It's Summer....and Pouring Down Rain.

We are eight days into our summer vacation from school. One whole week was quite warm and on Sam's birthday I had the sprinkler going just to give the kids something to cool off with. Now, into the the second week, it's not just raining outside, but it's raining cats and dogs. The kids are at their dad's, it's late evening, and the sound of the downpour all together make for the perfect recipe of creative juices flowing strongly enough to entice me to pick up my writing again.

Looking back on my blog, I realize that Thanksgiving was my last post! What happened, was life. Between mothering and teaching and the blurry line that exists between the two, the desire to put my thoughts into words lost out to the desire to put my thoughts to rest. The truth is teaching young students takes a LOT out of me creatively and when I got home on a school day, my brain needed to go to sleep. This is why the kids and I live for summertime!

I realize my life is changing rapidly and I am trying to not only figure out how to deal with the changes but to relish them as well. One big change is my oldest, Samuel, has graduated from Eighth Grade at St. Mary's and as I try to figure out where his best option for high school is, I struggle with the idea of,  "What if I make the wrong choice for him?"

On the other end of the spectrum, Cecelia is seven years old now and doesn't need me to help her go to the bathroom in the early morning hours while we are camping anymore. This may seem like a strange thing to some, but it was an eye-opening moment for me when, in the cold morning air, before anyone else was awake, she announced to me that she was going to go to the bathroom. Now, we were tent camping at my sister and brother-in-laws property and the only facilities was the "tent toilet" hole in the ground. I asked if she needed me to go with her (secretly hoping I didn't have to crawl out of my warm sleeping bag) and she said, "No." With that, she was unzipping the tent, zipped it back up after herself, and was gone.

In my half conscience state of morning grogginess, so many past camping trips flashed before my eyes. All the times, of her sleeping with me, waking me up to go to the bathroom not only at the crack of dawn, but all hours of the night. The nights of nursing her to sleep and ever so gently lying her down so I could sneak back to the campfire. The nights of lying her down in our tent and worrying whether or not I would hear her if she woke up. The pictures of her sleeping cuddled up next to her cousin or her sister. The night of her getting sick all over me, all over the bed, all over the trailer. Those days are in the past as she gets more and more independant every day.

I smiled to myself as I heard her zip the tent up behind her. How easy my life was now! I miss my babies, but I want to freeze them in the age they are right now.

After I got up that day we were camping, as we stood around the morning fire to warm ourselves, I mentioned to Cecelia how proud I was of her for being able to take care of herself. That was when I found that she didn't make it to the toilet tent. She thought the tent shed used for sheltering tools to clear the land was the bathroom and popped a squat in there....without toilet paper.  Her older cousin ended up having to burry her waste.

So, yes, my kids are growing up fast, but to my satisfaction they still need my guidance and I hope to always lead them in the right direction...whatever that may be.

My favorite thing is to see my children snuggled together.

Hiking then....

a little later....

Hiking now!

and now with the boys....I'm the one lagging behind.

Adventures in Wonderland: Day 6, Five Silent Miles

Mirror image at St. Andrew's Lake

Guide books warned of small rodents eating through your backpacks to get to whatever they might find enticing. Because of this, we kept our packs in the tent with us. This led to cramped quarters as the tent was of the two person ultra-light variety. The cramped quarters was one of the factors that led to a sleepless night. The other factor was numerous itchy, red, mosquito induced bumps all over my arms and legs. Several times throughout the night I woke up already scratching myself and couldn't get back to sleep as I tried many positions to get comfortable. Finally I maneuvered my body around so my feet weren't touching my pack. Once I did that, and after fifteen minutes or so of scratching, I finally fell back to sleep. By the time I woke up around 8 am, Emily was already packed up and eating breakfast.

Today was to be a short hiking day, just shy of five miles, so I planned on taking my time. Lying there with my eyes open, I reflected on our trip so far and speculated on what was to come. Finally, my belly urged me out of the tent to boil some water for oatmeal and coffee. As soon as I sat down on a log and got my stove out Emily gave me the news that she would be leaving on day 8 when we reached Mowich Lake. The disappointing news struck me as a painful rejection. A good friend was planning on meeting us at Mowich Lake to bring us our second food cache and now Emily planned on going home with him. This was quite a blow to my mental state and a dark cloud hovered over me.

