Tag: Mountain

• Thunderbird Park

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on January 22, 2018

  A trip to Arizona for me is not complete without a visit to Thunderbird Park. Mostly this is because my family lives near one of the trail entrances, so I walk half a mile and my hike begins. Not quite like the 1-2 hour drives I take to get to a trail in Washington.

  Not that I’m complaining, nothing compares to the hikes in Washington…yet.

  In my previous visits to Thunderbird Park, I stuck to a basic walk following the Coach Whip trail, taking me along three different mountains, but never to the summits. The park is split into three mountains, each with their own summit. One at Arrowhead Point, one on the Cholla Loop, and one on Sunrise Mountain.

  The other trails in the image below lead into one of these summits.

  

  I decided to jump on board with the #52hikechallenge this year, where I hike at least 52 times throughout 2018. To make it easy, I started on Jan 2. Ideally I will hike once a week, but there will certainly be weeks I hike more than this (like when I’m hiking 8 days straight in Scotland, or when I’m hiking this summer at an exciting location – for another blog post), as well as weeks I don’t hike at all.

  I plan to listen to my body this year more than every before, like yesterday when I chose to go to a spin class instead of hike. 

  Overall I have no strict rules for this goal, just to make an effort to hike as often as possible. I completed four hikes while in Arizona, three of them at Thunderbird Park in order to hit all three summits. I find it easy to start a commitment like this when I’m in Arizona because the sunshine is motivational.

  Plus I have a shitton of extra time, and Thunderbird is so close. 

  

  Far left is Sunrise Mountain, middle is Cholla Loop, and far right is Arrowhead Point. All connected by the Coach Whip trail.

  

  Another angle view of the same three in the same order.

  You would never know from the above panoramic photos, but each summit is market by an American flag. This made it more fun for me, because I can’t say the view from the tops are anything to loose your pants over. Instead I used the flag as my victory reward. I did all of these hikes solo, and this park is well populated so I always felt safe.

  Each hike gave me a bit over 5 miles by starting where I did on the Coach Whip, but you could easily do more than one mountain at a time. 

  First up for me was Cholla Loop – a 3.6 mile loop with an elevation of 1350′. The overall gain is a mere 561′ making this trail suitable for most everyone. I started at the same location each time, giving me a few extra miles. This was when I realized there were multiple summits, and this was when I decided to hit all three before I left.

  

  Next hike was somewhat unplanned. I set out with the intention of just walking the Coach Whip (which I did a few other times that I’m not counting) but ended up turning the wrong way. I was heading towards the summit of Sunrise Mountain, and ironically as I hit the summit the sun was starting to set.

  Sunset on Sunrise.

  I wasn’t planning a full hike, but one thing led to another. I still got 5 miles in on this hike, but had to call for backup because it was getting dark. Instead of walking back another mile and a half or so on the Coach Whip, I got picked up at the Sunrise Mountain trail head. Shout out to my dad and stepmom for coming to save me from coyotes and creeps. This trail is a 4.3 mile loop (I loved the loops!) with a gain of 626′.

  

  Lastly I ventured to Arrowhead Point Trail, which was the shortest of them all with a smaller elevation gain, but the shorter the mileage/gain ratio the more it burns. It’s short, but it gets the lungs burning. This loop is 2.4 miles with a gain of 439′. I was fortunate enough to have the summits mostly to myself.

  I sat at this summit for a good 10 minutes appreciating my life.

  

  I’ve officially conquered all of Thunderbird Park, and feel I’m a partial subject matter expert now. I’m excited to continue hiking in various places around the US, and in Scotland. And of course anywhere else I decide to travel to, because the world is my playground.

  Q: Did you set any goals for the new year? I think goals should be sent all year long, not just at the beginning.

  

  | 41 Comments Tagged Arizona, Hike, Mountain, Solo Hike, Thunderbird Park

• Desert Botanical Garden

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on January 19, 2018

  When I think of the desert, I think of dry, brown, arid environments with little to no life. I also think of hot fudge sundaes, but that’s because my brain has a hard time letting go of that extra “s” in the word dessert. While my original thoughts have some validity to them, I recently discovered the desert has a unique beauty that goes beyond the dry brown climate.

