april 2015 | mt. defiance

You know how I usually always say something along the lines of : oh, it was hard / long / whatever, but it was worth it when talking about hikes?

 

Well.

 

I finally found a hike where that was not the case.

 

I almost didn't post about this hike at all, as I am still somewhat emotionally traumatized, but here we go:

 

-it was miserable (that's just how I felt the entire time)

-it was hard (4,000 elevation gain in 4 miles over 3 and a half hours)

-it was long (it took over 8 hours, it was only an 11 mile hike)

-the view didn't even make any of the above worth it.

 

I am glad to say I did this hike, it's thought of as the hardest hike in the gorge- so happy to check it off my list. But, yeah, I want nothing more then to forget that it happened.

 

 

 

NOTE: see that little loop at the top right? I didn't do that, I walked right on by. Not even one single little bit of me wanted to climb that, so I didn't. Elaine did though, but I was like: h e l l  n o .

 ^pretty waterfall : this is at the bottom. No hiking required.

 ^I'll admit it was kind of cool to realize I was looking DOWN at Wind Mtn. - elevation 1,200 feet.

 ^I could have KISSED this sign, which meant the top was close.

 ^ this was the best view.

 ^ a lake that was only "meh".  (I'm such a snob. I know, I know.)

 ^leaving! I thought this meant I was close to the bottom. hahahahahahahah. NOPE!

 ^this for miles..... and miles....

 ^good idea of how STEEP this hike was going down (and up)

^finally sight of the free way. I could have cried.

 

Would I recommend this? Sure, if you want to punish yourself for something, or maybe bragging rights. Those are literally the only 2 reasons why I can think that you would want to do this hike.

april 2015 | grassy knoll

I love spring because it means long days, which means only one thing : hiking after work. Thursday 2 of my work friends and I decided to hike, since the forecast was insanely perfect. They may have been late,  I may have left them, they may have caught up to me on the forest service, I may have sat stuck between them in a truck for 15 miles on a forest service road.... whatever, we got there.

 

 Of course they may made me sit in the middle.

The hike just starts out like this, for forever. I had done crossfit the day before : r e g r e t . I was in so much pain the guys abandoned me.

All I could think about were the 10,000 bigfoot that live in Washington and how for sure one was going to step in front of me and how loud I would scream.

 

It was worth it, of course.

 I was VERY happy to sit down.

 

 

 

 

 ^ can you spy Mt Hood??

Not bad for a Thursday after work, right?

april 2015 | spring break | random

This was the first spring break since I started teaching that I didn't plan anything. I historically have the WORST luck with spring breaks..... ruptured ear drum anyone?? maybe a flight to NYC that I didn't take?.... so this year I figured no plans would work well. And it did! I didn't really do much, and it was great just catching up on everything (or not, let's be real I didn't really accomplish half of what I should have) and relaxing.

 ^I spent a day with my Mom at her new house, helping with things - it looks so great!

 ^ went to lunch / shopping with Keri & Taryn!

 ^had dinner at Crown Point - it was so pretty.

^ spent a day with my BF, her husband and 2 dogs.

 

Yay spring break! Same time next year?!

april 2015 | spring break | pacific city, or

The first Saturday of spring break some friends asked me to go to  the beach with them. Obviously, yes. I'd twisted my ankle the day before hiking, but figured I could hobble around and be okay.

The weather was perfect.

We went to Pacific Beach, which I have actually been to before - but I didn't realize you could climb the dunes/ rocks on the beach, which was really awesome.  

 

We had lunch, walked around, then were home in time for dinner. I love love love spring break.

april 2015 | SPRING BREAK | tunnel falls

OH, HEY SPRING BREAK 2015!

There was no school Friday (a snow day we didn't use!) so my break started on FRIDAY. Naturally, since the forecast wasn't totally miserable, I met up with some friends to hike. I figured I would hike to tunnel falls, then see how much further I wanted to go with another friend, while our other friends went back for lunch / beer. 

 ^punchbowl! 

 After punchbowl and high bridge, we tromped on toward tunnel falls. 

Even thought I have hiked this before a few times, there were a lot of spots off the trial I had never checked out before and it was nice exploring a little bit.

 Then, 6 miles later, we made it to tunnel falls! I was starving and we ate lunch on a rock with this view:

 How perfect, right? 

Oh, I love spring break SO MUCH. 

march 2015 | hiking mourn point ( 1/3 of the way :) )

This winter has been weird, and by weird,  I mean the weather has been really nice. While this has made the skiing epically bad (major regrets buying a seasons pass...) the hiking has been (somewhat) making up for it. So when, last weekend, Julie and Elaine were going hiking, I tagged along. 

We originally were going to hike Eagle Creek, but there was some kind of race going on, so Julie agreed to hike my favorite hike ever (well, one of them) and we went to Murno Point. 

It's perfect, right?

 ^ for you, Mom :) 

It's hard sometimes to realize that OH, I LIVE HERE. And it's gorgeous, I'm SO spoiled with the hiking out here. I definitely didn't appreciate it till I moved away for college, but now I can't get enough.