuttle two days prior (the earliest we could through the park website) and unfortunately we did not succeed.

We had to skip the hike we wanted to do starting near Lake Moraine, but we knew we could hike starting near Lake Louise no matter what.

For people who enjoy long hikes I would argue that the Plain of Six Glaciers, Big Beehive, and Lake Agnes Tea House loop is the most popular trail starting in the Lake Louise area of Banff. This trail hits all of the popular stops, but if you’re not up for the full 11-12 mile loop there are options to visit just one, or two of these stops and skip the full loop.

We of course opted to do the whole loop, and although AllTrails recommends starting counterclockwise we accidentally started clockwise. We later learned this is what the local employees recommended, so it all worked out. Starting clockwise took us first to the Plain of Six Glaciers.

We arrived in the parking lot with enough time to snag a spot, and our plan was to hit the first of two tea houses before the masses.

We arrived at the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House, the quieter of the two tea houses on this loop, and we quickly started kicking ourselves for forgetting a very important detail. In all the hubbub of trying to secure a shuttle to Lake Moraine/finding other hikes for our previous days we both completely forgot that these two tea houses are CASH ONLY.

Neither of us are big tea drinkers, but we did want to sit and savor a cup for the novelty of the idea. We were momentarily bummed, but ultimately pushed on after at least using the facilities near the tea house. It was here I made friends with an older gentlemen who was waiting for the bathroom after I exited. There were two outdoor compost toilets and I thought the one next to me was empty.

So I told him it was empty.

The bathroom was in fact not empty, and when he knocked someone replied. He concluded because of this that I must be a YouTuber filming for a prank show and he was my latest target. This caused me to laugh quite hard, and I quickly took a liking to him. We played leap frog a few times throughout this hike, and each time he saw me he warned another member of his party (there were at least two other men with him) to watch out for me because I was a pranking YouTuber.

This was the second to last wholesome interaction I had with strangers while hiking in Banff.

After skipping the tea house we pushed on to the Plain of Six Glaciers viewpoint (shown in the previous photos.) This brought us to a series of glaciers tucked into the mountain walls, and was a beautiful start to our looped trail. We sat here for a bit and enjoyed our first snack while laughing about our knuckleheadedness of not having cash.

The sun finally came out as we headed back towards the main trail, continuing our loop towards our next destination: Big Beehive. Going clockwise meant we managed to have parts of the trail to ourselves at times, and when we did see others they were not in masses. After passing an exposed area of the trail we found ourselves in the woods where we began to climb vertically.

After four days of hiking, this vertical climb was tiresome, but nothing we couldn’t handle. We started to see people coming down this section that we had seen at the very beginning of the hike who had chosen to go the other direction. While we were climbing towards the Beehive we deliberated if we wanted to take a side quest on this hike.

There is an offshoot at the summit near the Beehive that takes hikers along the backside of the area to another summit called Devil’s Thumb. In true Brittany and Caitlin fashion we decided to first get to Big Beehive, savor that experience, and then decide if we wanted to attempt the side quest.

The view of Lake Louise from above exceeded my expectations.

We ran into my new friend who told another passing hiker to watch out for me, we said hello, and decided to go to the peak of the Devil’s Thumb. I had no idea what to expect with this side quest, and I was all but hopeful until about 2 minutes into the trek. The normal trail had a section of rock climbing in order to continue, and it took me a long while to commit to this.

The rocks were not on an edge that felt unsafe, but I knew that if this was what the trail entailed I would not be comfortable. A hiker coming down assured me that the rest of the trail did not have a rock section like this, so I held my breath and climbed up the rocks. From here the trail became narrow, and there was a sharp edge that made my stomach drop into my colon for the entire attempted adventure.

Caitlin is far more daring than I, and she doesn’t have the same gut wrenching fear of heights, but she was patient with me as we slowly continued on this sketchy trail. I took it slow, wanting to die each step I took, but told myself that I could stop at any point. I finally reached my breaking point when the trail consisting of scree turned vertical.