  

  

  A trip to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, AZ is all it took for me to open a small piece of my heart to the desert. For as long as I can remember, succulents have been one of my favorite types of plant. Little did I know a cactus is technically a succulent. You can tell I didn’t study horticulture in college.

  I also had no idea there were so many species of cacti. I was familiar with saguaro (I think we all are), barrel, prickly pear (thanks Jungle Book), and a few others I recognized visually (though I don’t know the names), but I discovered so many more.

  Octopus cactus (legit), teddy bear cactus (you touch it and it sticks on you and won’t let go), ones that had hair, and ones that looked like a fence. 

  

  

  The cacti were educational, but the original purpose for this adventure was to see the Jun Kaneko sculptures littered around the gardens. Jun is a Japanese American artist who specializes in large, hand built ceramic sculptures. The majority of the sculptures we saw were of giant heads. They were weird, but a good kind of weird.

  Kind of like me. 

  

  

  

  The gardens are spread over five trails, winding and looping together in one way or another. It took us two hours to cover it all, walking at a comfortable pace. It was a tranquil place and I found myself leaving much calmer than I walked in. The garden had sections for different plants, including an edible garden.

  My favorite thing about the gardens were the reminders that nature is healing. They have sensory gardens to relax the mind scattered around the property, fountains trickled water, birds chirped in the trees, and the air was fresh. My favorite sculpture and location had a fountain, and a view of the surrounding mountains.

  I could have sat there for hours. 

  

  This experience was a good reminder that beauty is found anywhere, and sometimes it just takes a shift in perspective. I didn’t think the desert was ugly necessarily, but I didn’t jump out of my seat to call it beautiful either. What shocked me the most while visiting this garden was all the green. Green trees, green cacti, green succulents.

  Who knew the desert could have so much green in one place. 

  

  

  

  The paths were surrounded by desert dwelling organisms, and every so often we’d stumble upon some sculptures. Art is funny, and really anything can be viewed as art depending on..you guessed it..perspective. Anything from a red line drawn on a black sheet of paper, to tall bear/pig hybrid statues.

  The one with stripes was my spirit animal. #twins.

  

  

  

  Art can come in all shapes and sizes, and everybody has their own preference. I enjoy art in many forms from written words, to paintings, to sculptures like these. Art offers a unique view into the mind of its creator, and has its own therapeutic and meditative benefits. Finding art within a garden makes a lot of sense when I think of it like that.

  

  

  

  One day, when I grow up, I will have a large garden next to a tiny home. I will spend my free time outdoors soaking up the meditative benefits of fountains, and nature, and it will be my place of zen. These botanical gardens have a powerful way of giving you the same benefits you’d get from meditation, and for that I’m a fan.

  Maybe I’ll even have a Jun Kaneko giant head, don’t they look like they’re meditating?

  

  My family bought a membership to these gardens, and I can’t wait to visit again at a different time of year. I don’t anticipate much will change with the plants, desert terrain doesn’t have seasons, but the different activities and exhibits will be fun. If I lived in Arizona I would come here once a week to recenter my focus and sit near my favorite labyrinth.

  

  The goal of meditation is not to control your thoughts, it’s to stop your thoughts from controlling you. 

  Q: What’s your preferred biome? I have three: grassland, temperate deciduous forests, and taiga.

  

  | 33 Comments Tagged Arizona, Botanical Garden, Garden, Meditation, Mountain, Zen

• Lake Angeles

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on August 29, 2017

  I used to be extremely active. One season of my life I was training for my third half marathon while completing the Insanity DVD’s, and this was completely normal for me. I was never not doing something intense. Then I lost my period, and it would take another few years for me to realize perhaps it’s time to take things down a notch.

  

  Don’t get me wrong, I love the euphoria that comes from an extreme cardio session, but my body has been trying to tell me to take it down a few notches and I’ve chosen not to listen. It amazes me how loud and clear our bodies will communicate to us if we listen, the problem is that we’re usually so focused on other things we don’t hear the warning signs.

  The go go go mentality comes into play for me whenever I go for a hike as well, the mountain has to be bigger and badder than the one before or I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished much. The mountains aren’t close to me, so I’ve always had a certain rule when choosing trails.

  

  I LOL’d at this sign, if you look closely next to the 3.7 someone wrote “More like 5.”

