juneuary sun

The gray curtain finally opened to unveil Mount Rainier and to debut the June sun Sunday and Monday. Its been rare to have an unobstructed view of the mountain, a structure especially prominent against a blue sky on the way to my 5am shift in Bonney Lake. I was itching to get outside and the sun teased me through fully windowed walls of a lofted Jamba ceiling. I was home by noon and talked mom into taking a hike.


Snoqualmie Falls is a destination location and therefore waaaay too crowded. Hiking is an overstatement. The one mile roundtrip is worth the sight, though. Ignore the caution sign, jump over the deck railing, and walk up the rocks until you are sprayed with mist from the waterfall. You can take it all in under 30 minutes total -- or you can take your time and plan a picnic on the grassy areas on higher elevation.


Snoqualmie Falls NO DOGS ALLOWED!? Roxstar was not the only exception. We ran into many others and even a miniature husky -- now I want one. The owner warned me they are hard to get... intriguing.



After the quick stop at Snoqualmie, we drove through North Bend and past Mount Si to Twin Falls. It was a moderate 5 mile hike, adequate for running, and pretty much isolated-- We passed maybe a dozen hikers on the trail. Roxstar enjoyed roaming unleashed. There are at least four great waterfall lookouts. The view from the bridge between the two falls is first-rate.


On the way home we stopped for a bite at 'Got Rice', a Chinese restaurant in Snoqualmie. Nothing like ruining a workout with deep fried sweet and sour chicken. Later we visited Stef and Matt Baker and toured their new house. It has been almost a year since I've seen them! They are the cutest - I love them and their happy home.

Snoqualmie is a serene spot.