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?

Believe it or not, there was a time in my blogging life where I blogged regularly. Every two to four days I had something to say on this space, but these days I am lucky to squeeze out one or two posts a month. I used to share my daily life happenings, but I have morphed into more of a “just hit some of the highlights” blogger.

Not to be confused with “just hit the positives,” sometimes highlights are the struggles too.

November and December move into a slower time of year for adventures and I don’t have many epic new hikes or travel escapades to share. My daily excitement comes from things like the size and frequency of my cats bowel movements, what ancient artifact I have pulled out of my moms attic to dispose of, and surviving the monotony of working in corporate retail.

I still like to throw in the reality of life amongst photos of mountains and new to me places, but the inspiration to write doesn’t strike as much as it does when I have something worthwhile to share.

While I haven’t traveled anywhere far in a long time because of my sweet fury child, I did have a surprisingly busy December. Each weekend of the month I had something scheduled starting with Duncan’s company Christmas party. Duncan has worked for the same company for nearly four years, but this was the first Christmas he decided to attend the Christmas party.

When he described the event to me I was stoked. I was hoping to see a plethora of plumbers letting loose with an open bar (call me crazy, but I love people watching those who have less of a filter from afar), but as it turned out the after party is where the real chaos ensues. Duncan and I are both in bed early folks, so we left before anyone got too rowdy.

The very next day, we went to my pal Caitlin’s house for a cookie decorating party.

When I say party, I mean it was Caitlin, her sister, and her nephew, plus me and Duncan. A small party. I couldn’t eat any of the cookies, but that didn’t stop me from decorating the above photographed handful. I think I’ve found my calling. Please note the cat cookie on the far left in the middle. I was trying to give this cat a realistic…orifice, but instead it looks like he needs a trip to the ER.

To round out this first weekend of the month, after cookies we took Little for his first of two Christmas themed car rides. I would say it was a success.

The second weekend of December was dedicated to exercise and gluttony. In an attempt to keep the holiday spirit alive I signed up for a Christmas themed 10k. I ran a Halloween themed 10k in October and loved the idea of running another holiday race. I didn’t dare show up to the start line without the proper attire, and I found the most perfect sweater to wear.

A moment of silence for the most beautiful sweater to exist.

I think I was more excited about this sweater than I was for the run itself. The run was beautiful, but COLD. (Go figure, it was cold in December.) I am loving getting back into running races because the community of runners is so fun and uplifting. Running is such a personal sport, but people come together to support the personal growth and accomplishments of each other as if we are a team.

I’m not a fast runner, but seeing small progress is always fun. I no longer run to chase faster times, but I do enjoy challenging myself. I ran this race in 1:01:13 with a 9:51 pace. I was quite chuffed.

Duncan was my number one support, and braved the cold to be there with me. After I was finished we made our way to my favorite GF bakery that was just around the corner (the runs in this town might be somewhat planned around the bakery too.) We each got a sweet and a savory, and this was the perfect end to the fun morning.

Weekend number THREE of the month was reserved for cultural refinement. I love classical music, I love listening to the combination of instruments, and I love Antonio Vivaldi. When I saw there was a local concert of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons I knew I wanted to go. The concert was also one of the candlelight concerts I have seen floating around the internet for years, but I always thought they were fake/a scam.

They are not fake, they are not a scam, and they are very enjoyable!

Annnddd for the last weekend of December I went for a lovely winter hike with Caitlin and Duncan. We brought a stove/fuel so that we could make a cuppa and enjoy the warmth of the dark beans outside. We hiked the Duckabush River Trail just to the viewpoint for a round trip total of around 7 miles. (It was very cold, but still a worthy outdoor adventure.)

Some other honorable mentions for December are: I read five books putting my yearly total at 70 books. My goal for this year is 60 books, but I anticipate I will surpass that. – I wore my cat sweater to work on Christmas Eve and it was the best day ever. After work I took Little for his second Christmas lights drive. – Christmas was calm, cool, and collected.

NYE was also calm, cool, and collected. Duncan and I went for a hike New Years Day, and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to ring in the new year!

On that note, I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season. I always enjoy mine, and I always enjoy when mine is over! Maybe this year I will blog more. (Probably not.)

Q: How was your holiday season? Are you ready when the holidays are over, or do you wish they lasted longer?

I have traveled to a handful of wonderful destinations in my life. Some of those places were big cities where I managed to get by with public transportation, but most of those places were not. Most of those places had me wanting to bop from city, to city, to city. This required renting a car, and I have driven in some relatively stressful situations (Rome, single back roads of Ireland/Scotland, sitting on broken glass in LA after a break-in, the autobahn…actually the autobahn is a blast to drive on), but nothing gives me more anxiety than the possibility of one specific situation.

A flat tire.

