Most people who hear Seattle, think of this landmark straight out of the gate. Standing 605' tall, it's a pretty cool, funky landmark. I only walked past it while on my trip. I also wish I had the opportunity to reveal what is hidden by the cloud cover in the background. That's the true landmark of the area in my opinion, Mount Rainier. I was told by my buddy who I stayed with, that on clear enough days, you can see Rainier in the back drop of this picturesque city. Contrary to popular belief, it does not rain as much as people say. I spent 8 days in Seattle, and only saw rain a couple of times. Winter is a different story from what I'm told. I will find that out first hand in the near future, which means more photos to come.
Though I love shooting cityscapes, my heart and imagination were grabbed by the mountains, ocean, and wilderness surrounding this beautiful city. I arrived on a Friday morning, hopped on the light rail from the Airport to downtown, had a few beers, and waited for my buddy Ryan to meet up. Once we met up, we started talking about the agenda for this trip. I did say agenda, and I know this post is named operation unwind, but bear with me, you will see why.
The first hike we went on was up to Blanca lake. We started the backpacking trip on July 2nd. We were a little concerned that there would be a ton of people out at the trail, but we got lucky (kind of). The service road that lead to the trail head washed out, pushing the starting point back a couple of miles. We grabbed some breakfast, packed our bags, and made our way to the trail, where I would learn some valuable life, and hiking lessons! This first photo set is from the hike to Blanca lake, enjoy!
Needless to say, this hike did some damage to me physically, and also a little to my ego, but in a good way. This particular hike made me realize that nature will always win, but your mind can carry your body to new heights, even when your body is screaming at you to stop. I took it easy for a couple of days following this hike. I realized that I'm active, but I'm not in the shape I'd like to be in. We could have done some things a little bit differently. We could have packed more nutrition for the hike up. I am a rookie, I generally do day hikes, and that's about it. This trip took me out of my comfort zone, and I learned a lot from it. Below are a couple of photos taken back around the city between hikes.
The next hike we went on was the one that really made me fall in love with the PNW. Don't get me wrong, the Blanca lake trail blew my mind, and there's no doubt about that. What really got me with this next hike, was the fact that we made our way to the trail in the afternoon, made it to the summit in time for Golden hour, and made it back to the car before dark. You can hike to the top of mountains after a day of work! I was sold after this one, I knew from that moment that I would have to go back out and visit again. Welcome to Mount Pilchuck.
Taken by Ryan on the hike back down.
In short, this trip absolutely blew my mind. I envisioned this place being "home" fairly quickly. It was easy for me to escape the grind being here. I want to take a moment to thank Ryan and Frannie for taking me in and showing me around while I was here. Do yourself a favor, and check out Get Beardy and The Wanderous. Ryan does a ton of awesome photo and video work, and is also a major part of The Wanderous, something I can personally get behind to help get others outdoors. Stay tuned for photos from other trips and adventures.
Cheers