Fast forward ten years to 28-year old Anne, hiking the world-class Enchantments, sitting on a log overlooking Upper Snow Lake, still waiting for Brandon to return from his ventures on the toilet. I was thinking about Mt. St. Helens, and it led me to wonder, what are The Enchantments teaching me about where I am in my life now? How can I lean into what is happening, rather than resist it?
Read MoreWe were pretty much always walking next to either a crystal clear lake, a powerfully flowing waterfall, or a peaceful stream of some kind. I had to remind myself just how incredible this was, as the human mind has a tendency to habituate to anything. But I didn’t want to forget this. It was unlike anything I had ever done before.
Read MoreThis DELIGHTFUL section (she said, sarcastically) goes up 1,500 feet in just 1.5 miles, meaning that at some points, the steepness grade is greater than 70%. Not only that, but the terrain is anything but solid. It “was ass”, as a descending hiker we passed explained so eloquently. It’s rocky and uneven, with patches of loose scree that have you sliding two steps back for every step you take. We read, and learned firsthand, that Aasgard is not against putting you on all fours, where you’re often forced to pull yourself up by boulders that appear sturdy, but are, upon further inspection, most definitely not. You can’t go up Aasgard and be thinking about anything other than Aasgard. Each step needs to be deliberate and calculated. At least that was my experience.
Read MoreAs we drove up to the Leavenworth Ranger Station at 8am sharp on Saturday of 4th of July weekend, you’d think I’d be upset to find it WAY more crowded than Friendly Phone Ranger let on. At least half of these thirty or so eager hikers, just as packed and ready-to-go as we were, would leave permitless. But even though we were just as likely to be one of those disappointed hikers, I was actually more excited than anything. I thought this was going to be easy. And now, it was shaping up to be more interesting.
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