Mount Townsend | Blissfulbritt

Tag: Mount Townsend

Mount Townsend Tumble

Posted at 7:16 AM by Brittany, on July 23, 2015

I’d been dying to get back to Mount Townsend since around this time one year ago. The way the snow sparkled atop the mountain peaks made my soul sing louder than a yellow canary, and I’ve literally thought about my last trip once every month.

At least.

This time however, the snow was hard to spot. The hotter than normal summer we’ve been having must have melted it all away.

This was a perfect example of how change is constant, which is funny because I mention something similar in my last post about this hike. Despite hiking this mountain during the same time of year, the views were slightly different.

I did enjoy an apple in the sky though, just like last time.

My friend and I got an early start to beat the heat this past Sunday, but I still felt the affects of the 90 degree stagnant air at a few spots. I’m a wuss with the heat.

Quite the view at 6200 ft up.

Sundays have become my day for adventure. I always have them off of work, and try to take advantage of them in any way that I can. Hiking is always my favorite choice.

The trees are my happy place, even when I become so enraptured by them that I don’t see the large rocks in front of me. I took my first trail tumble, which was too close for comfort to a large ledge. It hurt like hell, but man was it comical.

I’ll spare you the close up photo, but I’ll just say as I type this post my knee continues to throb. The first thing I thought of as I was going down was how much I regretted not purchasing the mini first aid kit each and every time I stepped foot into REI.

I had it in my hand for purchase multiple times, yet always set it down. It’s now the first thing on my list for my next trip to REI. I rinsed as much as I could with the water I had, and continued the remaining 4 miles down the mountain.

Lesson learned.

Scraped knees aside this was a lovely way to spend the day. Four solid hours in the beauty of nature fills me with enough gusto to power through the week ahead.

Until next time mountain trails, I’ll be prepared with band aids, antiseptic wipes, and a tourniquet. Just kidding on that last one, let’s hope I never need one of those.

Q: Have you taken any trail tumbles?

| 60 Comments Tagged Explore, Hike, Mount Townsend, PNW

A Place of Zen

Posted at 7:10 AM by Brittany, on July 11, 2014

The older I get the more I realize how fluid life is, constantly changing and flowing in different directions. If you’re not prepared to bend and mold with the moving currents, reality tends to slap you in the face.

As I stated a few posts ago, blogging has taken a bit of a back seat to other things in my life. Once upon a time I blogged every other day, but now I’m lucky to get 1-2 posts a week in. C’est la vie.

Between work, school, and spending all my free time in the mountains I have changed my priorities around. Blogging has taken its place in hot seat number four. I stressed about this for all of 2 minutes before I reminded myself why I blog. I blog because I enjoy it, not because I have to. Blogging is a hobby, to be done when I decide.

My latest mountain extravaganza was one that I have wanted to check off my list for a few years now. I attempted to find this trail head in May 2012 (thank you blog archives) but was unsuccessful.

I couldn’t be happier I tried again because this takes the cake for my favorite hike thus far. The Olympic Mountains have some of the most gorgeous valleys, and talk about breath taking views of the Cascades.

Food tastes better up here.

I literally sat in the same spot staring at these mountains for 20 minutes. I was waiting for Julie Andrews to run out from behind one of these hills singing about how they are alive, but she didn’t show.

If I could build a tiny cabin anywhere in the world this is where it would be. I am either extremely under traveled, or I just adore the area I live in. I’ll say a little bit of both.

I know I talk about it a lot, but hiking has really captured my soul lately. So much that I rarely think about running, and instead my thoughts are filled with high trees and snow capped mountains.

It’s bizarre at times to think about how much my life has changed when it comes to running. I still love it (most of the time), but it’s not like it was when I first started. I feel like I’ve found something in hiking that I can completely call my own. Running has always had a slight connection to a part of my life that changed a long time ago.

This is what I look like at 6280 ft, about the clouds, and with the sun in my face.

This is what I look like at 6280 ft, above the clouds, and with the sun in my face. OH and with a mountain sprouting from my head, look closely! Mt. Baker hat.

I went to the bathroom near a bush with this as my view. I could get used to that.

I’ve learned to change accordingly with my life as it continues to move forward. I have my moments of reminiscence, but I embrace each day for its own fresh start. Life is good, and I’m in a place of zen.