The last handful of “big adventure” hikes (anything I have to travel over an hour to get to and consists of at least 4-8 hours of hiking) I’ve gone on have been on cloudy days. Temp wise this is ideal, but for a good view and full proof navigation it’s not.
BIG difference in the view driving up from the last hike I went on. NO clouds. YES!
You can imagine my excitement when I ventured to Seattle/North Bend on a bright sunshiny day. Bring on the fantastic views!!
The must see attraction on this hike was Mount Rainier. As the elevation grew, the views became better and better. What first started at just a tiny peak of a view, grew to a mass pile of gorgeous.
This hike was rated a 4/5 for difficulty, but once it got steep I personally rated it a 4.5/5. I was also hot and I was tired. As always though, the views from the top were well worth the climb.
Snow on one side, dirt on the other.
Due to the activities that took place on my last big hike (getting lost and almost starving to death) I packed my bag full. I had an apple, a plum, two tortillas with an avocado smashed inside, a Vega bar, dry roasted edamame, leftover brown rice noodles with beans and tomato, and a vegan/gluten free berry scone I bought at WF.
My one and only complaint on this hike was not having a personal zap gun for all the bugs swarming me. It was legit ridiculous. Thankfully as I sat at the peak and enjoyed my food feast, the annoyance of the bugs all seemed to fade away.
I have 4 bug bites that have lasted over a week, but I ate every last morsel of the food I brought. I call that a success.
Blogging has been on the back burner right now due to work, school, and my hiking adventures. I will pop in for a post or two whenever I have some down time to write! As always, you can follow my adventures outside of the blog through my Instagram photos! 🙂
Q: What’s your favorite hiking weather? I like a slight bit of overcast to keep things cool, but not enough to skew the view!
Blissfulbritt 
51 thoughts on “Bandera Mountain – The Sun it Shines”
jessielovestorun
Girl, I was thinking. You should make a new tab & share all of these hikes you go on. Maybe give people an idea of what you can expect @ each one. Idk, just an idea 🙂
Brittany
SO funny you say this, I was literally thinking this EXACT thing last night. I think I may have to do that! 🙂
Athina
Haha, yes! A zap gun would definitely come in handy when hiking and it has been my constant complaint on the few occasions that I do follow my husband along (he loves hiking much like you!). It would also come in handy during long beach walks in the summer (and in a couple hundred other places!!). Such a gadget, LOL
Mary
Snow on one side?! You must be up so high! We did a fair bit of hiking when we visited Idaho for a Summer but I miss it lots now. Our trails in the UK are just filled with stinging nettles. 😦
pickyrunner
Until I started reading your blog I never had any desire to travel out west. But your pictures are so gorgeous, now all I want to do is go hiking! One day I’ll make it over there. Hopefully one day soon!
Brittany
Yes, get your ass out here and then we can explore….and refuel with sugar.
Choc Chip Uru
You inspire me to get off my butt and actually go outside 😀
What AMAZING photos everything is so beautiful!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
kathy@vodka and soda
omg the bugs. i went on my usual trails and even with bug spray and 2 layers of clothing, they still managed to eat me alive. they’re also getting brave AND EATING MY FACE WTF
Brittany
Oh hell naw. I have a bite on my neck, right smack dab in the middle. It’s not cute, but you win with them eating your face.
Sarah @ Feeeding the Brain and Body
I am so jealous that you actually got to see these views with your own two eyes! They are all beautiful photos but I bet the real deal was so much better (I’m not trying to diss your photography, just seems like the real deal is almost always better then a captured version!). Must get in more hikes this summer!!
Brittany
I couldn’t agree more, these photos do NOT do the real life view any justice! 🙂
katalysthealth
Goodness lady THAT is gorgeous!! And that’s also my favorite kind of hiking. Its almost like rock hopping / rock climbing too, since there’s so many boulders and what not to get over. Just beware of snacks! I’ve run right into a rattle snake that was getting a sun tan. Scared the jeepers out of me….
Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets
The hike we did at Blend was the first time I saw dirt on one side and snow on the other. I actually had trouble in mind correlating my ability to stand comfortably in workout capris and a tank top right next to a pile of snow. Just another reason hiking is pretty cool.
By the way, as soon as I started reading your blog, Max hopped into my lap and he is currently purring away. I think it’s a sign.
Brittany
Totally a sign…he is calling for me…telepathically.
Alex
Oh my lanta that view is DROP DEAD GORGEOUS!! The flowers, the sun, the sweeping views of Rainier, just WOW!!! 😀 And dude, speaking of annoying bugs, my dad and I got these $5 head net mask things for moqsuitos and bugs while we were in AK. You should totally check them out! We got them at REI and they were a LIFESAVER!
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy
Those views really are incredible – I am so jealous!
I am heading off to the French Alps next week to go on a hike and do some white water rafting (terrified about that bit), and I hope I get to see similar scenery,
Brittany
The FRENCH ALPS!?!?! No way, I am SO insanely jealous. Have a blast!
Amy @ A Desert Girl
I loooooove your hiking pictures!! These views! Gorgeous.
Thumbs down for bugs!! I hate bugs.
Heather @ HeatherRunsFast.com
Beautiful pictures, Brittany! All of your hiking lately makes me wish we had something more than baby hills here. Gorgeous!
kcriemer
more beautiful pictures!! i remember seeing mt rainier from JBLM (which felt more like prison) and longing to get some hiking in. someday i guarantee to get back out to that beautiful west coast.
