Hiking in the forest, hiking along a creek or river, hiking to a waterfall. No Northwest summer is complete without a good hike in the forest.
I also like the beach of course. But beaches here are mainly good for walks and ferry rides. With an average water temperature in Puget Sound of 63 degrees in July and most lakes only a couple degrees warmer, swimming is not a NW summer essential. (Although I considered it at the top of the list when I was a kid.)
My granddaughter grew up in Indiana, but she and her (now) husband began the festivities for the day before their July 3rd wedding in true NW fashion with a hike with those friends and family who were game for it up Little Si elevation gain, 1200 ft. (I stayed home for that one.)
The day after the wedding, some of us headed up into the mountains. First stop: a short hike at Deception Falls, one of many possible stops and trailheads along Hwy. 2 on the way to Steven’s Pass. Unlike most waterfall hikes that take you miles through the forest before you reach the big payoff: a beautiful waterfall, Deception Falls is a series of falls all along the short trail.
It was lovely. And yet, for a moment as I walked through the beautiful, fresh green forest, I remembered reading a particularly depressing post from a Facebook friend the previous week. Over the past few years, the friend wrote, we’ve had to endure Trump, a pandemic, countless school shootings, and recent Supreme Court decisions. You may not have the same politics he has, but you have to admit that the last few years have been a difficult time. In fact, you might be able to add a few more complaints to my friend’s list.
But being surrounded by a perfect forest, washed away all the complaints, his and mine. It smelled so good, every inch of it alive and healthy, the trees and plants and soil working together, carrying on year after year. Some of the trees beside me may have started growing 500 years ago, and when they fell, they’d continue nourishing the forest for another 500 years. Maybe you’ve heard of fallen “nurse logs” and the many plants and trees that grow on top of them. I didn’t photograph a nurse log, but here’s what you might call a “nurse stump.”
After our hike, we drove farther east and checked in at Sleeping Lady Lodge. After some sightseeing in Leavenworth, we took two more hikes the following afternoon. One was the Old Pipeline Bed Trailhead along the Wenatchee River and another was out behind the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery.
Once back home, even though I continued watching the news and checking Facebook, even though the California forest fires were threatening the Mariposa Grove of sequoias at Yosemite, still I was fortified by those days in the forest
by its fresh green beauty
by the ability of nature to renew itself
by the dedication of so many people who care about our environment.
And I continued to choose gratitude and hope for our future.
What is your summer essential?
Novels by Nicki Chen:
The Deception Falls walk sounds idyllic, Nicki. I love being close to water- both sight and sound. So easy to get dragged down by all the bad stuff, but our world was here long before us and, God willing, will endure. It’s a gift. Have a great summer!
Of all the means of travel, walking is best, as you well know. Thank you for sharing your Portugal walks.
We have beautiful evergreens here, great, tall trees behind our houses and all along our roads and highways, but best of all is being surrounded by them in the forest with a stream rushing by.
Your photographs of the forest are so cooling, how wonderful to be able to enjoy all that beauty. I agree it helps to balance out the crazy in the world. Thank you for sharing them.
Have you read The Overstory? Although the ending was disappointing, the majority of the book being about trees and those who love them was a joy to read and I’m not usually a fan of Pulitzer prize winners.
Yesterday I took an afternoon walk in town. I stayed on the shady side of the street and blessed all those big, beautiful trees. It wasn’t the forest, but it was cool and fresh.
I haven’t read The Overstory yet, but thanks for the reminder. I think it’s on my Amazon wish list. At the moment, I’m deep into a mystery series and also a dense book on the history of Ukraine, The Gates of Europe.
Ooooh the Ukraine history one sounds particularly interesting, I shall add it to my list. Thanks Nicki 🙂
Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos, Nicki! We try to go camping in the summer, and it’s always refreshing to be surrounded by nature.
We went camping a lot when I was growing up. Mom prepared all the food and supplies we’d need. We usually went with three or four other families. The dads put up the tents, the kids blew up the air mattresses, and the mom’s did the cooking. During the day, the kids explored the woods. We don’t camp any more. On this trip, we stayed in comfortable, woodsy cabins.
Thanks for the very refreshing pictures! We’re between two heat waves here in Spain and there are a lot of forest fires. In my hometown the temperatures are over 40ºC, but we moved to our summer apartment by the beach, where it’s cooler. Here, beach is a summer essential.
