If you are waiting til the last minute!!

For those folks who have been promising to donate something to Washington Trails, but just haven't gotten around to it yet, I just got this message from the WTA. Pledges made on Wednesday, August 31st will be MATCHED!

This week's fundraising tip: Your pledges go twice as far with a match!
Thanks to a group of generous donors, pledges made on August 31st will be matched dollar-for-dollar for the first $2,500 donated online that day! So you know all those folks who said they would sponsor you but just haven't gotten around to it yet?? Well now's their chance to push you twice as far! (We'll take care of the matching dollars on our end as they will not be reflected in your fundraising thermometers.)

All pledges and forms must be received by the WTA office no later than September 9.

I was able to hike for 2 miles along the Alki trail between errands on Sunday, between grocery shopping, hardware store, storage unit etc.

Then on Monday, I did 2 miles on the White River Trail in Auburn and another 2 miles on the Green River/Cedar River Trail in Maple Valley. Finding 11 letterboxes on both days!

Tuesday I have an appointment to get my hair cut, etc. So I hope I can get a mile in or I might just be out there at the last minute on Wednesday hiking 4 miles to make my goal!!

So far we have raised $1, 175 and I have hiked 46 miles!! Only 2 days left and only 4 more miles for me to reach my 50 mile goal!!

You can still support Ryan and me with our hike-a-thon for Washington Trails Association. The website will be accepting pledges through September 9th.
Our Team Page
Amanda's Page
Ryan's Page

Monday's Postcard: Ireland

This is from a layover in 2005 in Shannon, Ireland. I had just read 'Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks and was wishing I could spend more time in this country. Always a favorite place to spend time!

We have been making great progress on our WTA Hike-a-thon. But we still need your help! Check out our WTA fundraising pages
Our Team Page
Amanda's Page
Ryan's Page
and make a donation. It's not too late we can take credit card donations up until September 9th!! Keep Washington's Trails open and hikeable!!

Hurrah, we made over $1,000 for the WTA

Thanks so much to everyone!! We have exceeded our goal and have raised $1,126 for Washington Trails Association. Now if I could only get off my butt and meet my 50 miles goal. I have 40 miles under my belt so far and only 3 more days left to hike. I think I can do at least 10 miles in 3 days!!

Yesterday, I was out at Redmond Watershed park in Redmond, WA and I hiked 4.3 miles on the trails there. (and found 21 letterboxes!!) It was very busy, being a Saturday --now I remember why I prefer to get out on the trails in the middle of the week. Horses, Mountain Bikes, Trail Runners, other hikers....it was Grand Central Station out there. Like Ryan says, if you want solitude, you have to go more than 2 miles. :-)


You can still support both of us with our hike-a-thon for Washington Trails Association. The website will be accepting pledges through September
Our Team Page
Amanda's Page
Ryan's Page

Last days of hiking

On August 24th, I met with my sister in San Francisco and we did 3 miles in Redwood Regional Park along the Bird Trail and the Stream and Bridle Trails. I got a couple of more letterboxes that I missed on my last visit to this park on August 1st.

When I got back to Seattle, I drove out to Squak Mountain and did 3 miles on the May Valley Loop Trail. Did some letterbox maintenance and I just can't resist the little Pretzel Tree Trail that is right at the parking lot. It is super cute with a little story of a field mouse venturing into the forest to see the Pretzel Tree. They have these wonderful signposts that tell the story. It is charming.

We have raised $876 and I have hiked 34.7 miles.


You can still support both of us with our hike-a-thon for Washington Trails Association. The website will be accepting pledges through September
Our Team Page
Amanda's Page
Ryan's Page

1st backpack trip EVER!