I have been blessed to drive in multiple countries and states with minimal car troubles (I had to put air in a tire once in a tiny town of Italy, but it was like a 6/10 on the stress scale), but the dreaded flat tire finally happened to me. In my own town. In my driveway. I’ve had punctured tires before, but nothing to the point I couldn’t immediately drive to the tire shop for a repair.

This time, my tire was so flat I didn’t dream of driving on it. Actually I did, but Duncan told me no.

I stumbled upon the above scene at 0750 on a Thursday, just ten minutes before I was meant to be at work. I shamefully have never changed a tire in my life, and I had no intention of calling AAA when the car was sitting safely in my driveway. I needed Duncan to help me change this tire, but I would have to wait for him to be off work later that day.

Instead of calling out entirely (which I will be doing next time), I rode my bike to work. I will not be doing that again. This entire situation caused more stress than it needed to, but I have a tendency to want to fix problems IMMEDIATELY. This was certainly a problem that could have waited for the following day, alas I did not want to wait.

Thank you to my hero Duncan, he showed me how to change the tire myself next time, though I don’t think I will be doing that.

My weak feeble arms could never in their wildest dreams be able to loosen those tire lug bolts. Duncan showed me how to use my foot to kick down on the arm of the tool to loosen them, but I hope to never have to attempt that. Duncan put the spare tire on for me, we took the flat to Discount Tire where they were able to fix the tire for free, and all was well again.

I had to rely on my knight in shining armor for this car problem, but I was able to redeem myself the following Monday.

I had an oil change scheduled where everything went according to plan, but my engine and cabin air filters were both in need of a swap. I have been wanting to change my own cabin air filter for YEARSSS now, so I finally decided it was time. I wasn’t familiar with the engine filter so I let them fix it for a whopping $70. I immediately watched a video on how to do this myself next time, and it’s just as easy as the cabin filter.

I bought a $20 replacement filter from the auto store, and managed to replace this all by myself! Well, I needed Duncan’s brute force again to get the glove box off, but overall IT WAS ALL ME OK! Toyota wanted $80 for this job, no way. Kick rocks Toyota! There are few things in life that bring me more joy than saving money, making money, or finding money (coins on the ground.)

And just like that my car is good as new. My anxiety about getting a flat tire however is still just as strong as ever (specifically in foreign countries.) Something about being stuck in an area you are not from with no cell service, and speaking an entirely different language makes my neck hairs stand up. I really hope I am not manifesting this problem by talking about it so much.

Q’s:

• Do you think a flat tire is a good reason to call out of work, assuming lives don’t depend on you?
• When’s the last time you had to change a tire?
• Have you ever changed your own cabin air filter?

We had an unseasonably long stretch of sunshine and blue skies at the end of January, and I was fortunate enough to convince my pal Caitlin to come with me on a Sunday hike. Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal, Caitlin and I love to hike, but we’ve both switched into winter mode (for me this means running, and for Caitlin it means baking.)

Not only have neither of us hiked much since September (we went together once in October, and twice in December), neither of us have climbed over 3k feet of elevation since…well honestly I don’t know when. Most of our 2024 hikes were in the 1700-2700 feet of elevation gain range, and while we likely did one or two hikes around 3k feet of gain, I can’t think of them.

All that to say, it only made sense that I choose a hike with over 3k feet of elevation gain for two people who haven’t hiked much lately.

I chose to hike Mount Si, a trail I used to frequent often when I first started hiking. I chose this trail because although the total elevation (4167ft) is questionable for winter (snow, ice), the trail head is directly off the freeway making it easy for my Toyota to drive to. I refuse to drive anywhere sketchy with possible snow, but with all the sunshine I knew I would make it.

Well, I mostly knew. I had a small bit of anxiety about ice because it never got above 30F while driving there, but clearly I’ve lived to tell the tale.

We arrived at the trail head around 0900, with plenty of parking spots available. This is a popular hike, but overall we had lots of moments without others. We took this hike much slower than I ever have before, and this made the entire climb enjoyable for me. I never once felt winded. The majority of the hike is in a forested canopy, but it was sunshine city once we reached the top.

Don’t let the blue sky fool you, it was COLD, COLD, COLD! There was an ever so slight dusting of snow at the top.

We sat to snack and savor the view while the sun attempted to warm the skin under my 850 down jacket. Not even this layer could keep me warm once my fingers got cold. Raynaud’s be damned, this didn’t stop me from climbing up some of the surrounding rocks for better 360 degree views. I noticed a sign that was completely covered in stickers, and after going back in time to read my first post about Mount Si (oh my gosh the NOSTALGIA!) I saw what the sign looked like way back in 2014!

Aside from the stickers I think the main difference is the photo quality. Yikes. As you can see the sign used to warn hikers about the Haystack Scramble, which is considered the “true summit” of Mount Si. You will never catch me going that extra bit, the flat ground summit is more than enough for me.

