Laurabelle's Blog

After my last hike in the north Olympics, my dad wrote me an email.

From: Dad
To: Laura

Laura,

I just did your blog. Spectacular scenery. I wish I had a chance
to take such a hike.  I'm glad that you are safe.

Dad

I replied:

From: Laura
To: Dad

We should take you hiking the next time you're up here.  There are some
really spectacular day hikes at Mount Rainier, and there are also some
really pretty hikes that would be good for an overnight.  Jeff and I
have an extra tent (Jeff even has a bivy-sack, lighter than a tent), and
you could rent a backpack, sleeping bag, and pad at REI.

I think you should plan a hiking vacation up here... maybe sooner rather
than later because Jeff and I might move away from Seattle.

Mom is welcome to come, obviously, but I don't know if she would be as
keen on hiking as the rest of us.

lbm.

From: Dad
To: Laura

Mom would be LESS keen!

I am savoring the invite.

Dad

That was at the beginning of June, and I kind of figured Dad wouldn’t make it up here any time soon, but I was wrong! About a month ago he called me up and suggested flying up here for Labor Day weekend, so I said sure. I was tempted to pick an easy hike, like Lower Lena, but I knew it would be crowded on the holiday weekend. I suggested Heather Park, the hike that Dad was so enthusiastic about in the first place, and he said he thought he could do it.

Dad’s plane flew in on Friday afternoon, and although I was already packed, there was still a lot of preparation to do. Dad and I picked up his rental gear at REI: pack, pad, sleeping bag, and tent. I made lunches and helped Dad pack his stuff; once Jeff got home from work, he threw his stuff together too. We all went to bed early.

Saturday morning we woke up at 5:30 and got on the road shortly after 7:00. We caught the 7:45 ferry from Edmonds to Kingston and were on the trail by 10:45 (the only delay in our travel being the Hood Canal Bridge, which was open for some 15-20 minutes while we waited).

Dad was the slowest hiker, so he took the lead and set the pace, as I had when Jeff and I were alone. He and I have different methods for resting, however; Dad pushed himself to hike for 20 minutes before he would allow himself a 5-minute break, whereas I stopped more often (usually when I saw a decent rock or log) and rested for only a minute or two each time. In the end, I think we made about the same time up the trail as Jeff and I had earlier this summer. Not bad for a 61-year-old who last backpacked 16 years ago.

Although it did not quite rain, the weather was disappointing. I think the ever-present clouds (above, below, and around us as we climbed up the top of the ridge) would have frustrated me less if I hadn’t known what they were hiding. I wanted my father to have the same beautiful experience we had.

Dad was worn out, so he went to bed directly after dinner on Saturday while Jeff and I went exploring. We found a little deer track up to a rocky outcropping and sat for a few minutes. I watched the sky as a wind blew away the clouds over the ridge and the little patch of blue grew larger by the second. The clouds were not remote, off in the sky somewhere, but around and just above me. I felt that I had never been so close to heaven.

The next day, Dad was a little stiff but said he felt okay. We packed up our gear while the sky spat on us (we gave up on drying the tent) and then took a little walk up to Heather Park proper before starting back down the trail. This time Dad took off in front of us while I lagged behind because my knee was playing up again. Dad waited for us at Halfway Rock, and then I took the lead again.

A little below Halfway Rock we met three hikers coming uphill, and they asked us how far there was to go. They were planning to do the whole 12-mile loop in one day; when we told them where they were and what there was left to do, one of the group decided to turn back with us and go back to their car. I hope her two companions decided to turn back once they got to Heather Park, because they didn’t look prepared for that trail (it’s pretty gnarly), and since it was past noon already, I just don’t think they’d have time to finish the hike before dark.

On the way back down, our new companion said that she was a fairly new hiker and that she was encouraged by my example as a fairly new hiker who has managed to get in shape and gain experience quickly. She seemed concerned about holding her companions back, which is part of why she separated from them and went back to the trailhead. She doesn’t live too far out of the way for most of the hikes that Jeff and I go on, so we invited her to hike with us. It’s easier to get into backpacking if you have experienced hikers to lend gear and experience. We also don’t care about having anyone hold us back; in my opinion the group is the group, and you stay together, end of story.

We got back to Seattle with no further incident (except the bad wreck on SR-104 that blocked one lane of a two-lane highway) and returned Dad’s gear to REI (a day earlier than I’d paid for, so I got a refund for the extra day). We showered and then went to Red Mill Burgers for dinner. Best hamburgers on the planet, especially after a hike.

Dad’s gone now, and we still have to pack away all our hiking gear, but we are already thinking ahead to our next hike.