Lake Blanche

New friends - new hike

As if a my first ever 5k race in the morning wasn't enough, when a friend texted to share about me run, he invite me on a hike that afternoon and I said ok, afterall, he'd done a 10k that morning and if he could do it so could I. I had just enough time to find and buy a hydration pack, grab some lunch, and because of a delay I even got in a power nap.

So after a quick clothing change, sunscreen reapplication, and I was ready to go on a hike. When my new dancing friend pulled up with a car-load of people, I was psyched to go to Lake Blanche, though I had no idea where it was. After a short drive up the canyon we were at the trailhead and fortunate enough to find a parking spot in the lot and not on the side of the road.

Lake Blanche

We all strapped on our hydration packs, except the guy who only brought a frozen Coke, and we hit the trail. It was a beautiful trail along a creek, though it was very narrow. We stopped occasionally to let other hikers pass by on their way down and to take in the views.

With every stop we were awed by the breath-taking views. At one stop, about 3 miles up, while we were waiting for a couple people in our group to catch up, the guy and girl I was with with decided to stop and do some dance poses on the rock outcropping we were sitting on. The background scenery was stunning and the light hit at the right moments.

The hike was not easy, but it was so worth it. Once at the top, at Lake Blanche, we thoroughly enjoyed the views as we stopped to rest and snack on trail mix.

The trip down was easier than going up, as the descent usually is, but still a workout. My legs were burning and shaking from the exertion of the day. About 7 miles and went up 2,720 feet in elevation on the hike (plus the morning 5k). But it was all worth it for these views:

We could see the Lake!
Look through the branches.

Can you see it?

Lake Blanche

The other two lakes at the top.

Adventures With Bloe

"You're Becca and Chloe,

together you're Bloe." 
(quote from Pitch Perfect 2)

Girls night out!

Just another adventure with Bloe!

Yah, that's us - Becky and Chloe, together we are Bloe and we have some awesomely crazy adventures together. I can't divulge all of our adventures, but let me tell you about what happened today as we tried to celebrate Chloe's birthday with a morning hike and early lunch.

Wildflowers along the trail.

Chloe came over to my apartment around 8:45 this morning and we flipped through my hiking guide book to find a trail with a short hike nearby. We looked at several options and decided that Willow Heights, one of my favorite close short hikes, would be best for our purposes today. 

The sky was overcast but only a small percent chance of rain (20% according to my phone's weather app). We were both dressed in capris and had long-sleeve shirts to go over our tshirts. Being teachers of small children we took our own advice and hit the bathroom before heading out - "everyone needs to try, there won't be bathrooms there."

A short drive later we were half-way up the canyon and at our trail by the Silver Fork restaurant. We parked on the side of the road and meandered through the little neighborhood to find the trail head.

Love the birch trees and the views.

The sound of the wind through the birtch trees is magical. And with the wildflowers growing tall and close to the trail it was like walking through an enchanted fairy forest land. 

...and then there was a low rumbling in the distance. And it got louder and closer. Then in a blink there was a flash of light. I really hoped it was just Chloe taking a picture using flash, but the startled look on her face told me no. We had just started to wonder if we should keep going or turn back; the flash of light was all the answer we needed. 

We started to high tail it down the mountain as rain began to fall. As we neared the trail head the rain began to fall harder. A man pulling down a tent in his yard suggested we find shelter from the rain as it increased in volume. We agreed and walked faster back to the car. By the time we got there we were pretty thoroughly soaked. 

As we drove down the mountain to find some hot coffee and toasty bagels to warm us up, we laughed about this adventure. I had wondered what we would get up to on a hike, what mysterious adventure awaited us today. At least we didn't fall off a cliff, get chased by a swarm of killer bees, mauled by wild animals, or lost in the woods. We laughed as rain ran from our hair down our faces. It was a good adventure, but we are definitely taking a rain check for another hike.

Happy birthday, Chloe!

Always an adventure with Bloe!

(Sub)Urban Hiker Girl Sets Out

My favorite kind of flower grows wild here!

Urban Hiker Girl set out today on a suburban walk. It was a beautiful fall day and I just couldn't stand sitting around indoors all day, so I put on shorts and a long sleeved t-shirt, tied on my tennis shoes, grabbed my headphones, turned on my GPS to map my walk and set out. 

Along the way I sang along to the music, saw some beautiful sights, and did some thinking. 

Not a lot, but just a little.

I thought about how flat it is here. No hills, so the walk was pretty mild compared to my urban hikes in Seattle.

And I thought about how absolutely beautiful it is here, but in a different way from Seattle. I can't say that I have a favorite, but I am so grateful for my home here.

And I thought about what a beautiful day it was and what a beautiful sunset we will have.

I love my new home.