Friday, March 23, 2012

Hiking high

I still have a little bit more to blog about leaving Jakarta but I wanted to write about something current.

Now that I'm back in the great Pacific Northwest (PNW) I'm trying to make the most of it and take advantage of being able to go outside.  Jakarta thwarts any attempt to be out of doors with heat, humidity, pollution and lack of sidewalks/parks/mountains/beaches. I knew being back in Washington would be a big adjustment so I'm embracing the difference.  The weather here is typical for the winter to spring change.  I call it Seattle Schizophrenia because the weather will change multiple times a day, including but not limited to sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowing, hail, drizzly, freezing or mild. If you don't like it, wait ten minutes. In spite of that, or because of that, Seattleites go out anyway.  If I waited for good weather, I wouldn't be out hiking until June.

I'm part of a hiking group.  Steve, one of the leaders, seems to know every trail and path in the area.  He is a great leader who doesn't push to go too fast. Tuesday we hiked on Tiger Mountain in rain and hail, in mud, slush and on snow, ice and rocks. It was a tougher climb than I expected with a painful pinch in my hip but it felt good to get to the top.

Thursday Steve led a snowshoe trip up Snoqualmie pass.  It's a big ski area that's close enough to the city to make it a part day trip. We walked up nearly underneath one of the ski lifts on a side of the mountain that was closed midweek. Six miles in snowshoes felt like more than the eight miles on Tuesday. I enjoyed it even more than the hike and was less sore after. Ive got to get some decent snow boots though, cold wet feet are not fun! It was such a rush.  Over a foot of new powder, blue skies and sunshine (surprise!!) and amazing views. 
Expect more hiking, snowshoeing, outdoorsy updates as the weather gets better and I get in better shape.

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