Up here in the northwest corner of the US, we’ve been escaping the heat so far, but we’re expecting a little hotter weather next week. The heat waves and forest fires around the world are really disturbing. Equally sad is the number of people who won’t admit what the problem is or who don’t want to change anything about their way of life to help out. At least, I’m glad I could share some refreshing photos, and I’m grateful for out time in the forest.
US Fish and Wildlife tweeted: If you’re feeling dead inside, go outside
I think the US Fish and Wildlife is right. I feel more alive immediately when I step out the door.
I’m pleased you could join the second trip. I have not heard the expression ‘nurse log’ but we have many here in our Ne Forest
I suppose every forest has its nurse logs. It’s a lovely way of describing the way they contribute to the forest’s life.
When we lived in NC, we walked to waterfalls every chance we got ~ watching all that water splashing into the stream below = bliss!
Your friend’s facebook post sounds like the litany of complaints rolling around my head this morning while talking to someone I haven’t seen for a few months. We talked about Highlights . . . but many of the LOW lights made an appearance too (from politics to global warming to a too political supreme court to privacy issues to gun control to . . . the rise and fall of the American Empire).
Where’s a waterfall when you need one? 😀
I read once that we love waterfalls because they release negative ions which are essential for high energy and a positive mood. That may be true, but I think they also provide some variety to the peaceful, calm forest. They’re a splash of fun in a relaxing hike. The forest feels like a historical site to me. It wasn’t so long ago that all of Western Washington looked like this. My beautiful little seaside city, Edmonds, began as a sawmill town. Until the 1870s, it was almost entirely just a forest.
Yes. I have heard about the benefits of breathing in all those negative ions created by waterfalls. It helps us recharge our batteries AND gives us a focus for our feet as we hike through the forest. I love to have a “destination” in mind when setting out on a hike.
Best wishes to your granddaughter and her groom!
Thank you, Nancy. My granddaughter’s wedding was amazing, a unique ceremony that took place in the sculpture garden followed by a reception in the Seattle Aquarium. Now she and her husband are on their way to Europe for their honeymoon.
That sounds wonderful, Nicki. Hope they have a wonderful time on their honeymoon.
Thank you, Nancy.
Nature is a healer. You can’t help but feel better when you experience it!
I agree, Kate. Even looking out the window at some trees and potted plants makes me feel a bit better. Better yet when I step outside.
Lovely photos from our lovely part of the world. Nothing better than a PNW summer.
I’ve always loved summer here. No better place to be at this time of year.
Those are lovely. Hikes in SoCal tend to have beautiful views, but they’re hot and dusty, rather than cool and shady.
But we do have gorgeous beaches. I guess that’s our summer staple, even if our water is also quite cold.
There’s a quote I saw the other day: “When you feel dead inside, go outside.”
That’s a great quote!
You do have gorgeous beaches down there. It’s strange how just stepping outside in a quiet moment makes the world seem different.
Nicki, what beautiful photos! I feel cooler just looking at them (though lately, we’ve had slightly cooler weather in my area). Travel was a summer essential until the pandemic hit. I might get out there at some point. I need to renew my passport though.
Where did you like to go in the summer before COVID? And what will your destination be once you renew your passport?
As someone who likes walking and hiking, I really enjoyed your post about your hikes this summer, Nicki. Sounds like the weather has been ideal for your hikes. I enjoyed your photos too, from the wterfalls to the lush green forest. It’s like being in another world for a moment. It’s amazing how those trees have bene aorund for 500 years, standing so long and will continue that way for a long time. Amongst the forest like that it’s probably like being a part of a piece of time so long ago.
I like walking and hiking in summer too. It’s winter now here. In the upcoming summer I hope to get out and definitely do some walking. I also like sitting outside in the shade and doing some reading in the summer.
Have you been to New Zealand? It looks very much like Western Washington. You mentioned “being a part of a piece of time so long ago.” Yes. Being in the forest, does help you step back a little from the busy and sometimes frantic moments in which we live. Everything in the forest quietly continues on, living and growing and working together.
When the cold weather hits here in a few months, I’ll think of you, taking walks and peacefully sitting in the shade and reading.