  My rule is that when it comes to a hike, I need the time spent on the trail to be longer than the time it took to drive there. On average, it takes me about two hours to get to a good hike meaning the actual hike will ideally take 3 hours or more. This means the trail needs to be at least 7 miles RT or more. 

  I realize how ridiculous this all sounds. I can’t say all my marbles are straight, but I’m actively working on pushing them closer together in a somewhat uniformed line. I don’t hike as much these days in an attempt to re-balance my body (still no consistent periods, but I feel we’re getting closer) and I really don’t enjoy running so that had to go too, but if I find a friend to tag along on a hike I’ll go.

  

  Before setting off to conquer Lake Angeles, I found myself slipping into old habits. Originally when my friend asked if I wanted to go for a hike, I got onto the Washington Trails website to find a big and bad hike to conquer. I must also mention I’m not at all in the shape I was when I was running half marathons and doing Insanity, meaning big bad hikes are more painful than enjoyable these days.

  

  I originally chose a different trail to explore. Higher elevation, and longer distance. Because, why not. I woke up at 3am the morning of the hike with a lump in my stomach telling me this was not the trail I wanted. I was dreading the adventure, and that’s no fun. I remembered that I’m trying to respect my body and not destroy it, and made the change to Lake Angeles last minute.

  At 7.4 miles RT with an elevation gain of 2350′ this was more than enough. It kicked my out of shape butt in all the right ways. This also happened to be the week that Washington was hit with a shitton of smoke that was pushed our way from the BC wildfires, as you can see in all of these photos, so taking it easy was ideal.

  The smoke gave me terrible headaches. I can’t imagine what it was like in Canada. 

  

  The point of this post is to remind me, and to encourage you to listen to our bodies. When things are out of balance it’s for a reason and the only way to know is to slow down and listen. It’s a challenge for those of us with obsessions or addictions to certain lifestyles, but without challenges we will never grow.

  We are constantly bombarded with people telling us that we are lazy if we don’t want to workout, or unhealthy if we want to eat the cake, but at the end of the day only you know what’s best for your body and soul. For too long I told myself I was lazy if I didn’t go for a run, or climb a bigger mountain, but you can only force something for so long before the joy is zapped from it.

  

  Hiking is meant to bring peace and calming (with some blood flow) and satisfy my urge for exploration. It shouldn’t be just a way to sweat. I’m reminding myself to stop and smell the roses, not just view them from the top. Hiking is so much more enjoyable when you savor the journey, and it just so happens this is a metaphor for life too.

  Rest if your body tells you to rest, move if your body tells you to move, eat the cake if your soul tells you to eat the cake, or avoid the cake if your body tells you the sugar is not working for you. Listen to your body, it’s smarter than any media article or science guru combined. The key is learning what to listen for.

  

  Life is not about perfection, all we can do is strive to improve who we are today from who we were yesterday. Just be sure to give yourself grace along the way. 

  Q: What activities are you not enjoying lately that you used to love? For me it’s running. So now I bike!

  

  | 62 Comments Tagged Hike, Lake Angeles, Life, Mountain, PNW

• Holiday Shopping for the Outdoor Enthusiast in Your Life

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on December 5, 2016

  Alternatively titled “What I want for Christmas.” 

  I’m a simple being. I don’t like a lot of material things, and while I appreciate the thoughts and notions behind all the gifts I receive, I often find the items I’m given to be clutter. It’s not that the gifts I’m given aren’t useful, they just aren’t useful to me and they typically find their way into my closet for a few months before I donate them.

  Sorry, I told you not to buy me anything. 

  Due to the fact that despite my attempts to tell those around me, “really I don’t need anything” (because I value the difference between need and want) I still receive gifts because people love to give. I get it, I love to give too. There is something comforting about giving to others, like a warm blanket on a cool winter morning. Because of this, I have decided to compile a list of things that I would want for Christmas, which can also be ideas for the outdoor lovers in your life.

  

  1. REI Giftcard – Quite possibly the easiest, and most obvious chose. Instead of buying me a pair of hiking underwear that I’ll never wear, a gift card gives me the freedom to buy my own underwear. Underwear should never be a gift.

  

  2. A Mountain Ring – Something to remind us of the peaks we love when we are stuck inside at work. I’m not big on jewelry, but rings are my jam. Size 7 please.

