I love when the weekend rolls around...I mean doesn't everyone! But for me it is a chance to get out of our cramped 600 sq. ft. apartment, breathe some fresh air, and explore. Since moving to Seattle I have been working remotely from home. Don't get me wrong working from home has a lot of pros, but for me, my view is a wall. I would at least like a window to stare out of from time to time. When I lived in Florida and had the routine of dealing with a commute and 8 hour days in an office, as soon as I got home I didn't want to do anything but be home, and I was completely fine with that. However, now that I feel I am stuck inside all day, I do not want to take the weekend for granted- especially when there is not a cloud in sight.
So, when the weekend rolls around I get big puppy eyes and give my husband the "get me out of here" look. One of my favorite things to do on the weekend is hike. Now, I am not a seasoned hiker by any means. I went to college in Western NC and that was my first experience with trails and mountains. I would grab a friend, or play hooky from class and spend hours driving around the parkway and finding trails around Asheville to hike. That is where my love of hiking began, but then after graduating I moved back to Florida and away from the mountains. Then for the next 10 years I lived at the beach. I was never a beach girl (I hate sand) and I practically glow in the dark with how pale I am, but I loved hiking and wanted to get back to the mountains. Now I am surrounded by the Olympics and Cascades and I love the challenge a hike brings and Washington definitely has an array of hikes to choose from.
This weekend's adventure was Oyster Dome in Bow, WA. It took us a little over an hour to drive from Seattle, but if you have never been I definitely recommend making the drive and crossing this one off the list. The views from the beginning of this trail to the end are worth it. We arrived around 9 am Saturday morning at the Samish Overlook. The parking lot was already full, but we were able to park along the road not to far from the trail head. Be careful parking along the side as there is a steep drop and some cars were having trouble with the loose gravel. However, the view from Samish Overlook is worth the drive alone.
Part of me could have stared at this view for hours, but if this was the view at the start I definitely wanted to see the view at the top. This trail has several steep switchbacks and I recommend poles for heading back down. Don't let the distance fool you. It's listed as 5 miles round trip, but it's a workout. This was definitely a busy trail and there were several large groups of people along the way. We like to let those groups pass us until we can't hear them talking anymore before we continue up the trail...I would rather hear birds chirping then how ugly you thought Steve's new tattoo looked. You walk along Red Cedars and Douglas Firs, and cross a few small creeks. On some parts of the trail the sun would peak through the canopy of the forest which made me just stop and take in the scenery. I hope I never take these views for granted.
Unfortunately, when we did reach the top it was crowded...remember how I said this was a popular trail? There was a group of 10 college girls taking up prime real estate with a picnic and wine. Then about a dozen more couples/groups were spread out along the stone promontory. Didn't ruin the experience of hiking the trail, but we didn't stay long at the top. I did manage to squeeze in one picture at the top:
Overall, it's still a great hike. I liked the challenges it provided, it was definitely a workout and of course, I was outside. Have you been to Oyster Dome? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below! Here's to the next weekend adventure!
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| I walk behind him because I stop to take so many pictures! |
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| Look at that paleness! Haha! |
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