I tried to convince her to stick it out for two more days, but she admitted to not feeling well and was insistent on going home. I was outwardly upset and inwardly angry and frustrated. I felt like it didn't matter to her that she would be leaving me out in the wilderness alone for two days. Still, I tried to put myself in her shoes. To be away from the comforts of home when you aren't feeling well is no fun at all. Nonetheless, I ate in silence trying to imagine spending the night out here by myself. I convinced myself that I would do it. My lack of humility could not allow someone else to determine my success in completing this hike.

I took my time eating and enjoyed a hot cup of mocha. In every day life I need my morning coffee, but I have never enjoyed it as much as I did on those chilly mornings up on the mountain. Finally, I packed up and we headed out....in silence. 

The first 3.5 miles were a non-stop ascent. It was strenuous but methodical. One foot in front of the other...once I got in a rhythm it was difficult to stop even with sweat dripping down my face. One of the most useful things I packed for this trip was a highly absorbent sports towel. It clipped to my pack and hung there always ready to wipe the perspiration that stung my eyes. The best feeling was when we soaked the towels in an icy creek and draped it around our necks to cool down.

Thankfully the bugs weren't bad as we hiked higher and higher. Before long we reached a plateau where we met two elderly women; Janice and Shirley. They reclined on a group of large rocks and with a twinkle in their eyes they informed us that the big one was named "Lunch Rock", hinting that we should have a seat and rest. We took off our packs and chatted with them for quite awhile. I felt like I was conversing with the person I wanted to be when I am in my seventies.  Fascinating and humorous, they told us of their many prior backpacking trips together and their planned one for three weeks from then to the Appalachian Trail. I was intrigued as I listened to what lie ahead for us (they were traveling counter-clockwise). It turns out they were heading home early because they believed that they had contracted food poisoning.  I felt I needed to hear it from them in order to feel more empathy for Emily, so it was good that our paths had crossed.

We ate our lunch as they told us how to deal with bears; by clicking our trekking poles together, especially around blind corners. So, you know it, the rest of our hike was punctuated by the sound of Emily's clicking trekking poles. I was reminded of the old movie, Parent Trap, with Haley Mills. The twins in the movie tell the unwanted fiance of their father that hitting sticks together will ward off the attacks of cougars. It was all an attempt to make her look like a fool.... Foolish or not, to my disappointment we saw no more mammals, of any kind, for the remainder of our trip, save a chipmunk or two. 

Before Shirley and Janice parted ways, they supplied me with some blister care items for my battered feet. They were such pleasant people I could have chatted with them all day. I was sad to see them go, but I believe I was somehow a better person after having just met them, a mark we should all strive to leave on those whose lives we touch, no matter how briefly. 

So far in this day we had been seeing more people than in the previous days, and with the tension between Emily and myself, that was a good thing. I struggled with my thoughts toward her and even prayed for the grace to cheerfully accept her choice to leave.

The clouds rolled in the higher we climbed. The hiking got easier and the terrain was definitely of the sub alpine type; flowery meadows, fir and hemlock that had been gnarled and twisted by winter snow. Soon we reached the crystal clear St. Andrew's Lake. Large boulders made for a good resting place, but I was happy with a patch of soft grass. We sat for quite awhile at the lake's edge knowing we were pretty close to camp and it was still so early in the day, about 12:30 pm.

There we snacked and watched a foggy cloud encroach upon us. Our views of the still, mirror-like lake began to become obscured. A thicker cloud rolled down off the mountain and settled right on the lake in front of us. Had we gotten there any later we would never have been able to see the majestic and silent lake that was flanked by snowy patches. A chill filled the air and we decided to continue on to camp. 

Nearing camp, we approached a large group of hikers who were wishing they were almost done hiking for the day. We chatted with them at Aurora Lake for a short time. The lake was teeming with pollywogs and mama frogs watching over their young. We observed the amphibians for awhile and after saying goodbye to the hikers we reached our camp in just 200 ft. A slight mist began to fall and we wanted to set up the tent before it became too wet. The sites were very nice and had it not been raining we would have had a great lakeside view. But all around us was foggy because we were, quite literally, in a cloud.

Emily hung our food and I crawled into our tent hoping to find warmth. The day was still young, but I settled in for a nap and set the alarm on my phone for dinner time. Despite the unsettling news of Emily's desire for an early departure, it was a good day full of friendly people and beautiful lakes.

Pictures from Day 6:

The sky might have been dull, but the meadows were a lit in a rainbow of wildflowers.

So. Puyallup River

The weather changes so fast on the mountain, here the clouds began to roll in.

St. Andrew's Lake moments before the clouds blanketed its beauty.

