Three Fingers Reprisal

The first of back-to-back trips found me hiking ten rugged miles to Three Fingers Lookout (two extra due to road washout). Accompanying me were two good friends who had the same itchiness to finish this thing off. You see, last October we had almost arrived when a sudden snowstorm compounded with lightning strikes sent us "running" home! This historic lookout was established by the U.S. Forest Service during the early part of last century for spotting fires within the back country. On the trek up, my mind wandered often to the burliness of past mountain men, who a century ago carried heavy building supplies and telephone wire up this jagged peak. And to think that I sometimes fuss about the moderate weight I have to carry.
But what a worthy spot it is for a building: _atop a narrow spire of rock with glacier to the north and a half-mile drop to the east. There is barely room for the lookout up there. Just beyond the window glass, the mountain falls away abruptly. Any sense of vertigo is promptly overwhelmed by 360 degrees of pure Washington State goodness! ! !

- More photos here and here.

If I Were a Wild Animal

Some might say that I already am one - but if I had four legs this would be me:













Humbling it is to watch these animals romp with recklessness on terrain that I, with all my technical equipment and rope, would very carefully navigate. High in the mountains, and shedding their furry coats, I'm sure these goats are happy summer is here!

Day Hike - Me Like

Pilchuck Lookout. Mt. Si of the North. Whatever you call it, this spectacular alpine summit less than 60 miles north of it's Seattle-area cousin certainly has the cherry on top. A weathered fire lookout originally built in 1918 provides coziness with sweeping panorama's 5,000 feet off the valley floor! It is highly recommended, especially mid-week.

One Revolution at a Time

The issue of Global Warming is clouded by many contradicting facts. One thing is sure though, mankind as a whole is polluting the air, water and earth. It was inevitable and I do not mean to place blame because to some degree we are all on the receiving end of that. We are at a critical turning point where the demands of large populations may soon begin to outweigh what we are capable of producing and protecting. Maybe collaboration and technology will save us but I think greed and stubbornness just might prevent this from fully materializing.
So what is my point: Well, I am making an effort to reduce my impact and encourage everyone else to do the same. If for no other reason then at least to save money as prices likely won't be dropping! I thought about this reasoning as I rode my mountain bike to the grocery store. In one hour, I enjoyed 45 minutes of invigorating exercise and picked up 40 bucks in groceries. Compare that to the two hours this would have taken if I had driven a car and then came home end exercised. Wow, I just saved 100% on time! And then there is the 10 smackaroos I saved on gas! Why aren't there more people riding along with toilet paper strapped to their pack?

Here is what I got in my day pack:
Chicken Breasts, Medium Cheddar Cheese, PepperJack Cheese, 12 Cage Free Eggs, Annie's Yogurt, Organic Rasberry Lemonade, 2 bags Organic Corn Chips, Emerald Valley Organic Salsa, Emerald Valley Organic Bean Dip, Organic Whole Peeled Tomatoes, Fresh Parmesan Cheese, PepperCorn Grinder, 4 Rolls Toilet Paper, Bike Repair Kit and Bike Lock , Fat Tire Ale and some fresh-made Sushi to top it off!