I have returned recently from a backpacking trip that will unfortunately be added to my list of really bad trips. It is a reminder that there is much about hiking that we do not control, such as the weather. There are also things that we do control, such as the gear we carry with us.Continue reading “Savoring the Warmth”
Tag Archives: rain
Holding the Sun
In the photo above I am smiling because the sun was shining. It lasted for about fifteen minutes, and for the rest of that four day trip it rained most of the time. My husband and I were hiking in the Olympic Rain Forest, so the weather was not totally unexpected, but it nevertheless wasContinue reading “Holding the Sun”
Hiking with Bruno
A World without Flowers
It is late January as I write these words, and the snow that fell a couple of weeks ago has mostly melted, brought about by warming temperatures, then rain, then ice, and now the mud that must invariably follow. This is a trend that would be more likely seen in April. People around here refer to itContinue reading “A World without Flowers”
On the Trail with Teacup
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. Edward Abbey For weeks I had been putting off this trip. We had abundant rain that continued most of the spring, and three days without precipitation in the forecast seemed like an impossibility.Continue reading “On the Trail with Teacup”
Wild Strawberries
Be here. Be present. Wherever you are. Be there. Willie Nelson It is late winter, which means I almost always want to be someplace other than at home, away from the snow that lingers, the icy paths that make walking treacherous, the gray skies, the weight of it all. That is why I find myselfContinue reading “Wild Strawberries”
Turning towards the Sun
This is the time of year when I look outside and long for warmer days. Spring is still a month away, and even when it officially arrives it will not likely be warm here where I live in the North Country of Washington state. It will yet be several months before the trails in theContinue reading “Turning towards the Sun”
Far from the Crowd
Those who dwell. . . among the beauties and mysteries of life are never alone. Rachel Carson The spring after my disappointing hike of the Washington section of the PCT ( see last week’s post, Still Hiking with Leah), I went on a backpacking trip in early May up the Elwha River in Olympic NationalContinue reading “Far from the Crowd”
The Funnest Day
Be grateful for whatever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond. Rumi My regular readers will know that I was a single mom for most of my twin daughters’ lives and that they grew up with only myself to shepherd them through childhood challenges. When my marriage to their father endedContinue reading “The Funnest Day”
A Stick in the Mud
Learn the alchemy that human beings know the moment you accept what troubles you’ve been given the door will open, Welcome the difficulty as a familiar comrade. Rumi Many years ago, back when I was a working woman, I had a three day weekend ahead of me. You know what a precious thing that is.Continue reading “A Stick in the Mud”
The Solitude Trail 