After stuffing my face with my summit potatoes, we made our way back down to the car.

I tend to stay fairly active year round, and I didn’t find myself too gassed by the end of this 8 mile trek. Ironically I was due to start half marathon training the very next day, but I planned to give myself a free pass (if needed) for the first day because this hike was more than enough conditioning. I woke up the next morning a bit sore, but I managed to run my scheduled 3 miles at a very moderate pace.

It wasn’t until Tuesday the DOMS really kicked in. That seems to be the normal for me. The day after using dormant muscles I am ok, but two days after I can barely walk down the stairs.

No regrets though, I finished my first week of half marathon training yesterday and I didn’t have to alter any of the training plan. I’m stoked we snuck this hike in when we did because I never have high hopes for winter hiking. My activity for the next 11 weeks will be finishing out my training plan, and then running my half. From there I will likely switch back into hiking mode.

Unless the sun comes out again, then all bets are off.

Q: Do you have an easy time ignoring when the sun comes out? Maybe it’s because I live somewhere with a good bit of grey (which I love), but when the sun comes out I feel like I HAVE to go outside.

Another year has passed which means another Valentine’s Day/birthday combo for Brittany has come and gone. My birthday is February 15 (the day after Valentine’s Day), and while I don’t need much on either day, I DO like to keep them separate. I told this to Duncan when we first started dating, and he jokingly referred to the two days as one calling them “Birthentines Day”, and it has stuck ever since.

While Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to gobble a brownie, and make a special meal, I tend to put most of my focus on my birthday. This year when Duncan asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday, I told him I wanted to run a 5K…together…with him…he would be running too…as someone who doesn’t run. I thought for sure he would push back, but much to my surprise he agreed.

We cooked a delicious meal on Valentine’s Day, ate a giant brownie, and we were up and ready to go the following morning.

The beauty of my birthday falling on a Saturday this year is that I knew we would be able to find a 5k somewhere nearby. Because my birthday is the day after Valentine’s Day, I also knew we would be able to find a Valentine’s Day themed 5k. How perfect for Birthentines Day. I found a race about 45 minutes away from us, got really excited, but then discovered it was SOLD OUT!

Back to the drawing board.

I don’t love driving into Seattle these days, but I knew that might be my only option. I found a race with a 5k, and a 10k option on a looped track which felt too good to be true. I prefer running 10k if given the chance with organized races, so I was able to run the first 5k loop with Duncan and the second 5k loop solo. The run was called “Better Together”, and the website alluded to this being Valentine’s Day themed, so naturally I had to get us matching shirts.

Once we arrived at the park where the race was taking place I knew I might have been very, very wrong about this event. There were no other runners in sight. It turns out this park has “races” every two months or so, and because of this they use the same race bib’s for each run (meaning no themed bibs), some events are smaller than others, and there isn’t really much participation in the theme.

At least there wasn’t on this day.

Duncan and I were THE ONLY ONES WHO WORE ANYTHING THEMED. I was momentarily mortified, but honestly I got over it pretty quickly. We got our bib’s, walked around for a bit, and then lined up with the other 90 or so people (SMALL SMALL SMALL EVENT AHHH) to run. The only way to tell this was at all Valentine’s Day themed was the blow up photo op.

The run itself was nice, the park was a good change of scenery, and Duncan pushed himself more than I would have expected. I kept trying to get him to slow down because I didn’t want him to burn out, but he just kept flying. He was at the early stage of a multi day sickness, which makes his fight all the more impressive! I loved watching him push himself, and we finished his 5k with a 10:45 pace.

After I left him for my second lap I only had one goal: catch up to and beat the girl in front of me. I managed to pass her AND one other person. I finished my 10k 1st in my age group…because I was the only one in my age group. LOL, I love the little wins. We both paid an extra $6 to get a medal, and honestly the medals were very pretty.

Overall we had a good time, Duncan is willing to do another one (no promises on anytime soon) and we both have awesome new shirts to wear at any given moment. We may have been the only ones in Valentine’s themed clothes, but that just meant we got the most compliments.

We managed to get a compliment from the race photographer as we ran by him, and he took this whimsical shot of us. HAHA.

After the run we made our way to the best bakery in all the land. I had a free birthday reward, and I’m a sucker for all things free. This bakery is insanely busy every time we go, but I did not anticipate we would be fighting for scraps by getting there around 1300. They close at 1600, but when I say they had BARELY anything left I mean it.

My reward was good for a muffin or a cookie, and obviously I wanted the more expensive of the two. I ended up getting a muffin I would have never chosen if I’d had options, but they had literally ONE muffin left in the entire shop by the time it was my turn. This muffin turned out to be one of the most heavenly items I have ever consumed.