  

  3. Wood Like iWatch Band – I hoped on the iWatch train a few months ago and continue to ride it to nature town. The only thing better than actually wearing part of a tree, is wearing something that looks like a tree without the decay. Size 38mm please.

  

  4. Glamping Adventure – For those that want to experience the woods, without the fear of being eaten by animals. Regular readers know I love submerging myself in the woods, but sometimes you just can’t beat running water and heat. I’ll be staying in one of these amazing glamping sites in a few weeks, and I am so excited.

  Not a Washington dweller? Not to fear, Glamping Hub has rentals ALL.OVER. I will have a entire post dedicated to this experience.

  

  Kitchen view from the place I’ll be staying. Is this real life!?

  5. Whole Foods Giftcard – Because without the proper fuel to create energy in your cells, you won’t be doing much movement. Can’t climb a mountain from the fetal position.

  

  6. A Subaru Outback – I’d also be happy with a Crosstrek, but I need to test drive both first. What’s Christmas without a daydream? I recently embarked on a mountain quest that got me stuck in the mud, literally. It was terrifying. I need all wheel drive, please and thank you. I want this green color.

  

  http://www.car-revs-daily.com/2014/11/26/2015-subaru-outback-colors/

  7. Birkenstocks – because you can never have too many. I also need a pair that allows me to wear socks. Yea, I’m that person. I wear my sandals year round and the pair I have now don’t allow for socks! Size 39 please.

  8. A New iPhone – I’m not a fan of upgrading, but mine bit the dust. I can’t use it more than a few hours without it dying. Heaven forbid I get lost in the mountains on a solo hike sans cell phone. I’ve discovered a way to get an iPhone 7 fo’ free. So I shall, but I’ll need a personalized case. Praise for CaseApp. I used one of my hiking photos for a case previously and loved it. Must. Get. Another. Customized. Case.

  Use code: BLISSFULXMAS20 for 20% your own CaseApp. Booya.

  

  9. Mountain or Tree Trunk Earrings – I recently chopped all my hair off (click here to see), and having tree stumps or mountain peaks on my ears would be greatly appreciated.

  

  

  10. A Trip to Ireland – Just…because. I need to see the Cliffs of Moher IRL.

  

  That is all!

  Q: What’s on your wish list?

  

  | 61 Comments Tagged Christmas, Gifts, Hiking, Mountain, Travel

• Springtime Sunshine

  Posted at 9:30 AM by Brittany, on April 4, 2016

  When the sun shines bright in the pacific northwest us Washingtonians come out from our dungeons like a zombie chasing human flesh. It doesn’t rain as much as people think, but it IS grey a lot. I’ve come to love the grey skies, they add to the lush green scenery, but this winter was much too long for me.

  

  I like to think I’m always butterflies and glitter, but this winter knocked me straight on my ass. I am more than ready for the sun to come back for the feel good vibes, but what I love most about this time of year is the way the sun hits the snowy mountain tops.

  Instant happiness.

  

  I’ve been soaking up my vitamin D with a couple hikes, and a handful of runs.

  

  I’ve been moderately lazy lately, and by moderately I mean immensely. My running has taken place inside on my treadmill because it’s more convenient, but I spent the last week house sitting which forced me outside.

  

  My house mate.

  My outdoor runs have been invigorating, but they’ve also reminded me of a few things. First and foremost I don’t love running the way I used to. I enjoy running 3-6 miles on my own terms, but the last two times I’ve tried to sign up for a half marathon in an attempt to kick my fanny into shape have backfired.

  

  I just don’t enjoy running longer distances on my own, and it’s time I accept that. Once every so often I’ll want to bust out an 8 miler, but that’s rare these days. Plus sometimes I would rather be doing things like hiking, biking or even just walking.

  

  Lucky for me I get paid to walk 3x a week with that good lookin cow dog.

  

  With all that said I look forward to more hikes and bike rides as the sun continues to fuel my cells with its power. I had planned to run a half marathon in Portland in two weeks, but my training has been inconsistent so I decided to run the 10k instead.

  Best decision I made all week. I get to go to Portland, I get to run a distance I love, and I get to breath easy knowing I can run 6 miles no sweat. OK, a little bit of sweat. It’s true that when you try to force something you end up avoiding it. When running is forced and I don’t listen to my desires for other movement I end up skipping all together.