The moment a trail requires me to crawl with my hands near a ledge, is the moment I tap out. I encouraged Caitlin to continue on, and she did for a bit longer, but she also called it after she continuously slipped. We both knew that coming back down this terrain without trekking poles or experience would not make for a good time.

While waiting for Caitlin a woman passed me asking if I was coming up or down. I told her neither, and that I was staying put after deciding this trail was not for me. She commended me and told me I made the right choice. She told me she was also afraid of heights and cried twice on her way up. She was clearly a trooper, and her partner helped her the entire way.

More power to her, it was still a no for me.

After Caitlin found her way back to me we happily went back to the main trail. I was ready to wipe my hands of this terrifying side quest, and my stomach found its rightful place once we were back on solid ground. I’m glad we attempted this, and without having gone this way we would have never seen the view of Lake Agnes (our next destination) from above.

The last highlight of this trail is walking around Lake Agnes to the Lake Agnes Tea House. This area was madness by the time we arrived. Because we didn’t have cash we knew we didn’t plan to enter the tea house, but we still sat on a rock to savor the view of Lake Agnes for a bit. I watched a group of Germans feeding a chipmunk, debating if I wanted to engage with them at all in German.

When the man came to show me his photos of the creature I said to him “Eichhörnchen?” This is the German word for squirrel and I always worry I butcher the pronunciation.

He smiled and told me my pronunciation was correct, but then the woman with him corrected me that this was a chipmunk and not a squirrel (duh Brittany) and she told me the German word for chipmunk which is “Streifenhörnchen.” Streifen meaning stripes had me laughing. Of course the chipmunk would be the striped version.

We maneuvered through the masses of people enjoying their cakes and tea’s, continuing to our final decent. By this time I was a bit tired, and a bit frustrated because my Garmin watch had spazzed out (I know, first world problems.) The last bit of this hike was one foot in front of the other for me, but it was still a beautiful walk back down to Lake Louise.

As we made it back to the lake, clearly dirty and tired, a couple stopped us to ask if we had completed the loop. We spoke with them for about ten minutes, sharing how the hike was and recounting each of our experiences in Banff. The last wholesome interaction I shan’t soon forget.

After a shower and real food, we drove into the tiny town of Lake Louise for our reward after completing our final hike.

ICE CREAM. My souvenir for myself was a local bar of chocolate (which was to die for), and a small pin. This was the perfect end to an amazing week in Canada. Five hikes, four days, three national parks, two gals, one fancy meal, and…ZERO BEARS!

It was tough for me to find the excitement for this trip after a long couple years caring for a cat with aging illnesses, but I am incredibly thankful this trip worked out (and my cat was just fine without me.) I don’t see any trips in my near future longer than two nights, but I will continue to relish on these wonderful memories from Banff. It was just the trip I needed.

I look forward to rounding out the fall season with a few more hikes, and then I will be hibernating like all the bears I thankfully did not see.

Q: What is something that scares you in the way that heights scare me?

I have lived in Washington for 32.5 of my 35 years of life, but it wasn’t until this year that I finally saw the golden hue of the larches. It’s well known amongst the outdoor community that these trees are sacred, and because they only shine bright for a limited time, people flock from all over to find them. One of the best spots to find them in Washington is in the North Cascades.

There are a few trails up north best known for larches, and this year my pal Caitlin and I knew we had to make the trip to see them. The North Cascades are a minimum of 3.5 – 4hrs away by car, so this had to be an overnight trip. When I told Duncan the plan he wanted to come too, so the three of us found a dog friendly place to sleep (Caitlin brought her pup), and made the plans.

The drive there was beautiful, and we stopped along the way to see Diablo Lake, a popular overlook on the North Cascades Scenic Highway.

We stayed in the town of Mazama, 20 minutes away from the popular hiking area. Likely the most popular trail in the North Cascades is called Maple Pass. People line up for miles along the main road for this hike (we saw the masses driving in), and it’s said that during larch season there are upwards of 2000 people who visit…DAILY.