St. Andrew's Lake

Aurora Lake, just before our camp at Klapatchee Park was teeming with frog children and off to the edge of the lake sat the mamas. This made me think of my kids.

Camp was set up quickly to stay warm.

Biding our time inside the tent.

Adventures in Wonderland: Part One

The plan was passionately conceived in my heart in early June of 2012. I was in the local REI store looking at maps of "The" Mountain and books of "The" hike. A friendly salesperson walked up to me and struck a conversation that eventually led to a miscarriage of my summer's intended goal. I was naive about the how-to's and the know-how's of the whole process, but that conversation lit a fire that would lead to a years' worth of burning desire and preparation for the birth of a life-long dream.

The conversations went something like this:

Salesperson - "Hello, is there anything I can help you with?"
Me - "I'm looking for a map of the Wonderland Trail and a good book about the hike."
Salesperson - "Oh, when do you plan on hiking the trail?"
Me - "Probably August." (It was currently mid-June) "Do you know when the best time to hike it is?"
Salesperson - "Well, do you already have your permits and reservations?"
Me - "Huh?"
Salesperson - "Yeah, you need to reserve back country hiking permits usually no later than March."
Me - (Feeling like I didn't really like this guy because he wasn't telling me what I wanted to hear) "Well, I guess I'll buy this map and start planning for next year."
Salesperson - "Make sure you try early to get reservations, I hear they are pretty hard to get."
Me - With my stubborn nature feeling all the more dead set on making this hike happen, "Thank you, I'll let you know how it went."

So I left the store with only a map, a water-proof, tear-proof map that, in time, would take on the feel of a well-worn cloth. I went home and immediately got online to find a guidebook for the 93 mile hike. I found just the one, Hiking the Wonderland Trail: The complete guide to Mount Rainier's premier trail, by The Mountaineers Books. It too, would become well worn and comfortable like a ragged security blanket. The seed of adventure was planted, my mind was set.

Memorial Day Adventures

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.....

I looked forward to Memorial Day weekend with a different kind of sweet anticipation this year. At least since the kids and I have moved back to Washington in 2008 we have camped with my sister and brother-in-law, Tina and Mike, their kids and occasionally several other siblings...families included. It was always the much awaited first camping trip of the year, and we would go....rain and all. This year, the weather was beautiful, but my children were with their father and my niece was making her first Holy Communion which took precedence over camping.

So, I planned a weekend of adventures that I intended on embarking upon whether alone or joined by family or friends. The Friday before Memorial Day was the last day of school. The kids left after their program to spend a few days with their dad and his mom, their grandmother. So my first grand adventure took place that night at home. I went to bed at 9 o'clock with a smile on my face, for I knew from this day forth, until school begins in September, I could sleep in if I wanted too!!! To a mother, that is pure joy!

However, Saturday morning I rose with the sun. I planned on hiking to the ghost town, Lester, WA with Emily and a long-time friend Valerie. My backpack was loaded with all I needed for a day of hiking: food, water, sunscreen, and camera (Cub scouts say there are 10 essentials, but those are all I needed for the day. :)

We met at my house and loaded up on gas before heading past Greenwater, WA and north of Mount Rainier. I thought I would stop at a Forest Service information station to get information on the roads and exact directions (Lord knows I have made the mistake NOT to do that before).  When we got there I bought a Forest Pass. I already had the Discover Pass required for state parks but the Forest Pass is required for parking on any Forest Service operated land, yet this does not include the National Park pass required for entry into Mt. Rainier.....whatever happened to "This land is your land, this land is mine"?

Pass in hand I was ready to get a map and directions and get on the road. What?!!! The ranger informed us that there was no way we could access the road to Lester due to the snow. Well, that was alright, I had a plan B...that too, we were told had low snow levels. We were told that we could drive as far as 2 miles within the trail head to Suntop and hike the rest of the way. That sounded alright with us...we planned to hike all day anyway. As we climbed back in the van only a little discouraged, Emily and I (OK, probably mostly me) decided that the forest ranger probably hadn't been up in that area for awhile and didn't really know what the roads were like. Surely the snow was melted enough by now. We'd give it a try.

We approached the gravel forest service road and everything appeared fine. The sun was high and twinkled in and out of the tall trees that were almost like a moving canopy above our heads. Campers were hidden within the firs and cedars and the smell of campfire arose a longing in our hearts to be in their midst. The road wound up and up, like a giant snake. We chased a deer around one corner and rabbits ran for the safety of the woods around another. As we saw two mile marker we felt confident that we were getting close; but whatever excitement each of us harbored gave way to hesitation when we rounded a bend and saw the road completely covered with the icy white stuff.