This week I started out with a little hike in Bellevue at Kelsey Creek Park along the Lake to Lake trail. Earth Corps folks were out there doing repair work on a couple of turnpikes. Just 1 mile to add to my total. Like I have been saying, every little bit helps and one mile a day can add up to at least 31 miles by the end of August!! :-)

Then it was back to work and I was in SFO on a layover. My friend Lea and went out to Marin County and did some letterboxing.
Saw this little kitty cat graffiti on a fence post. I just love it!
Got a spooky one! And I had an egg cream ala Harriet the Spy. I got in a mile along the Bay Trail (mainly a bike trail) from Niven Park to Remillard Park, saw folks windsurfing! Awesome!!



Now about the famous backpack trip of the title. Believe it or not, I have never backpacked before now! Car camping, sure. Boat camping, yes. I have used the "hike in" spots at some campgrounds, but until Saturday night, I had never been more than a mile away from a motorized vehicle!! Ryan and I hiked in for 2.6 miles along the Baker River Trail (near Concrete, WA) to the Sulphide Campsite. Ryan cooked me a lovely dinner on his alcohol stove. It was a horrible mac and cheese, (he will never be buying that store brand again!)It was the thought that was lovely, the mac and cheese more like orange glue. The second day as we hiked back out, Ryan continued on the Baker Lake Trail around the lake for another 14 miles (can you see him on that bridge across the river?)
while I got in the car and drove around the lake to meet him at the other end. I hiked 1 mile on that end of the lake. So I am no longer a backpacker virgin. I carried my own gear and water 2. 6 miles into the back country! Starting out slow. We actually got the idea for the hike from a Hiking with Children book. I think I am ready for a 4 mile backpack hike now!! :-) I am just going to ease my way into this back country thing.

We've raised $811 for WTA hike-a-thon and I have hiked 29.7 miles.
You can still support both of us with our hike-a-thon for Washington Trails Association.
Our Team Page
Amanda's Page
Ryan's Page

And you can read more about our adventures together on Ryan's blog at www.anotherlongwalk.com

Monday's Postcard: Sanitary Fish Market

A Blast from the Past!! We used to take the boat up the Intracoastal Waterway from Hampstead to Morehead City and dock at this restaurant for dinner. I grew up eating seafood here. On the back of the postcard is the recipe for Hush Puppies, I'll go ahead and give it to you here:

1 lb fine corn meal
1 egg
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
pinch soda
1 cup buttermilk
serving for 6 people
stir adding water to thick consistency. drop in deep fat (preferably Duke's Peanut Oil) cook in temperature of 375 degrees.

And to work off the calories of those hushpuppies, I think I will take a hike!!
We have been making great progress on our WTA Hike-a-thon. But we still need your help! Check out our WTA fundraising pages
Our Team Page
Amanda's Page
Ryan's Page
and make a donation. Keep Washington's Trails open and hikeable!!

Slow Week for Hiking

I had such plans!! I had BOS, LGA and SFO layovers that I had planned to hike during layovers and then I was under the weather and couldn't work. So I was home, but I didn't get anything done here either, because of being under the weather!

Such a bummer. I did do a mile on the Green River Trail in Tukwila when I picked up Ryan from his several miles of trekking along the same trail.

Once things were back to normal health-wise, I was able to do a mile at Nisqually (of course, Ryan did 4 miles) and a mile at Big Creek trail near Cougar, WA. I was dropping Ryan off for his WTA work party.

We went camping along the Lewis River outside of Cougar, WA, just south of Mt. St. Helens. We brought along the telescope to do some stargazing, but the mostly full moon stymied our efforts. We did see a couple of shooting stars, part of the Perseids meteor shower and we did the native american eye test, looking at the double star of the Big Dipper. The second star from the end of the handle is an optical double star. You should be able to perceive this separation of these two stars with the naked eye.

I did a couple more miles along the Lewis River trail between the lower falls and the middle falls. And stopped off for a letterbox and did the Two Forests Trail near Ape Cave. So I got in 4 miles before I had to leave for work.