While I would like to do this trail one day, we opted for another trail that we knew would be less populated. We chose to hike to Cutthroat Pass, a 12 mile climb that meets up with the PCT. After our long drive north we checked into our cozy accommodation, and stopped by the local market for an overpriced dinner.

Caitlin and I ended the day with an evening walk, followed by a few games of UNO.

After a mediocre night of sleep we woke up around 0530 with the plan to be at the trailhead by 0700. The trail was just around the corner from where we stayed, and we arrived to find the parking lot mostly empty. It was a frigid 33 or 34 degrees and I worried I would regret wearing shorts, but there was no turning back now. “Be bold, start cold” is a motto I live by through the end of October.

The first two miles of this trail are relatively flat, and lead you to Cutthroat Lake. We stopped here for a quick breakfast break, and then continued on. The first half of this trail was so/so. Nothing to write home about, but I knew there had to be expansive views eventually. The climb was gradual, and no one ever felt like they were overly fatigued. Eventually the forested canopy opened up and the colors started to change.

The sun came out, giving us one last bluebird hike before the autumn rains.

When we finally found the larches it was like finding the golden ticket in a Wonka bar. The recent trail reports mentioned that the trees were not at peak color, but none of us had any complaints about the colors we saw. We ooed and aaed at the beautiful surrounding view, and when we made it to the pass we spent a long while enjoying the massive mountains that engulfed us.

Caitlin and I had a summer full of hiking, and we both decided this would be somewhat of a final hoorah before slowing down for the season. Neither of us plan to stop hiking all together, but the weekly or bimonthly planned hikes are on pause until next season. Last October we ended our hiking season with a trip to the North Cascades as well, and this is certainly a tradition I plan to keep.

Our hike back down was even more beautiful as the lighting changed with the midday sun, illuminating the yellow trees brighter than before. We saw some people as we came down (including a handful of bikers), but overall our choice for a less populated hike was a success. We made it back to the car 6.5 hours later, and drove the 4.5ish hours back home.

These further hikes make for long days, but the reward is always worth it.

And just like that, hiking season (for me) has come to a close. As I said before, I still plan to hike sporadically throughout the fall and winter, but I plan to transition back into running for these colder months. It’s been two weeks since we embarked on this adventure, and the weather has taken a turn. I’m ready to put some cookies in the oven, socks on my toes, and sip coffee with a good book.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Q: If you live somewhere with four seasons, what is your favorite thing about autumn?

As we say goodbye to October, my favorite month, I want to share a few highlights. October is my favorite for many reasons. The transition to autumn warms my soul, the weather changes to cooler days, and spooky season sets the tone for month after month after month of celebrations. For the last four October seasons, Duncan and I have made a habit (along with many others) of visiting a pumpkin patch/corn maze. To me this signifies the official change from September to October.

We have two main rules when it comes to this pumpkin patch tradition: the patch must ALSO have a corn maze (no maze, no go), and we must go to a new patch/maze each year. No repeats.

This year, my first October highlight (and our new to us pumpkin patch/corn maze) brought us about an hours drive away to Carpinito Brothers Farm. At first glance I wasn’t sure I would like this one because it was right off the freeway. Thankfully we were able to feel like we were tucked into the farm without hearing the cars driving by.

We chose to start with the corn maze, and thankfully Duncan is directionally savvy, because I am not. I tried to read the map at the same pace he did and I have no idea how he walked so fast knowing which way to go. I am someone who likes to have control over most of my situations, but this is one I’ll happily pass the baton with. Let me be the wandering corn troll over the fearless leader.

After Duncan finished finding each location within the maze, I needed a snack.

Plain roasted corn without anything on it allowed me to scour the pumpkin patch for this years chosen gourd. It didn’t take long, partially because I was boiling due to my mistake of wearing a sweater on the last 72 degree day of the year, and partially because the corn wasn’t sitting well. We both found our choices and completed another successful early October adventure.