I parked the van and all of us figured we'd start the hike from here. As we were gathering our stuff, a few bikers, muddied from waste down passed us and said they had to turn around because it was too deep. Well, WE were walking....that would be different, so we thought. We hiked up the steep road a little ways but the snow got deeper and deeper. I swallowed my pride and admitted the ranger knew what she was talking about. Disappointed, but not disheartened, we decided to figure out a Plan C.

Starting off! Full of anticipation.

Plan C involved driving until we saw somewhere that looked interesting. We found ourselves by the entrance to the Tacoma Watershed, but we were met with another dead-end as the gate was closed. But then we saw "The Bridge". There is just something irritable about a bridge to me, especially when it has a beautiful river rushing underneath it and mountain scenery that spreads as far as the eye can see. A short debate delayed our adventure over whether or not we should walk the bridge in spite of the warning signs. We were a good mix of opinions, the three of us. There was me on one end of the spectrum urging us to go, my sister on the other with cautious reservation, and Valerie just ready to go along with whatever decision was made. We went.

 The river was absolutely hypnotizing! We rested for awhile under the bridge and marveled at how the gigantic rock in the water got there, and each of us lost in our own thought welcomed the sun as it warmed our skin.

The day was still young-ish and we weren't entirely done with nature. After exploring the bridge location to our hearts content we headed back into the town of Enumclaw, the van was quiet and I let the moment lead us to our next destination. So far I called all the shots, and that lead to three dead-ends (but some awesome views and a little excitement); I was more than ready for someone else to lead the way.

Emily suggested we head to the Carbon River area where the Rainier to Ruston race was to take place the following weekend. The race begins at the foothills of Mt. Rainier and ends by the Tacoma waterfront. It was a fun race that Emily, Tina and I took part in two years in a row, but were not going to be in this year. It was a great idea. We ended the day enjoying the varying shades of green in the old growth forests that paralleled the Carbon River.

The day was a good lesson in being present in the moment. It was a time to turn off the cell phones, turn up the music in the van and just BE. Our plans didn't turn out as we expected but the day was a total enjoyment. One day, though, the snow will be melted and we will try it again. You can't hide from us Lester! We will be back!!!

Sunny days to all,

Gina.

 (my camera, an old DSLR, just wasn't made for self portraits ;)





PS. If anyone reading this has any tips on arranging photos, I could use the help. They look fine when I am writing the post, but then when I go to publish it....they look all scattered!

Summer Bucket List

"A desire presupposes the possibility of action to achieve it; action presupposes a goal which is worth achieving." Ayn Rand

 I am bursting to the seams with excitement for this summer! I feel like I did when I was a kid and the hope of an exciting summer loomed on the near horizon. I am so ridiculously full of anticipation that I made a summer Bucket List for myself and my family. I must shamefully admit here that this is one perk to being a single mom: everyone runs on MY schedule.  I am sharing this list to help me keep track of my plans and goals.

O The Places We'll Go:

• Lester - This is a legit ghost town located off a secluded Forest Service road on the Green River, south of Snoqualmie Pass. It is only accessible by foot and the only other time I was here we saw a cougar...yes, a real live mountain lion! What did we do? What any sensible, non-destructible human being would do...we followed it. That was before kids... I think I will hike this one sans children.... and with a gun toting fella.
• Orcas Island - If I see an orca whale this summer, I would say it was an accomplished year. This will be a trip with the kiddos. I plan on taking the ferry from Anacortes and climbing to the top of Mt.Constitution.
• Table Mountain Lookout - This is a fire lookout located in the remote Okanogan Forest. The lookout has a large deck perfect for stargazing. I've already booked two nights here in August and can't wait!
• Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park - I haven't been here since I was a kid. What I remember about that trip is a scary steep road and 360 degree views of the jagged Olympic peaks. I look forward to experiencing this trip as an adult with kids, and camera on hand.
• Camp Muir - This hike has become a summer tradition and it looks like this year my sister, Emily, and I will have more company...including our priest Father Anaya.
• Carbon Glacier - I have the fondest memories of hiking to this glacier as a teenager. One that sticks out the most is when I was running down a trail holding Emily's hand (she must have been about 3 years old at the time) and the opportunity to literally save her life presented itself. Since I was an irresponsible 13 year old she was on the down slope slide of a steep path. In a split second her feet slipped off the side of the trail and had I not been holding her hand she would have fell a few hundred feet down to the rushing waters of Ipsut Creek. Of course, had I not been running, or had her on that side, she may have never been in peril in the first place. Anyway, I believe to this day all she remembers is me...saving her life ;)