  No bueno.

  

  It feels good to honor thoughts and feelings. Our bodies have a unique way of letting us know what we need. The signals start quiet, but if you ignore them (like I tend to do) eventually they scream at you. I must work on listening for the quiet signals before they come at me like a howler monkey in heat.

  On a less serious note school is great, work is the same, my need for a metal detector to find coins in the grass has increased, and I’ve finally bonded on a deeper level with my best friend. By swapping faces.

  

  I’m just gonna leave that there…

  Q: Did winter come in and steal your soul like it did mine? 

  

  | 91 Comments Tagged Cats, Explore, Hiking, Mount Walker, Mountain, Running, Spring

• Mount St. Helens Summit

  Posted at 8:00 AM by Brittany, on October 22, 2015

  I find great joy in standing on the peaks of mountains.

  

  I find even greater joy when it takes every speck of energy I have to get there.

  

  There are two large and active volcanoes that are very well known in Washington State. One of them is Mount Rainier, which I’ve visited twice now, but to summit Mount Rainier it takes training, and somewhat extensive planning.

  

  The other one, a bit more “active,” a bit more rugged, but a bit more accessible is Mount St. Helens. This has always been on my list of “must climbs,” yet wasn’t on my radar until I got a text two weeks prior to the climb that went something like this.

  “Hey, I’ve got two permits to climb Mount St. Helens on October 17th, do you want to go?”

  

  You don’t have to ask me twice. After requesting the day off, finding a hotel for the night before, and packing my bag FULL of food I was ready.

  

  The beginning of the hike was mild, I like to think it was the warm up before the real hike. Only 1000ft elevation spaced over two miles was more than manageable. Once we hit 4800′ though, not only were permits required, but perseverance was too.

  

  

  Just past the tree line were the first signs of a blow. Back in 1980 this active volcano erupted causing a catastrophe that killed many people and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses. It is now known as one of the deadliest active volcanoes.

  Awesome.

  

  It was past this tree line that the hike really began, starting with the above field of boulders. With nothing but a handful of trail markers to guide us it was a bit of a puzzle to find where to go. What I knew for sure was that “up” was a solid direction.

  

  Like where’s Waldo, stick version.

  The boulders were fun, though a bit sketchy at times. The vertical climb was more mental than physical at this point of the hike. Each step needed to be precise to ensure avoiding any loose rocks.

  

  After 2500′ of ash pumice boulders, the final stretch came into sight. This is when the weather started to take a turn. The rain started to fall and the wind got stronger. From this point to the top it was a complete mental sludge.

  

  There was so much loose ash and rocks it felt like one step forward, two steps back. I had to keep my head down because anytime I looked up I was convinced I had made zero progress. I never wanted to stop, but I was definitely tired and cold.

  After sludging for what felt like lightyears I passed a girl that said something to me that lit a fire under my feet. She was struggling just as hard as I was yet with a smile said to me, “you can only go up for so long right?”

  Damn right, and thank you for that.

  
  After four hours, 2 bananas, 2 kiwis, 2 Kit’s Organic Clif Bars (obsessed), 2 servings of pumpkin seeds, and an apple – the crater from the eruption was found.

  

  I didn’t stay at the summit for long due to frozen hands and a thick fog cover, but the 10 minutes I did stay were 10 minutes of pure accomplishment.

  Photos don’t even begin to do this sight justice, but it’s all I’ve got.

  

  

  

  Unlike any terrain I’ve hiked before, and officially the tallest peak I’ve stood on (8365′) Mount St. Helens is my most unique summit to date. It also fueled my soul for more. I want to hit the 10,000′ spot on Mount Rainier so bad.

  The climb down was a bit of a cold blur, but provided a great view of the trees when we came upon the home stretch. It took 3hrs to get down making 7 hrs total.

  
  

  

  

  I’d like to thank the trail markers for keeping me sane, and lost in the right direction.

  

  From death comes life and despite the destruction the eruption caused, life is slowly but surely coming back on this volcano.

  

  Oh, and before I forget – shout out to the volcano for not erupting again on October 17th, I wasn’t quite ready for that.

  

  Q: What gives you a huge sense of accomplishment?