This adventure gets me into the spirit of my favorite month, but it didn’t quite feel like enough. I haven’t participated in anything Halloween related for a while, and I felt like this year I needed a physical goal after a long season of hiking. For October highlight number two I decided to sign up for a Halloween 10k. I spent a month getting myself from hiking shape back into running shape.

I had no expectations for this race, I just wanted to show up and have a good time. I wanted to dress up, but also wanted to be able to comfortably run, so I settled on an easy classic.

This race was so much fun, and there were hundreds of other costumed runners. Surprisingly I only saw two other Waldo’s (I expected to see a lot), but I saw a TON of Forrest Gump varieties. I hadn’t been running much at all since my half marathon back in May, and I was hoping that 27 days would be enough time to get me into shape for a 10K.

Each of my training runs I dragged, and I was certain I would have to walk at some point (or at least run verrryyy slow), but not only did I manage a 10:02 pace for this run, I placed third in my age group! This will never happen again, and I credit this to the fact I was running a themed race amongst many who might not run much, but I will take the win where I can get it.

I didn’t notice the award winner section until after I was home, many hours after the race. I discovered I was supposed to pick up a 3rd place ribbon and I was bummed that I missed this, so I sent an email to the company. The race director wrote me back saying he would mail it to me, and when I say this made my week I am not exaggerating.

This is a small victory for average runners alike. LOL.

The race just so happened to be about 2 minutes by car from my current favorite GF bakery (this was soooo not planned), and Duncan and I promptly went after I was done running. We had a feast of treats, and I can’t think of a better way to finish running 6.2 miles.

I’m still in a coma from those beautiful baked goods. Pumpkin is the theme for October, cliche or not I go all in. To round out all the October highlights, Duncan and I carved our pumpkins from the patch just before Halloween. We decided to carve surprises and not tell each other what we were doing. Imagine how hard I laughed when we revealed our masterpieces.

Duncan said mine (the big one) looked somewhat like a red panda, and he thought his (the small one) had a neck that looked like it spent too much time in the gym. Because of this he wanted to put a ribbon on the neck, and I think it looks great. I was happy with how they both turned out, and they looked even better illuminated on Halloween.

If you’re having a hard time telling what mine is let me help you.

While I was sad to say goodbye to October, I look forward to settling into the slower pace of life that November and December will bring. November brings a special birthday for Duncan, and the restlessness that I will inevitably feel will encourage me to do something impetuous. Like sign up for a spring half marathon to give me a winter training focus. Who knows…

Q: What’s your favorite fall activity? I have yet to go apple picking, and I think that would be so lovely.

1. It’s no secret fall is my favorite time of year, however the past month has felt more like WINTER. Too dark, too dreary, too much rain, daylight savings kicked my butt, and my motivation for nearly everything has gone down the drain.

However, one thing that gets me jazzed every year is a holiday cup from Starbucks. It’s an instant nostalgic mood boost.

2. I know once the holiday festivities are over, and the days get even shorter I will want to permanently keep my head attached to my pillow. In an attempt to mitigate such behavior I have signed up for another spring half marathon. Training for one this past year during Jan/Feb/March was a helpful way to stay active. I also love having a goal to look forward to.

Having a focus and training regime for the upcoming winter will keep me from turning into Jabba the Hutt. I think this will be a new annual routine for me.

3. Since we’re on the topic of running, I went for a trail run recently. While it’s not normally my thing, I didn’t hate it. I enjoy running solo, but I won’t trail run solo, so I don’t trail run. (That and I don’t love giant hills.) My friend who will also be running the spring half marathon (his first one!) likes trail running, so I accompanied him on a 5 miler.

The run felt good, but the sight I came home to afterwards felt even better.

4. After a routine trip to Sprouts recently I noticed one of my back tires was low. I drove to Costco to fill it with some air, where I discovered the tire had a screw in it. Ooofff. I thankfully managed to drive to Discount Tire where I was jazzed to discover I had a warranty on my tires. I got a new tire for free, but I was bamboozled by the guy helping me.