I’m not a peach gal, and despite the peach slices being huge in this muffin the overall flavor was superb. Well done Wren’s Nest. We were able to each get a savory item as well, and after properly entering into a food coma we made the drive back to my house so I could snuggle with my bestie the rest of the night.

This is the first birthday in a while I haven’t gone for a hike, but this was a fun change of pace. I’m officially on the downward slope to 40, which is the most mind boggling thought I have had in a long time. Somedays when I sit deep in my thoughts I truly feel like I just graduated high school. I am still 18 saying goodbye to all my friends I will never see again.

I am still 24 getting a job at Starbucks and discovering who I am slowly but surely. I am still 22 starting THIS BLOG having no idea I would still be scraping by with it 14 years later. I am still 28 and just letting go of the societal pressures of what it means to be successful, quitting a corporate job and moving to Yellowstone for 5 months. Life is weird. Memories are weird. But muffins are forever.

Q: We are all just overgrown children fumbling through life, right?

1. Back in January I posted about a hike I went on called Mount Si. I received a comment from an artist asking if she could paint one of the views in the photos I shared, and OBVIOUSLY I said please do. She created such a beautiful piece of art, I especially love the tree like frame she used.

You can see more of Lorna’s art on her blog. This is the link to her post with the below photo.

2. Some of my favorite pieces of art I own are those that were created for me by friends, including people I’ve met virtually. OR pieces that were purchased for me by others because the art made them think of me. This is such a special feeling. A lot of my art is centered around cats and nature.

Big surprise.

3. My job sometimes brings in brand reps to share information on products, and with these presentations often comes free swag. We haven’t had many reps come lately, but we did have a box of sample mix-matched Smartwool socks put out for us to dig through. I found two pairs of similar socks, the only difference was the pattern.

I am a sucker for anything free, even if I don’t match. Smartwool has been my go to sock brand for many years, and this was like Christmas morning for me.

4. A couple months ago I shared how I was able to change my own cabin air filter in my car to save me $80. This months car project was to replace my rear brake lights. Duncan showed me how the lights pull out into the trunk, and I bought a new set online for $6. I don’t even want to know what Toyota would have charged me for that job.

5. Nostalgia hit hard when I went to a friends house a couple weeks ago for a Nintendo 64 game night. I would consider myself a minimalist, and I am constantly purging things I do not use or need, but I will never give away my N64. I used to have sleepovers with my friends and we would stay up all hours of the night playing Mario Party, and that’s exactly what I played with my grown up friends.

I only had two controllers, and I was able to find two more online for $32…for both! They aren’t OG Nintendo controllers, but they worked great! I look forward to more N64 game nights as a sorta grown up.

6. I ordered a pressure washer for my mom this month, and Duncan and I tag teamed washing her backyard concrete patio. At first I was disappointed, I had no idea pressure washing was as time consuming as it was. I thought I could spray it like a hose and voilà! That was not the case, but it was worth the time it took to clean.

7. It’s no secret I will stop wherever I am to pick up loose change I find on the ground. I will stop a run, get off my bike, go to a self checkout station that I did not use – if there is a coin, I will grab it. Overtime this habit will pay off, and I can take a handful of rolls to the bank. My recent bank haul brought me $26. Some of that was from returned change after using cash, but a bulk of it was free found money!

8. I recently bought Little a party hat for the birthday celebration we will be having in two weeks. When browsing the selection at MudBay, the cashier told me for his birthday I could have a free salmon treat. I have been buying food at MudBay ever since I stopped feeding him prescription food a few years ago, and this company has been nothing short of wonderful.

Superb customer service for stressed out pet parents trying to find a good food option.

9. I ran a 12k St. Patrick’s Day themed run two weekends ago, and I took this opportunity to buy myself another themed cat shirt. I managed to find the exact same theme as the shirt I bought for my Valentine run, but when I saw there was rain in the forecast I regretted buying a cotton t-shirt for a 7.4 mile run. I ended up wearing a base layer under the shirt and it worked great.

What did not work great was the weather. It was raining, which isn’t a huge deal, but it was also cold and the wind was OUT OF CONTROL. Nearly two miles of this run was across a bridge, and something about a bridge with wind is like a magnet. The majority of this run was brutal, I was on the struggle bus, and when my watch hit 7.45 miles and I saw I wasn’t done yet I wanted to riot.

The course ended up being 7.86 miles on my watch (and on a handful of other peoples watches who sync’d with my Strava account), which isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of running, but I was ready to be done at mile 3 so this extra mileage sucked big fat doo doo. I finished with a 10:14 pace, and I had to fight for it.

10. On the topic of running, I am in week 9/12 of half marathon training and I am so over it. Don’t get me wrong, when I cross that finish line in April I will be proud of myself, but the last month of training has been a slog. I have had more fatigue than I would like after my runs, and I am starting to dread the mid week runs.

After the 12k I ran I can’t seem to get my body moving further than 1-2 miles which is obviously concerning.

