Okay, okay, okay.

Papa is not going to be going hiking with me because he is concerned about some tingling that has remained after his surgery on his neck, and thinks it would be unadvisable to push himself right now. Not ruling out doing it in the future.

Ethan thinks I will fall into a crevasse and die and leave him to raise the kitties alone. Still working on convincing him that I have SOME balance and sense of safety, and that the ropes are really strong!!

AND....I have no hiking updates because it is COLD OUT THERE!! I am keeping an eye on the weather, and the first warm day where I am not working, I will be out to Snoqualmie pass for some fun. SO. There....

Yes, I know that this blog is sadly neglected, but I have not been hiking for quite awhile, owing to the rain, cold weather, and the fact that I am moving and have no days to take off and roam around. This is all soon to change.

Starting in March (guesstimate), I will be making at least a weekly trek up Mt. Si. This is a 3000 foot elevation gain, 8 mile round-trip hike that I am currently in no shape to do. BUT, with a little assistance from a gym, I will get into semi-okay shape and head up. I may suck at first, but I am sure it will get easier each time I go. All of this is in preparation for my August/September 2006 climb up to the 14,411.1 foot tippy top of Mt. Rainier. Yes, you read it here first. I am going to climb Mt. Rainier.

This will be an awesome challenge, something I can always look back on and be proud of myself for, something that will be precious to me and an experience to remember. I am not going alone. The trip will be through Rainier Mountaineering Inc, a guide service that has worked the mountain for over 80 years. They are THE guide service for Mt Rainier, and you cannot go up without them (unless you have ookoo credentials and can prove that you won't fall off if you go on your own, but that is extremely limited). I will have several guides to teach me what to do and take me to the top. I will also have a familiar face along the way. I have asked Papa to come with me, and after some thinking, he is all for it. We are both really excited about our upcoming venture, and hope it really happens! It is not exactly cheap, but definitely worth it. My biggest concern is that I won't be able to get into good enough shape to tackle this, but I am doing my best to keep motiviated and keep on top of it and make this a reality for me.

My training will be Mt Si, as previously mentioned. THis is where the REAL mountain climbers go year round to train for Mt Rainier, and also other mountains across the globe. It is steep, tiring, and long enough to be effective, and located in North Bend, so it is easy to get to and go. I will fill my baby backpack with canned food for extra weight for training, since we will have 40lb packs on for our actual climb. I can rent all the equipment I need for the summit attempt, and they also require that I attend a 1 day mountaineering course to learn how to use an ice axe and crampons, etc. That will be the first day, then we head back down and get up bright and early for our hike from Paradise up to Camp Muir, at around 10,000 feet. We get in our sleeping bags and take a long nap/short sleep until midnight or as late as 3am, depending on how things are looking. Then we set out for the summit, spend a couple hours there, then head down to Paradise again. I must figure out what kind of camera works best up top, I have heard of people having issues since it is so chilly. Not my Canon, but I might bring my older canon, or a film disposable if those work better.

Expect a cell phone call from the top! I am told they have great reception up there!! Wish us luck!!

Okay, I know I have posted these pictures before, but I got a conversion instruction kit for changing a picture from color to black and white without having it just be crappy grey. AND, how to make the colors really 'pop' with a 5 second fix. So....here are my hiking pictures (some of them) with their new effects. Going for the Ansel Adams look with the black and white ones........watcha think??

pretty waxy leaves

red leaves

green forest

single mushroom

Trees and reflection in Mason Lake

Downed tree being held up

Bright colors looking at I-90

mushrooms

tree top

red berry

Purple flower

Greenish berries with a teeny caterpillar crawling around

flower

berry

Bright flower

I went hiking today (9/23) to Mason Lake in Snoqualmie Pass. Not a terribly long hike, but there were some crappy steep areas that I did not like. I kept slipping, especially when I was coming back downhill. Part of it is my shoes with no tread, but I saw other marks from people slipping too, so it was not me. But....a nice hike. If only the clouds had gone away---I would have had Mt Rainier pictures to post, and I have a serious Mt Rainier obsession. I think that is what I am going to ask for for Christmas--a national parks pass and a gift certificate to Arco (cheapest gas!). I LOVED hiking there. With Jobie, we did not get a good Mt look, but Tolmie peak was AWESOME. I am all about hikes with a payout--there has to be something at the end. A lake, a view, something nice. This Mason lake hike ended up being a little clouded in, but I had a good time, sweated up a storm, and got in a bit of exercise. All in all, a good hike.

slimy mushroom nestled in moss

I think this is Mason Creek, flowing down past the path. It actually goes from here into a culvert, which is definitely not photogenic. But how pretty is this?!

Little waterfall along the way.

Cool pointy peak whose name I must find out!!

Another group of peaks whose names I must discover

Looking west at I-90 and over towards North Bend and Issaquah

Greenery growing out of an old logged/cut down stump

Top of a little tree growing next to the path. kinda cool up close

Dark blue/black berries

I love the color of this unripe green berry!!

Look----twins!!!

Indian paintbrush

A little garter snake I scared along the way. I don't like poop, so I didn't grab him to get a better picture

All the colors---fall reds and late summer greens with the beautiful blues of the sky and the everpresent whites of the Puget Sound clouds. And, I-90 rolling westward.

Beautiful green treas and clouds rolling in to the west

Huge rockslide area

Clouds rolling in below

spiky red leafy plant. Red because it is fall, or red because it always is??

Sign pointing me along the right way. I went to Mason Lake, since I like the water pics. Bandera Mt would have been nice, but it was sorta cloudy and I wouldn't have been able to see Mt Adams or Mt Rainier

Mt Rainier is off behind those clouds. I waited and waited, but they just wouldn't go away and let me see it!

Fall is coming!!

mossy things along the path

closeup of mossy rocks and downed trees

I loved this downed tree caught up between some standing, mossy trees

First look at Mason Lake

I will lighten this one up later.