  

  | 53 Comments Tagged Explore, Hike, Mount St. Helens, Mountain, PNW, Volcano

• Hibernation is Over

  Posted at 6:56 AM by Brittany, on February 24, 2015

  The calendar says February, but the atmosphere says April. Washington has had exceptional weather lately, and despite the fact that this is TOTALLY NOT NORMAL AND WE’RE ALL GOING TO BURN THIS SUMMER, I’m enjoying it.

  I’ve hung up my parka and brought out my hiking shoes. The sun makes me itchy for activity, and that consists of anything that gets me moving. Things like…

  Running

  My latest weekend “long run” was a success. This is always a good thing.

  

  Burning 800 calories before 10 am meant two desserts that day. In an attempt to prevent over indulging in sweets, I’ve been eating dessert…every day. This daily consumption also motivates me to move more. What’s similar to running?

  Walking

  In nature.

  

  

  

  Nature walks tide me over long enough until I can do my favorite outdoor activity…

  Hiking

  

  

  Pre hike fuel from my favorite local GF/V bakery. Blueberry scone.

  

  I made it out for a solo hike on Sunday, and despite the weekend crowd it was delightful. An extra mile up the mountain resulted in complete solitary. 5 moderately simply miles earned me a kick ass view, and over a pound of food for my belly.

  Not including dessert

  

  

  Thank you Whole Foods, your vegan cupcakes make my mountain loving heart flutter.

  My dear friend Lily painted me a mountain scene for my birthday, and I adore it so very much. Also, can we just take a moment to talk about how dapper my wall looks with my new poster? Mountains, tree’s, and leaves OH MY.

  

  As you can see, I clearly have impeccable decorating skills.

  It’s time to donate my layer of blubber to a seal in Antarctica, hibernation is OVER.

  Q: What are your favorite outdoor activities?

  

  | 75 Comments Tagged Adventure, Gregory Alan Isakov, Hiking, Mountain, Rattlesnake Ridge, Running, Vegan

• A History of Memorable Events

  Posted at 3:49 AM by Brittany, on November 6, 2014

  – 1989: Shot into the world, or “birthed.”

  

  Note: I did not come out looking like this. I was 8 mo. here, and already loving everything Halloween.

  – 1991: Stepped on a giant slug, proceeding to give me a life long phobia. Real talk.

  – 1992: Had the best hair I’ll ever have, this cannot be repeated.

  

  – 1997: Became the coolest kid on the block with my authentic Japanese Pokemon cards. Thank you dad for living in Japan and sending me this gold.

  – 2000: Hit puberty, tried to fight it by wearing the same soccer shorts and Old Navy tech vest…everyday. This lost me my title of coolest kid on the block.

  I also had a hair cut like this for years…thanks mom.

  

  – 2004: Introduced myself to coffee at the orthodontist (totally ironic.) Put enough cream and sugar in my cup to give five people diabetes for life.

  – 2005: Got braces. This sparked my fascination of teeth.

  

  16 yr old black haired Brittany.

  – 2007: Became a carbotarian by giving up meat, but eating all things bread and chips.

  – 2009: Got a job at a smoothie shop and found my love for veggies, and wheat grass.

  

  – 2011: Started this blog, ran my first race, unleashed the (slow as molasses) beast, got a job at Trader Joe’s, and met a boy.

  – 2012: Gave up all animal products, and perfected the art of roasted vegetables. Ran my first half marathon through the happiest place on earth.

  

  – 2012: Sparked my insatiable appetite for cupcakes.

  – 2013: Had a life changing breakup with aforementioned boy, which taught me peace, patience, and balance. I’m now very (possibly too) comfortable being alone.

  

  Balance is bliss.

  – 2013: Got a job at Starbucks. Cracked out on coffee even more than at the orthodontist when I was 15. Discovered a new passion for the bean.

  – 2014: Fell in love with the mountains and with my life, despite my always changing path. Learned that change is constant and adaptation is key.

  

  – Yesterday: Reminded myself why I never wear LOOSE fitting cotton bottoms while running. Everything moves. Everything.

   Q: What was a memorable moment in time for you?

  

  | 64 Comments Tagged Mountain, Random, Running, Starbucks, Trader Joes, Vegan

• Mailbox Peak

  Posted at 7:04 AM by Brittany, on August 1, 2014

  Sometimes I wonder why I do things. Like why I choose to put myself through the torture of climbing 4000 ft in only 2.5 miles. If you do the math, that’s a whole lotta climb for not a lotta distance.