I am cutting back on my weekday run distances and will try slowing things down on all my runs. Hopefully this will help, but I am ready to get back to running here and there when it feels right. I am discovering that I prefer the 10k distance for my longest run’s and I don’t think I need to do much more than that. I struggle with fueling once I up my milage, and I can’t eat bagels and peanut butter like all the other runners. I end up eating things that don’t sit well just for the calories, which then adds to the fatigue. Alas, it’s never ending trial and error.

Q: What’s your confession?

1. Back in January I posted about a hike I went on called Mount Si. I received a comment from an artist asking if she could paint one of the views in the photos I shared, and OBVIOUSLY I said please do. She created such a beautiful piece of art, I especially love the tree like frame she used.

You can see more of Lorna’s art on her blog. This is the link to her post with the below photo.

2. Some of my favorite pieces of art I own are those that were created for me by friends, including people I’ve met virtually. OR pieces that were purchased for me by others because the art made them think of me. This is such a special feeling. A lot of my art is centered around cats and nature.

Big surprise.

3. My job sometimes brings in brand reps to share information on products, and with these presentations often comes free swag. We haven’t had many reps come lately, but we did have a box of sample mix-matched Smartwool socks put out for us to dig through. I found two pairs of similar socks, the only difference was the pattern.

I am a sucker for anything free, even if I don’t match. Smartwool has been my go to sock brand for many years, and this was like Christmas morning for me.

4. A couple months ago I shared how I was able to change my own cabin air filter in my car to save me $80. This months car project was to replace my rear brake lights. Duncan showed me how the lights pull out into the trunk, and I bought a new set online for $6. I don’t even want to know what Toyota would have charged me for that job.

5. Nostalgia hit hard when I went to a friends house a couple weeks ago for a Nintendo 64 game night. I would consider myself a minimalist, and I am constantly purging things I do not use or need, but I will never give away my N64. I used to have sleepovers with my friends and we would stay up all hours of the night playing Mario Party, and that’s exactly what I played with my grown up friends.

I only had two controllers, and I was able to find two more online for $32…for both! They aren’t OG Nintendo controllers, but they worked great! I look forward to more N64 game nights as a sorta grown up.

6. I ordered a pressure washer for my mom this month, and Duncan and I tag teamed washing her backyard concrete patio. At first I was disappointed, I had no idea pressure washing was as time consuming as it was. I thought I could spray it like a hose and voilà! That was not the case, but it was worth the time it took to clean.

7. It’s no secret I will stop wherever I am to pick up loose change I find on the ground. I will stop a run, get off my bike, go to a self checkout station that I did not use – if there is a coin, I will grab it. Overtime this habit will pay off, and I can take a handful of rolls to the bank. My recent bank haul brought me $26. Some of that was from returned change after using cash, but a bulk of it was free found money!

8. I recently bought Little a party hat for the birthday celebration we will be having in two weeks. When browsing the selection at MudBay, the cashier told me for his birthday I could have a free salmon treat. I have been buying food at MudBay ever since I stopped feeding him prescription food a few years ago, and this company has been nothing short of wonderful.

Superb customer service for stressed out pet parents trying to find a good food option.

9. I ran a 12k St. Patrick’s Day themed run two weekends ago, and I took this opportunity to buy myself another themed cat shirt. I managed to find the exact same theme as the shirt I bought for my Valentine run, but when I saw there was rain in the forecast I regretted buying a cotton t-shirt for a 7.4 mile run. I ended up wearing a base layer under the shirt and it worked great.

What did not work great was the weather. It was raining, which isn’t a huge deal, but it was also cold and the wind was OUT OF CONTROL. Nearly two miles of this run was across a bridge, and something about a bridge with wind is like a magnet. The majority of this run was brutal, I was on the struggle bus, and when my watch hit 7.45 miles and I saw I wasn’t done yet I wanted to riot.

The course ended up being 7.86 miles on my watch (and on a handful of other peoples watches who sync’d with my Strava account), which isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of running, but I was ready to be done at mile 3 so this extra mileage sucked big fat doo doo. I finished with a 10:14 pace, and I had to fight for it.

10. On the topic of running, I am in week 9/12 of half marathon training and I am so over it. Don’t get me wrong, when I cross that finish line in April I will be proud of myself, but the last month of training has been a slog. I have had more fatigue than I would like after my runs, and I am starting to dread the mid week runs.

After the 12k I ran I can’t seem to get my body moving further than 1-2 miles which is obviously concerning.

I am cutting back on my weekday run distances and will try slowing things down on all my runs. Hopefully this will help, but I am ready to get back to running here and there when it feels right. I am discovering that I prefer the 10k distance for my longest run’s and I don’t think I need to do much more than that. I struggle with fueling once I up my milage, and I can’t eat bagels and peanut butter like all the other runners. I end up eating things that don’t sit well just for the calories, which then adds to the fatigue. Alas, it’s never ending trial and error.

