I took Ethan on his first backpacking trip this week. It was a 2-day 1-night trip to Barclay Lake. It was the perfect introduction as it was only 4.2 miles round trip and a few hundred feet elevation gain. The weather was perfect, conversation delightful, and experience memorable. I look forward to our next father-son […]
After being away for 6 days in San Antonio and the family stuck with a rainy week in Seattle, we took advantage of a beautiful Saturday to hike the Big Four Ice Caves Trail on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. After a couple months of anticipation on our part, the trail just opened up for […]
With the sun shining a bit more than usual, and the temperatures staying above 55 a tad longer, the family is more inclined to hit the trail more frequently. On a favorable hiking day, we tend to do 2-4 mile hikes with the kids. Those miles don’t always work well in the winter or rainy […]
In the San Francisco Bay Area, I cut my teeth hiking in the coastal redwood forest. As a resilient species that deserves respect, I found solace in their beauty and sheer presence. They will always be my favorite, especially those found at Sanborn County Park, but cedar and hemlock have a unique beauty that shouldn’t be […]
“That banana slug has antlers!” Our little naturalist has a great view of the natural world and he calls it as he sees it. It’s our job to encourage his curiosity and his sense of wonder and if that means he sees antlers, then they’re…well, we’ll help him out and let him know that they’re […]
Did you grab the camera? Shoot, forgot it. Did you bring our iPod for the drive? Nope. Boy those kids are eating a lot on this drive to the trailhead. Do we have extra food? No. Ugh, my pants are too tight. Why didn’t I wear others?!? Hey, did you grab the Northwest Forest Pass before […]
A quick 6am stop by Countryside Donut House (our favorite) and we were heading east to Yakima to visit our good friends Phil, Jessica, and Evan. We made good time arriving in Yakima around 9am. A quick bathroom break for everyone and off to Cowiche Canyon for a Father’s Day morning hike. Before we go […]
We rarely hike without Ethan. Actually, this was only our second time hiking without him since he was born. Ethan is with his Grandma and Grandpa in Oregon this weekend. But it was our first time hiking with just Autumn and we did our best to engage her fully while making good time (something we […]
With a foreseen break in our dreary weather this weekend, and knowing it was Easter, we planned for a few outdoor activities to catch some Vitamin D. Saturday Mountlake Terrace held its annual Easter egg hunt for kids on Saturday morning. It was perfect morning to be out looking for eggs because the sun was […]
In keeping with our streak for the New Year, we’ve spent at least one day the last three weekends hiking or playing in the outdoors. We’ve always been avid hikers but took some time off in November and December due to travel, weather, and illness. We’ve been working hard these past few weeks to ensure […]