I think that will be enough to pack our summer days with adventure. I didn't mention the camping trips with the cousins, there will be plenty of those too. Now, as far as goals I'd like to accomplish that don't require a few hours of packing and food preparation:

• I want to brush up on my mad guitar skills and learn to play two of my favorite songs; The Gambler and Will the Circle Be Unbroken.
• The Warrior Dash - a 3 mile race through mud and even muddier obstacles.
• Run the 4US 5K - to help raise money for Pro-Life causes (getting back into shape starts now!).
• Sign Samuel up for 12 Parkour sessions. Soon baseball and cub scouts will be done for the summer and I will finally have time to dedicate an evening a week for him to put his wall climbing skills to good use.

So there we have it. I am calling this summer Rediscovering Washington. It looks like a lot, but I believe it will be do-able because, as Helen Keller stated, "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."

Adventurous days to all!

Gina.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/recreation/rentals/ow-table-mt-a-frame.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester,_Washington

Here is my goal destination this year...near bottom left; Camp Muir. To go any further would require a climber's permit.

This must be that road I remember from a family trip long ago. (Picture courtesy of info@olympicsuitesinn.com)

At Ipsut Creek

View of San Juan Islands from Mt. Constitution. (Picture courtesy of KevinMallick via Flickr)

Spring Has Sprung in our Great Big Backyard!

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves." ~John Muir 

In my opinion, the sun in the Pacific Northwest is shinier, brighter and more glorious than anywhere else in the country. When I lived in the Sierra Nevada region sunny days were bountiful, beautiful and hot. Did I say bountiful? Living there made me appreciate rain. I can remember days where the sun actually annoyed me. Is that possible? Was I ungrateful? Maybe that is the key to why the sun, when enjoyed in Washington state, just seems so....heavenly; people here never lose appreciation for it.

The month of April, while bringing it's signature showers, was also generous with it's beautiful sunny days that foretold of a coming summer. I have been able to get out and enjoy the woods of Washington on several occasions already. As I've said before, I consider the natural world around me; the state parks, forests, national parks, rivers, lakes and mountains, our backyard.

After many failed plans to go hiking with one of my oldest friends, Valerie, we finally made it happen. Up early one morning, when the kids happened to be at their dad's, we both had the first half of the day to drink in a healthy dose of nature's vitamin D. The challenge was in finding somewhere nearby. As it turned out, it wasn't much of a challenge. To my pleasant surprise, there are many places within 20 minutes of home that I had never explored before.

We headed south to the capital city, Olympia. First we took the mild but beautiful trail near Tumwater Falls. We walked only a short ways and realized, due to construction, half the trail was closed. Still not in the mood to return home, we headed back north and pulled off I-5 toward Tolmie State Park. Both photography enthusiasts, Valerie and I had a heyday with the mossy green forest, and the sparkling blue bay. I enjoyed this place so much that I returned the next day with my sister, Emily, and best friend, Aaron. On the way home we stopped for coffee and wrote down our goals for this summer. It is the outcome of this spontaneous meeting that will be the topic of my next post.

Two weeks after my first Spring venture into the great backyard, we were blessed with another dose of sunny weather. In fact, it was so warm, I decided we would head up to Mt. Rainier for National Park Week with the added bonus that during this week none of the usual fees applied for park entry.  The kids and I, and, of course, my little sis, Emily, changed our clothes after church, packed a lunch and headed on the road to 'The Mountain'. We decided to enter by way of the north side...but apparently I haven't learned my lesson in researching before a trip...because that entrance was closed til summer.  So we made our way back down and ended up at Buck Creek Campground at the base of the mountain.

This place had it all. Secluded sites to park and picnic, trails through mossy green forests, an icy rushing river for us the kids to play in, and breathtaking views. We spent the entire day here, just soaking in the beauty that surrounded us. As Emily stated, "There's nothing like a mountain to make you feel small." This is a great feeling to me. I love to feel small and insignificant. I know that seems to go against the grain of modern thinking, but it is a feeling that tends to make all of life's stresses melt away. For how can the things in that our lives that seem such a BIG DEAL really be so, when we are so small?

Sunny days to all,

Gina