Q: What’s your confession?

Last month we celebrated a very, very special birthday. My sweet (and spicy) cat Little turned 17 this year, and I am beyond blessed to have had so many years with my best friend. Truth be told, I never imagined we would get to this birthday. Little has been on a wild ride since he was 10 years old.

In January of 2018 he had emergency (life saving) surgery for a blocked urethra from a struvite crystal (sadly common for male cats.) In December of 2018 he was first diagnosed with early stage kidney disease. In November of 2020 he was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, and had to have a radioactive iodine treatment to complete cure it. In May of 2023 he had a vomit fest leading to a misdiagnosis of IBD, when in reality homie was severely constipated.

This resulted in months of steroids he did not need, and I completely overhauled his diet. I never believed he had IBD and after switching to a new vet I was affirmed in my belief.

In February of 2024 he took a trip to the ER (on my birthday) after five days without a BM. Three weeks later we were back in the ER for the same issue (we have since dialed in on this.) And most recently, in April of 2025 he had a double ear infection, but received a misdiagnosis of being BLIND…more on that in a minute.

So yeah, 17 is a big deal. Despite all the above listed ailments, overall he has lived a very healthy life. His kidney disease is chronic, but ironically this issue has been the least of our worries thus far (aside from contributing to constipation and nausea in his geriatric years.) If you have been a regular reader (or are a real life pal) you will know this cat is my world. Each day with him is a special gift I don’t take for granted.

When shit first hit the fan in 2018 there was no guarantee his emergency surgery would work. I knew we had to try despite the gargantuan price tag, and here we are seven years later. Worth every penny.

Admittedly I might be a bit too attached to my cat, and I have extreme separation anxiety after all the chaos we’ve been through lately. This makes his birthday celebrations extra special because I get to celebrate the wins. For his birthday this year he received a new floppy fish toy from Duncan, a new peacock feather from me, and various treats to snack on while us humans ate apple pie. He also donned a very special birthday boy hat, and he was a true sport about this one.

We also took a special birthday car ride, which is the same as a regular car ride, but with his party hat. He only wore it long enough for me to snap a photo, and then he lounged in the back taking in the sights as we slowwwllyy drove. After his misdiagnosis of having IBD I stopped letting him in the backyard incase the grass was aggravating his stomach.

Instead I took him in the car (sans vet carrier) to see if he would enjoy it, and the rest is history.

Although this celebration was mostly for me to have special memories, I would like to think he had a joyful time. During this day I noticed him scratching his ears and shaking his head, and I then noticed it happening each day after for about four days. I called my vet suspecting he had an ear infection, but unfortunately my vet was on vacation.

I was able to see the urgent care doctor on shift that same day, but because my cat is so incredibly spicy at the vet she was unable to handle him. He usually gets a big hit of gabapentin before we go, but I don’t think he had enough time for the drugs to kick in. This vet took him in the back room (despite me telling her I’d have better luck getting him out of his carrier if he stayed with me in the original room, but whatever) for ten minutes before finally let me come back to help.

She proceeded to tell me she did a vision test on him and that he was completely blind. Insert wtf emoji here. I knew he wasn’t blind, but I was so taken aback that I didn’t know what to say. She was about to send me home with nothing more than a quack diagnosis so I asked her if I could swab his ears for her, because I knew he wasn’t scratching his head due to detached retinas.

Sure enough, double ear infection.

The lesson here is to always be the advocate for your pet. Being a vet is HARD, I don’t deny that, but we know our pets better than anyone and I knew he had something wrong with his ears. Just to be sure, I came home that day and brought out the laser. The vet told me he likely still played with his toys because he could hear them, but I figured if he could hear light then he was a wizard.

He chased that laser like he was five years old.

Like I said, this cat has had quite the medical journey, but he is still plugging along bringing me more joy than I could ever imagine possible. Admittedly I have spent the past two years waiting for the next shoe to drop. I obsessively monitor his bathroom and eating habits, his energy levels, his mobility, and his overall demeanor. It seems just when things calm down something else happens, but I am trying my best to enjoy each day individually.

Anticipatory grief is rough. I find myself getting stuck in loops of sadness for when he is no longer with me all while he is very much still alive.

I don’t want to look back on this time and regret living too far in the future, so I will leave it at this: happy birthday to my geriatric feline, thank you for 17 amazing years thus far.

Q: Have you ever received a misdiagnoses from your vet? If you don’t have pets have you received one for yourself!? Anyone else have a bionic pet like mine who continues to survive everything thrown their way?

Last year I ran my 7th half marathon after a decade long hiatus from longer distances. I shared that experience here, as well as why I stopped running all together, and how I came back into it. Since that race I have been enjoying running races again, and I have run a few throughout the past year.