  

  I successfully hiked solo, and by that I mean I actually felt solo this time. It was the perfect balance of people to where I felt safe, yet went multiple spans of time where I was all by myself.

  

  If there is one thing I learned on this hike, it’s that people talk to you much more when you’re solo. Aside from the “hiker must” of saying hello, I had a couple people help me with direction, and even a group of guys trying to “holler” at me. Yeah…no.

  Without the side conversations I would not have know to look for these white triangles while climbing through the forest. Oops, I missed that part when I skipped past the trail entrance notes.

  

  Where’s Waldo…can you see the marker?

  I have to say being alone in the woods was quite exhilarating. Despite my heart pounding out of my chest, and the sweat dripping from places I didn’t know possible this climb was amazing.

  

  Once I found my way out of the woods (seriously it was total brain work) a nice Scottish gentleman & I crossed paths. He informed me I could continue on the trail path, or Billy goat my way on the rocks.

  OK so he didn’t put it that way, but close. Guess which way I chose?

  

  

  

  The rocks! I had some practice on this hike, so it was a no brainier.

  The rocks gave a fantastic view of Mount Rainier, the neighboring hills, and some bodies of water. I was overwhelmed by all the beauty.

  

  

  I managed to make it to the top in just under two hours. I sat, I stared, I ate, I rejoiced, and relished my accomplishment. Toughest climb yet.

  

  What exactly is the highlight of this climb? There is a mailbox that someone brought to the top a while back (hence the name) and it’s caused this climb to be on many peoples bucket list. Myself included.

  

  Check. Add another highlight to the book.

  Post hike I wanted to eat all the things. Specifically all the carbs. So that’s just what I did. The Veggie Grill has a new sandwich and OMG.

  

  

  Of course no hike would be complete without restoring my sugar levels. It’s all a matter of science.  So I found my way to Whole Foods.

  

  

  Shut up and take my money.

  I’m extremely indecisive with baked goods, so mini treats are ideal.

  Best date I’ve had in a while…with myself.

  Q: What would be your first choice for a solo activity?

  

  | 61 Comments Tagged Hiking, Mailbox Peak, Mountain, Vegan, Veggie Grill

• Rattlesnake Ridge – First Attempt

  Posted at 8:11 AM by Brittany, on July 25, 2014

  I took myself on a date last weekend. I really enjoy dating myself and doing things that most people do with others, all alone. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy spending time with people (sometimes) but lately I prefer to be alone. Just because I’m solo doesn’t mean I can’t explore!

  

  My date started with my first attempt at solo hiking. I have been wanting to build my confidence and become more comfortable hiking alone, so I went to a popular trail…on a Sunday.

  Needless to say my first attempt at hiking “alone” didn’t go as I had planned. I wasn’t really alone because there were SO many people on this mountain, and at times I had to weasel my way around them. Sure I came alone, but I didn’t feel alone.

  I did feel safe though, perhaps this is a start?

  

  

  In order to ditch the crowds I continued climbing past the main vantage point. I brought some homework with me and was pleased to see that the spot I wanted was completely empty. Just me & nature.

  …and biology.

  

  

  I could get used to doing homework above the trees.

  

  Post hike I took myself to PCC for a vegan brownie, and then made my way to Whole Foods to balance my brownie out with greens.

  

  I have no words…I need ten more.

  

  Despite the crowds, I found being alone on this hike to be serene. It’s funny to look back and remember a time when I was so dependent on other people for a lot of things in my life. These days I couldn’t be more independent, it’s such a beneficial quality for me to have.

  I’ll attempt another solo hike this weekend (I hope.) With my knife, my mace, lots of food, a lighter, and a trail I am familiar with! Any tips?

  For more photos of Rattlesnake Ridge click here.

  Q: Do you depend on other people a lot, or do you take your adventures into your own hands at times?

  

  | 53 Comments Tagged Explore, Hike, Mountain, Rattlesnake Ridge

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• BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalist "granola" striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long hikes, strong relationships, exploration, lots of broccoli, and laughing like it's my J.O.B. Currently living and working in Germany, join me on my adventures abroad!
• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

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