fruit of the trail

For quite some time now I have been picking thimble berries (what I formerly classified as salmon berries). They are a very sweet, soft berry that grow wild around this area of Northwest Washington. The last two days, I have also had the pleasure of picking wild blackberries which are beyond plentiful here; particularly in my neighborhood!

Besides nature's berries, I have been taking advantage of the trails around my apartment for my running and leisurely hikes. It is great to run up and down the hills here with nothing in my path but wispy overgrown branches, a couple of toppled tree trunks, and the occasional little-robin-redbreast. The air is much quieter and I can hear my lungs working as I chug up the forest hills. Today, I found, on my favorite track, that if I push to the top of one particularly difficult section and head around the next turn, there is a nice gentle downward straight-stretch beyond! I had a quiet sense of accomplishment when I finally reach the top of the hill. On my walk back down, I saw the white top of Mount Baker in the sun. I smiled because I'm in Washington again. I like it.

Next week, I'll be hitting the trails for some serious mountain climbing fun. I, with my dad, brother, and uncle, will be attempting to summit Mt. Hood in Oregon. It's the first mountain I'll be climbing since Mt. Pugh in high school and I'm looking forward to the challenging climb up the volcano.