Running had been going well for me, so back in November I decided to sign up for half marathon number 8. I’ve had this idea in my head that I want to try and run at least one half marathon per year, but this year things didn’t go according to plan. In fact, things went pretty rough the final seven weeks of training all the way into race day.

But before I get into that, let’s talk about the day before the race.

One of my favorite things about running half marathons is choosing a new destination to visit. I had been to Wenatchee before, but I had never been to the area where the race was. Wenatchee is about 3.5 – 4 hours from where I live, in a much sunnier area of Washington. I was excited to get out of town for the first time since I went to Banff last September, even if just for one night.

Duncan and I left our area early enough to have some time to walk around Wenatchee, check into the hotel, get my race bib, and relax. Going into the race I took two days off work to rest my legs, but I ended up walking over 12,000 steps the day before the run because we were exploring. Oops.

While walking the historical downtown we passed by a pet store, and just as I was planning to walk by I noticed something inside.

Carlos the shop cat drew me in, and he was so precious I had to pet him. The store was adorable, and in the back they had a closed off room with a cat available for adoption. I had to say hello to her too. She was so sweet and I wish I could have taken her home. Put me in a shop with two cats and I am a happy gal.

This was clearly the highlight of the day before the run. We grabbed some food from Safeway, visited a natural food shop that was right across from the hotel, and walked part of the course before retiring for the evening. The following morning I woke up early enough to ensure I had a BM, coffee, and a banana before heading down to the race.

I had two pals running this race as well, one was my coworker, and one was a girl I went to high school with. Neither of them trained much for this, but both decided to YOLO and go for it. Having pals there to relish in the running spirit makes things more fun.

As I mentioned before, going into this race my training started to drag. I couldn’t get my long runs in without having to walk, I struggled to finish mid week runs due to fatigue, and my mindset was hogwash. I was not having a good time, my body was flaring up, and I was getting frustrated by how difficult it felt to run a very slow paced run.

By the time race day came around I had zero goals, and zero expectations. My only goal was to finish, and there was a moment during this race I didn’t think that was going to happen. I am usually in a good place mentally with my body and my autoimmune issues, but once in a while I get really angry at the lack of control I have over how I am going to feel.

This came to a head during the run, and it took me a week to accept that this was still a successful run even if it didnt go how I wanted it to.

I wish I could tell you what exactly happened, but that’s just it – there is never one specific reason why things go awry. I knew when this run felt hard at half a mile in that it was going to be a very long 13 miles. I definitely started the race too fast, but no faster than I have started every other race I have done the last year. By the time I got to mile 6 I was seriously contemplating a DNF.

The reality is that running is supposed to be fun. I am supposed to enjoy the challenge it brings, and for eight weeks I was dreading everything about it. I was struggling far more than I should have after three months of training, and I just didn’t want to do it anymore. I texted Duncan that I was having a rough time, and like the gem that he is he offered to come get me anywhere I needed.

I decided instead of quitting, I was going to allow myself to walk instead. I spent the entire second half of the race running and walking, running and walking.

I think had I not had two friends running this as well I just might have quit. I may never know, but having them there pushed me to keep going. The upside of walking is having the ability to take photos of the beautiful course. This really was an amazing area to run, and I would like to have a redo someday when my mindset is better.

My ego really hated the run/walk method, but there is no way I would have finished without it.

By the time I saw mile 13 I was beyond excited. I have never wanted something to be over so badly in my life, and I was so close to being done I could have cried. Duncan was there to welcome me across the finish line, and although this was a race I didn’t feel proud of initially, I think this should be the one I am the most proud of.

When I got back into running I was simply thankful I could run without having constant flare ups. I was thankful to be moving my body in a way that allowed me to quiet my anxiety, and to give a middle finger of sorts to my autoimmune disease. I never want to give up the things I enjoy, but I have to remember this means I need to keep my boundaries in place.

I let my boundaries slip while training for this race. My stress levels were through the roof, my heart wasn’t in it, I was fueling poorly, and I wasn’t listening to my body when it told me I needed to slow down. My biggest takeaway from this is that I need to remember why I run. I don’t run to PR in races, or to be fast (that will never happen), I run for longevity both physically and mentally.

After the race I met up with my pal from high school for brunch at Pybus Market. This was like a mini Pike Place and the food was great. Duncan and I spent the rest of the day driving around, and found our way to Leavenworth for a couple hours before heading home.

After this race I told myself running needed to take a back seat for a while, but of course that was short lived. I feel the need for a redo on this years half marathon, but not because I want a better time. I want a redo so I can actually enjoy the race even if I am walking. Who cares if I am the last one to cross the finish line, the point is to enjoy myself!

