Mount Si-This-Trail-Really-Does-End

September 28, 2014 Amelia Klaus

Hello you wonderful people!!!

I'm living in Seattle! How crazy is that?! I still haven't adjusted to the shift completely- I tend to get lost fairly often still, and that bus system... well that bus system and I have had a very interesting relationship (let's just say that underground stations are a thing, a thing of which I was completely unaware until I walked around a block multiple times because Google claimed that there was a bus stop nearby. Google didn't mention the underground part \o/).

Anywho, to bring this post back under wraps and away from the bus system (which, once you start to learn it, is actually really really nice to have), and back to the topic at hand- Mount Si. For those who are not familiar with the area, Mount Si is an eight-mile round-trip hike in the Cascade Mountains I-90 corridor. It is located about a 30 minute drive from Seattle, and is one of the more popular hikes in the area due to the stunning view of both the valley below, but also the surrounding peaks and (when the weather is clear enough) Seattle in the distance. The hike gains a little over 3000 ft in the course of the four-mile hike from trailhead to tippy-top, and much of the steep path is through the lush forests that the Pacific Northwest is known for. As such, it "falls in a kind of sweet spot for experienced and novice hikers alike: enough of a test for bragging rights, not so tough as to scare people away..." according to the Washington Trail Association's website.

With such promises, Mount Si seemed like an easy choice for a hike to do with my father when he helped me move to Seattle. We chose a Sunday to hike, and then moved it to the following Monday when my move-in date was changed, and I have to say that I'm very happy that we did so. While the trail is undoubtedly oft hiked and the parking-lot busy, that glorious Monday morning the parking lot was practically empty, and while we sometimes had company on the trail, most of the time it was just us and the trees. The hike started out well, both my dad and myself were eager to start and found the trek hard enough to make our breathing change, but not so much that we couldn't cope. Then my personal dread occurred... my knee, which is most likely permanently injured, was aggravated by the heavy lifting that I had forced it to do that day before while moving, and began to give me a goodly amount of pain. I, being a stubborn lass, decided that I had chosen the hike, and I was going to be in a bloody agonizing amount of pain before turning around. As such, my memories of the climb are all viewed through a haze of pain and a small bit of hopelessness mixed with the determination to make it with my dad to the top of the peak.

Despite the slow going and the pain, my father was beyond supportive and we (eventually) made it to the top. The view, hidden for most of the hike by the dense (though lovely) forest, was absolutely stunning. The sky was a brilliant blue, and the oft misty Cascades were standing clear against the September sun. Below us the valley appeared as a patchwork quilt of small towns and forests, and (in the distance) the skyscrapers of Seattle loomed with the Sound unfurled behind it.

We scrambled around the rocky peak until we found a fairly flat spot to eat our lunch. Curious (and hungry) birds stopped by off and on to see if we would feed them, and we watched fellow hikers arrive and depart from the summit. Then, when the flush of exertion began to fade from our faces, and our bellies gurgled happily about their newly filled selves, we began the descent.

As always, the descent takes about half the time that the climb did, and we found ourselves back at the trialhead about six hours after we had departed. Though painful for me personally, Mount Si was an absolutely beautiful hike, and I am so beyond pleased that my father and I were able to make the climb together. I would defiantly recommend making the hike at least once if you are in the Seattle area, just remember that weekends tend to be busy, and to plan your arrival and climb times accordingly!!

Hike on,

P.S. This weekend it was my father's birthday! It is the first time that I've not been there to celebrate with him. So, if you are reading this from my old hometown, and you see my dad, please tell him Happy Birthday from me. :')

Glacier National Park Day 6: Canoeing, A Splurge, And A Reflection

September 11, 2014 Amelia Klaus

Day six, our last day in Glacier, started around mid-morning- Bob and I were so wiped out by our Quartz Lake escapade that we discarded our proposed day six hike and slept in. Once we woke up, we had a nice long, unhurried breakfast and contemplated our adventure for the day. Even under the shade of the trees that encircled our campsite, the day was hot and sticky, so Bob and I agreed on a quick jaunt down the Rocky Point Nature Trail to catch a stunning view of Lake McDonald before heading to Apgar Village to rent a canoe.

