Mount Si

I remember days before we had kids, when Richard and I would just decide to go on a hike.  And it didn't matter what we packed, or how long the hike was, or whether we had a change of clothes, or if we had even told anyone where we were going.  And then we had kids

And suddenly, going on a hike meant a few things:
1) you couldn't hike any longer than 3 miles because you would be carrying a child for at least half of it, and the more your kids weigh and more distracted they get by things like leaves and sticks and rocks...the longer the hike gets.  We once went on a 2.8 mile hike that felt like a 10k by the end and took us hours because of kid drama along the way
2) you couldn't just pack a water bottle.  You had to pack snacks, diapers, a change of clothes, a few books, some toys, more snacks, a camera....by the end, you were lugging a small suitcase up the mountain with you
3)  you couldn't stop and enjoy the vistas you want to enjoy.  Chances are, your child will want to stop for an hour to look at a worm digging a hole or the poop left behind by a small dog.  But once you get to the incredible view at the top....nope, they will be off down the trail again because they dropped one fruit snack and their policy is "no fruitsnack left behind"

So, on Easter weekend, we had Richard's mother in town.  We planned a number of very exotic dates like getting hot chocolate at Starbucks and sitting on a couch and talking or getting an ice cream cone and taking a walk.  But I told Richard that I wanted to do a hike, just the two of us, where we could never take our kids.

WE chose Mount Si.  Not only is it the place where Scott Jurek trained for the Western States 100, but it has possibly the most beautiful view I have ever seen from the top of any mountain.  We had a beautiful, warm, clear sunny day, so you could see the Olympics, the Cascades, Mt. Ranier, and both downtown Bellevue and Seattle in the distance.  We were truly at the top of the world. Four miles up.  3700 feet elevation gain.

And yeah, my legs killed me for days.  I didn't know my calve muscles could be so vindictive in their merciless screaming.  But it was so worth it !!