I wasn’t disappointed because I was slow, I was disappointed because I allowed myself to get so worked up mentally. There are going to be more runs/races in the future where things don’t go well, but that’s life and it’s ok. I can’t predict how I am going to feel everyday, but a finish is a finish. Being able to run or jog is a gift, and I don’t want to forget that.

I now have another shiny medal to add to my collection, and a happy memory of a furry friend named Carlos.

Q: Who else has had a pity party like this for themselves? Anyone…anyone…just me?

1. Welcome to another dump of information about what’s been going on in the world of Brittany lately. I don’t know how, but it’s already July. My life has been very simple these days. I use simple instead of boring because I am trying to be mindful of my verbiage.

Life isn’t boring just because it’s slower paced. It’s simply…simple.

2. Duncan and I celebrated another year of partnership at the end of April. We had planned to go to Leavenworth, but after driving that direction the weekend prior for my half marathon I didn’t want to drive that way all over again so soon. We decided to spend the day in Seattle instead, something I haven’t done since 2021.

We went to the Pacific Science Center, somewhere I grew up going often. Sadly this place is a shell of its former self. It wasn’t worth the price, but I did get photographic evidence of my Raynaud’s which was pretty funny. Note the color of my hands next to Duncan’s “normal blood flow” hands.

3. It’s no secret around here that I love coffee. After working in the coffee world for seven years I think it will forever be part of my inner being. With that said, I am starting to get more into tea as well. I have always been a big fan of peppermint tea, but I have been somewhat obsessed with learning more about herbs and flowers so I can make my own loose leaf blends of medicine in a cup.

Loose leaf blends make me feel like I’m brewing a potion. My inner child loves it.

4. Speaking of coffee and tea, a new cafe popped up in my town recently. Duncan and I decided to try it, and upon entering I immediately knew I was going to enjoy sitting inside. The ambiance was top notch. Plants EVERYWHERE. The coffee was good (Duncan said best espresso he has ever had), and we were there during happy hour so I got a gluten free slice of cake for 1/2 off!

OH, and they had so many board games to play!

5. My last haircut was back in October. I have not gone more than 5 months without a haircut since December of 2017. My hairstylist moved, and my backup hairstylist is no longer at my backup salon. A mix of overwhelm at the idea of finding a new stylist and stress in life has caused me to let my hair get to a length I cannot stand.

The feeling of it on my neck and ears makes me want to shave my head every single day.

6. I am surprised by how many hikes I have already managed to squeeze in since May started. Not all of them are blog worthy, some are worthy of their own post, and a few are worthy of just a snippet of information with some photos. I’ll share two of the latter.

I hiked to Lake Angeles with my pals Caitlin and Jackie on a very blustery day. This was my third time hiking here and it’s always a good time. Just over 7 miles, about 2300′ of elevation gain, and a beautiful lake at the end.

I also hiked to the plane wreck on the Tull Canyon Trail – somewhere I tried to hike to last summer, but missed the turn off. This wreck is extra sad because the plane was sent on a SAR mission to rescue people who had already crashed in ANOTHER plane. Five of eight in the Tull Canyon crash survived. There is good information here if you are interested in deep diving.

This trail is moderate until the turn off to Tull Canyon, then it gets steep. The hike was around 9 miles with 1500′ gain (all in one spot.)

7. I’m moderately ashamed to admit that I have been hyper aware of my skin lately. My face looks like it aged 10 years seemingly overnight. Stress is likely a big contributor to this, but I’m also getting older and that’s just life. With that said, if anyone has any skin care recommendations let me know.

The caveat is that the products have to be “clean.” I’d sooner let myself look 20 years older than use toxic products.

8. One of the perks of my job is having first dibs on all the gear people return. With a one year return policy, people return nearly new items all the time simply because they didn’t like them. Sometimes after just one or two uses. We then reprice the items that are still able to be sold and put them into our “garage sale” type area.

I was able to snag a two person tent recently for a FRACTION of the cost. The people who returned it literally used it once and thought it was too heavy (they likely wanted it for backpacking.) I set it up in my backyard to see how Little liked it. He approves.

9. Little and I are in a bit of a weird limbo. We switched to a new vet two years ago after some struggle with his vet of many years, and I just discovered a few weeks ago that our new vet is leaving the clinic. I am hoarding his medications like a squirrel preparing for winter because I am so overwhelmed to find a new vet.

We might just ride the wave for a while, and I will take him somewhere new in 6-8 months just to establish a relationship.

10. Duncan and I went for our first bike ride of the year last week. We parked the car at one end of an island nearby, and biked 7.5 miles to the other end for coffee and a baked good. The weather was perfect, and I hope to do this ride again soon. We then biked the 7.5 miles back for a 15 mile jaunt, and I stopped at probably six Little Free Libraries.

I commandeered two new to me books, and it was so fun to see what each little box of books contained.

Give me a good bike ride or a good hike with food and coffee mixed in and I am a happy gal.

Q: What’s your confession?