Rocky Point was less than a mile form our campground, and the view was as magnificent as promised by our guidebook (a welcome fact as our faith in its author had been a bit shaken the day before). Lake McDonald spread out around us, stretching on for mile after splendid mile, and giving everything surrounding it an added glow. Surprisingly the trail, point, and the hidden beach which lies near the beginning of the trail- all of which are so close to areas heavily trafficked by humans- were unpopulated. We did try to become friends with a native woodpecker, but though I was very interested in photographing him, he seemed disdainful of my attempts and we soon passed him by to head to Apgar Village.

Canoe or Kayak is a sometimes tension fraught question between Bob and I. Bob prefers canoes, while I prefer the feeling of independence gained in a kayak. However, for this particular trip, Bob and I agreed to try a canoe, and I have to admit the experience was rather rewarding. Though canoeing always feels less natural to me than kayaking, it does force you listen to your partner, and by the end of the 5 mile paddling adventure Bob and I had fallen into a natural shared rhythm that I found quite enjoyable.

Canoeing, like Kayaking, is exhausting, so we took a break on the hidden beach we had stumbled upon earlier. We lazed on the rocky shore which our bodies half submerged by each incoming wave, and just enjoyed the true splendor that surrounded us. We finally acknowledged that our stomachs were demanding our return to Apgar, so Bob taught me how to correctly return the beached canoe to the water and we headed back towards more crowded beaches.

We ended our canoe trip by splurging and going on a 'date' to one of the restaurants in the village, and oh my goodness fried/greasy food was such a shock after eating cereal, sandwiches, and Cliff bars for the previous four days! My tummy was completely unsure if it wanted to cry or shout for joy as I gobbled down fry after delicious fry. We wrapped up our splurge by purchasing delicious ice cream cones, which we gobbled up as we lounged on the lake shore and watched the colors bleed away and change as the sun set behind us. Exhausted, stuffed, and happy we crawled into our sleeping bags and drifted to sleep lulled by the sound of the wind in the trees one last time.

Going to Glacier this summer was probably one of the best ideas I have had in a long while. I didn't realize at the time that Bob and I committed to the trip, but Glacier taught me so much about myself. I learned and explored at every stage- the planning, during the trip itself, and now as the experience sinks in and the lessons really come to light. Glacier brought Bob and I closer, but it also brought me closer to my core self. It reminded me of my own strengths and weaknesses, and pushed me to achieve more than I thought I could. It reminded me of silence, of the difference between being lonely and being alone, and the power and joy that comes from understanding that difference. Glacier illustrated how much I rely on those close to me, and yet it also forced me to understand how independently strong I can be.

As I've urged in a previous post:

Dare to dream. Dare to explore.

Go and do.

You never know what lessons are waiting for you.

-AK

Missed Days 1-5? Never fear- links are below!!

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Glacier National Park Day 5: When Feeling Lost in Grizzly Territory... (July 9, 2014)

September 4, 2014 Mia Klaus

When feeling lost in Grizzly territory, on an overgrown trail, all alone and unable to get cell reception, there is only one thing you can do- take a deep breath, look at your hiking partner and be glad you aren't alone, readjust your pack, and keep on walking.

That's one of the lessons I learned while hiking the Quartz Lake trail. Other lessons I learned while climbing over fallen trees and fighting through the brush that was attempting to reclaim the trail were as follows:

1) You can push your body farther than pain and exhaustion may make you believe.

2) The "Ants Go Marching" song is a great song to sing while hiking, and you get bonus points for making up the verses on the spot.

3) A good sense of humor is incredibly helpful when you are suffering from self-inflicted pain.

Exhibit A

4) THE HIKING GUIDE IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT!

The authors are most likely intelligent and experienced hikers, but they may have written their review of a trail years earlier, so (especially on the less popular trails) take their reviews with a small grain of salt.

5) Take the beauty and the few quiet moments on the trail and store them in your heart to carry you through the unpleasant ones. The ability to do so may turn the hike from total hell to a beautiful, painful hike that made a great learning experience (and a great story) later.

It wasn't that the trail wasn't beautiful, or that the lakes disappointing, it was more a question of two relatively new hikers letting their inexperience show by attempting a hike they hadn't really researched and didn't schedule enough time for. It was also an example of someone (who may or may not be writing this blog now) "knowing" that they could do the full trail even though they were running late, and while that ended up being correct, the time limits forced us to hurry through a trail that was already rather difficult and limited our ability to appreciate the true wilderness we were stumbling through (whoops!). As I have said, the Quartz Lake Trail has become a great story and a great learning experience. I don't think I'd hike it again, but for me, it was worth the pain and fear to learn I had greater limits than I previously knew and what NOT to do when tackling an unfamiliar trail.