I got to Switzerland and did 2 km along the Zurich Vita parcours near our hotel. (about 1.25 miles)
By the Zurich Airport is a little town called Regensdorf, Switzerland. This is where we layover. There is a Zurich Vitaparcours just behind the Strafanstalt Poschwies Prison! :-)

This is a fitness trail, like an outdoor gym. They were huge in the 70's and I discovered that the original parcourse was invented in 1968 by a Swiss architect!
They appear to still be hugely popular over here and just about every town has one. In West Seattle, we have one at Lincoln Park, but it is mostly in disrepair, I don't think anyone uses it.

On the map in the photo, the buildings shown in red (#27) are the prison. The green area is where I hiked, the course starts at #99 and my hotel is #11. The green area beside the hotel is a cemetery. One of the cutest that I have ever seen. They have the prettiest tombstones in there.



We've raised $771 for WTA hike-a-thon and I have hiked 21.5 miles.
You can still support both of us with our hike-a-thon for Washington Trails Association.
Our Team Page
Amanda's Page
Ryan's Page

And you can read more about our adventures together on Ryan's blog at www.anotherlongwalk.com

Monday's Postcard: Wiesbaden

This is from February 1995. I had a layover in Wiesbaden, Germany (Frankfurt Airport) I was most impressed that the TV got 24 channels and only 2 were in English, CNN and MTV. :-)

We have been making great progress on our WTA Hike-a-thon. $671 dollars raised, but we still need your help! Check out our WTA fundraising pages
Our Team Page
Amanda's Page
Ryan's Page
and make a donation. Keep Washington's Trails open and hikeable!!

Monday's Postcard: Portland, ME

If I wasn't living in Seattle, I'd probably be living in Portland, ME. Love this town. Always a great layover. I miss this city, don't get up there as often as I would like.

We have been making great progress on our WTA Hike-a-thon. But we still need your help! Check out our WTA fundraising pages
Our Team Page
Amanda's Page
Ryan's Page
and make a donation. Keep Washington's Trails open and hikeable!!

First couple of hikes for Hike-a-thon 2011

August 1st: First day of hikeathon in Oakland, CA, I hiked 4 miles in Redwood Regional Park, with little dips into Joaquin Miller Park and Roberts Regional Recreation Area. Found 14 letterboxes along the West Ridge Trail, Tres Sendas Trail, The Big Tree Trail, Robert Ridge Trail and others!

The next day found me back in Seattle and I hiked along the Green River Trail to and from the Russell Woods park trailhead for 2 miles. I walked down to the Neely Soames House and back. The Neely Soames House was built in the 1800's and is one of the oldest homes in Kent. It is listed on the State Register of Historic Homes. It can be rented for parties or events and the gardens are open to the public year-round. This year is the 10th anniversary of the house being open to the public and they are having an open house with tours and stuff on August 21st.
The Green River Trail in this area is closed to bicycle traffic. A line of giant sandbags marches down the trail straight down the middle! This is to protect from flooding. The Howard Hanson dam up stream is awaiting repairs and the sandbags will be up until the dam is repaired. The bags were put up in 2009, so it has already been 2 years.

Wednesday, The Interurban Trail in North Seattle generally follows the route once used by the Interurban Trolley that ran from downtown Seattle to Everett from 1910 through 1939. I hiked 2 miles along a section in Shoreline. Saw some really neat public art called Flipbook by Jennifer Dixon.

The next day, I met up with Cari, Sandi and some other friends at Squires Lake in Alger, WA. At this letterboxing mecca, I was able to log 47 finds!! That's over 10 per mile during our 4.5 mile hike.We hiked around the lake and up to the Pacific Northwest trail. Had some great views back down to I-5!!
Today, I put in a mile on the Preston-Snoqualmie Trail. Not much, I know, but every little bit counts and it can all add up to bigger things! Just like that one dollar I have asked everyone who reads this to send. Only one dollar from everyone who reads this blog can add up to hundreds!!


I haven't hiked with Ryan yet, but maybe later on in the month.You can still support both of us with our hike-a-thon for Washington Trails Association.
Our Team Page
Amanda's Page
Ryan's Page


So far we have raised $641 and I have hiked 13.5 miles