My First Mountain

If you look far to the right you can see the start of Mount Rainier, the mountain that ascends 14,410 feet above sea level. Rainier is an active volcano and is also the most glaciated mountain in the US. If it were a more clear day you could see the great city of Seattle. Who doesn't love Seattle? Before the morning fog came in I was able to see the space needle and the ferries going from port to port. The views were breathtaking on this mountain.

Views

My very first Mountain I climbed was in Quilcene, WA. A small town that most probably have never heard of. My husband thought that the hike was easy, but I have to disagree. I am a mom of a two-year-old and I have never quite gotten my butt back into shape. I am ashamed now and even more so when my husband was always ten yards in front of me. The elevation of Mount Townsend is 6,243 feet which is a gain of 3,010 feet from the base. It is an 11.6-mile round trip and it is rated as a difficult trail. No wonder why all my muscles were burning and everything was hurting.

Trail #839

My husband and I left the house at 4:30 a.m. and made it to our destination at 5:30 a.m. We started our hike at 6:00 a.m. We left so early in hopes to get to the top before sunrise but we underestimated how long it would take us to get to the peak which was a little over three hours. So if any of you fellow explorers ever want to plan a trip to Mount Townsend, make sure you check to see when sunrise is and leave with enough time for travel and the hike up. Don't forget your flashlights!

When traveling up the Mountain you will see wildflowers, berries, a waterfall, a little creek, or a big one depending on what time of year you go, a lake and hopefully a lot of wildlife. I also recommend not eating the berries you see unless you know for sure what type they are and if they are safe. Despite the beautiful views, it is still a long and hard hike, make sure to bring enough water that you can carry and a protein bar to keep your energy up.

Peak

A long and hard three hours later, we made it to the peak and I thought I deserved a kiss. Also thank goodness for timers on cameras, because this picture has become one of my favorites. Nothing beats seeing all of God's glory and cherishing it with a friend, not to mention your best friend. We stayed at the top for a few moments to take in the beauty and capture it on our camera, then we headed down. On the way down we saw many people coming up, we were both glad we came up when we did so that we could share that moment alone. When we came down we made sure to say hello to fellow hikers and give them some encouragement like; "Almost there," "the view is so worth it."

Waterfalls

We made it to the bottom, finally and decided to go off trail to the sound of water. When we saw what the sound was coming from, we were AMAZED! It was a beautiful waterfall and it was mesmerizing. This picture was taken by my husband who was on a log, 50 feet in the air. Just what I wanted to see. As I was on my way down to the waterfall to take a picture I stepped in a wasps ground nest... 7 stings, a lot of tears, and a trip to urgent care later I was fine.

Nasty Wasps

Fellow travelers, BEWARE of those ground nests and watch your step!