The Zen Kat
I love that last picture of you with the sun in the corner. It’s amazing how clear photos come out in the bright warm weather. Great shots of Rainier! On our tour, we were in view of Mount Rainier, but the day was a bit overcast, so you can’t see Rainier as well. Oh Washington, you beautiful state! 🙂
Shawna
you knowwwwww how high my jealousy level is in regards to your amazeballs hiking adventures — love living vicariously through you (minus the bug bite shenanigans, woof). glad you managed to not almost starve to death this time. 🙂 great pix! love the one of you displaying the mountain in your palm.
Amanda @ .running with spoons.
Absolutely stunning — I’m jealous! For hiking, I like things to be a little overcast so that I don’t end up nearly dying of heat stroke or burning the top of my head because I hate wearing hats; but when I’m snowboarding, I need clear skies and lots of sunshine so that I can see the snow through my goggles and don’t hit random ice patches and bumps that could send me flying. I’m hard to please 😆
apartmentwife
i feel like i’m being sold a hiking vacation by travelocity – i literally was thinking ‘yes, purchase!’ by the time i scrolled to the bottom of this post. big pile of gorgeous is right 🙂 jealoooous of you ❤
Ashley
The views are gorgeous! My ideal weather is sunny but with a breeze and preferably a shaded trail so it doesn’t get too hot. However, I’m planning on taking my parents on a hike nearby when they visit me at the end of the month and I’m guessing it will be about 100 degrees and humid so that won’t be ideal, but I’m hoping for plenty of shade!
Rach @ This Italian Family
Those photos are just gorgeous. Seriously, Britt, what views! I want to go hiking with you!
Matt @ Runner Savvy
You are a hiking machine!
Aja
I haven’t hiked Mt Rainier in a long time! Those are beautiful pictures. I need to hike the Manastash ridge over here in eastern Washington. It’s so close and I haven’t hiked it yet!
P
Mt. Rainier looks absolutely stunning! Beautiful pictures 😀 !
Ellie
I love 80 degree weather! That’s perfect for me! Do you ever use poles when you hike? Do you hike when it snows?
Brittany
As my hikes get more intense I am seriously considering buying poles. I don’t have any yet, but I plan to get some soon!! I’ve hiked in and while it’s been snowing before yes, but in Washington that’s not really a big deal. I’ve run in the snow too…ha.
Change of Pace
My hiking poles made a huge difference on steep descents, and when my knees are sore!
di @ life of di.
I prefer to hike when it’s cool and overcast too 🙂 I completely HATE hiking when it’s hot out. I’m not a fan of summer weather (really anything over 75 degrees) so a nice cloudy day in the 60s is perfect for hiking! PS – I’m still jealous that you get to hike all the time. I go on walks everyday and we have a trail near by but those views are just to die for!
Change of Pace
Impressive hiking eats!!
As always, gorgeous views!
My favourite weather definitely includes clear(ish) sky so you can see for miles 🙂
Melanie
What a gorgeous hike! I always LOVE reading about your hiking adventures. All of your food sounds awesome too. I never thought about bringing tortillas with avocado. Sounds perfect!
Khushboo Thadani (@KhushbooThadani)
Stunning pictures!! Hope you are enjoying school so far, Britt! Although I haven’t gone hiking enough times to have a favorite weather, I am pretty sure I’d be down with “sunshine with a slight breeze”—> that’s my ideal running weather!
Polly - TastyFoodProject.com
I really need to get some hiking in this summer! I say that every year and then when summer comes around I am booked with events almost every weekend. Love your photos and the view of Rainier!
Connie
that view took my breath away! i shall live vicariously through you when you go on these amazing hikes!
emmahume
Your Instragram photos are soo lovely!! Beautiful food and beautiful views, it just makes me want to eat and adventure!
Food, Booze, & Baggage
Beautiful pictures!! My brother just climbed Mount Rainier in June, he had some neat pictures. Washington state is so pretty.
lucie
4-8 hours? Girl you have some serious stamina! I so WISH we lived closer so I could come hike (and eat vegan meals!) with you, we would have so much fun!
Brittany
UGH, I KNOW!
An Unrefined Vegan
How lucky you are to have beautiful, awe-inspiring hikes and views! I can’t blame you one bit for abandoning blogging in favor of that goodness.
Have to agree with you on hiking weather. On the cool side, some cloudage, but I wanna see the nature, too. And I always, always bring more munchies than I think I’ll need!
Lauren @ ihadabiglunch
These views are absolutely stunning. You always have a way of making me jealous of so early in the morning, it’s quite the talent haha. Is it weird that, although I know they’re man-made, I think rocks that are formed into stairs are some of the coolest things ever? It’s like a stairway to heaven or something. Great photo!
Brittany
I totally agree about the rock stairs!! Precisely why I had to take a photo! 🙂
Lauren
Amazing hiking photos and I just followed you on IG. 🙂 I hear what you’re saying about back burner – I’m trying so hard to keep up on it, but I just don’t have the time like I did before, Boo!
Kate @ Another Clean Slate
Bug bites are the worst kind of souvenirs! Glad it was a great hike otherwise!!
The Vegan 8
Wow, I’m seriously blown away by all of these photos. SO completely gorgeous. You really are so blessed to live where you do! I’m impressed by all your hiking adventures…I”m such a wuss and scared of heights!
Sophie @ life's philosophie
Amazing photos! You make me want to ditch work and go on a hike!
Amy
Girl, take as much time off from blogging as you need. It’s easy to get burned out when you have so many other really important priorities — trust me! 😉 And your hike looked like so much fun! I’ve driven past Mt. Rainier a few times, but seeing it out of a dusty car window isn’t the same as staring at it from another gorgeous mountain. And holy yum about all that food!!
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