He asked me when the last time I changed my wipers was. I told him it had been a looonnngg time, and that I knew how to do it, but I was being lazy. He told me he could make me a great deal, so I told him if he could replace them for under $20 I was in. He said he could, and I was shocked. He manipulated his computer to get the $50 pair for just $19, but they are AWFUL.

Note to self: not all wipers are created equal. At least I got a free $118 tire…

5. Speaking of saving money, I officially had to buy a new pair of Merrell’s. I bought a pair of Move Glove shoes in 2021 and beat the ever living life out of them. I refused to buy a new pair until the pair I had were shot, and I think having a hole in the heel I can fit multiple fingers through counts as getting my moneys worth.

6. Duncan and I are going to a candlelight Vivaldi concert in two weeks, and I am beyond excited. I had seen the candlelight concert ads for years, and always thought they were a scam. Then I had a friend who went to one, and she confirmed it was no only NOT a scam, but a wonderful experience.

The candles are most certainly not real, but the ambiance will still be lovely. I haven’t been to a classical concert since I lived in Europe.

7. Little free library boxes bring me so much joy. I recently commandeered THREE books (two of which I already wanted to read) from three different ones. I don’t know who first started this trend, but I am so thankful for the pockets of joy. Once I finish these three I will return them to another box, and the cycle will continue.

8. Speaking of books, I set a goal to read 25 books this year. Then that goal was bumped to 30, then 45, and then to 60. I have decided to leave the goal at 60, even though I have surpassed the goal (currently at 65 books.) This may not be many books for devout readers, but as someone who only recently got back into reading for hobby I am quite chuffed by this. My favorite books of the year thus far are:

• I’m Thinking of Ending Things – Iain Reid (Psychological)
• It Happened One Summer – Tessa Bailey (Romance)
• The Great Alone – Kristin Hannah (Emotional)
• Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal – Mary Roach (Science)
• The Tattooist of Auschwitz – Heather Morris (Historical)
• Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers – Mary Roach (Science)
• Educated – Tara Westover (Memoir)
• And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie (Mystery)
• The Women – Kristin Hannah (Historical Fiction)

9. I’m not one to collect many souvenirs, but one thing I try to get from every national park I visit is a pin. I’ve kept all my pins in a small box, and when I told my friend Caitlin this she offered to make me something to display them on. She hand sewed some felt pieces together, and it turned out so adorable.

The best part is that she gave it to me with a pin already in it. I didn’t get a pin in YOHO National Park back in September when she and I went, so she found me one online and bought it for me. What a pal, I am so thankful for her.

10. I ran a Turkey Trot this year against my better judgement. It was a 5k, and while 3.1 miles is a respectable distance to run, for me it’s my baseline. Because of this I don’t like paying to run a 5K. Paying for a 10K or higher pushes me to train longer miles, and therefor is justifiable to pay.

I digress.

This trot was only $20, so I decided to sign up after a friend told me he would be running it. I arrived early the day of the race to pick up my running bib, and the poor volunteers were deep in the storm of chaos. I registered the day prior, so I gave them grace when they couldn’t find the bib attached to my name. I assumed I didn’t have one because I signed up too close to the day of the race.

The woman helping me then handed me a random running bib, and with no further direction said “ok, here you go” (after expressing she could not find mine.) Thankfully I overheard another volunteer tell someone else the random bib’s were not attached to anyone, and we would just have to look up the numbers for results under anonymous runner.

OK, no big deal.

I run the race, and I end up quite proud of my time (29:56), and while I know my name won’t be on the results page I still want to see my number for my official chipped time. Lo and behold, the number I ran with was attached to a Mr. Mark Kimball. I decided to type my name in just to see, and SURE ENOUGH, there was a bib attached to my name and SOMEONE ELSE RAN WITH IT.

I am aware this is the epitome of what’s considered a “first world problem” (this is a confession posts after all), but I was admittedly bummed because I like collecting the running certificates with my name and my times. Duncan convinced me to reach out to the people who ran the event, and they were able to attach my name to the number I ran with and all was well in the world. It’s ok if you judge me for this confession.

Q: What’s your confession? Favorite books this year?