So long, Seattle!
I just had to escape my family today. We woke up, stopped at the University of Washington’s campus for breakfast and a short tour, and then drove from Seattle to Mt. Pilchuck State Park. The ride was scenic—and by that I don’t mean full of scenery (even though it probably was). But there is no possible way to enjoy any kind of beautiful nature when you have the following scenes playing out: George grumbling about how his Washington guide book got destroyed by the rain; Ray belly aching about his belly aching; Mom stressing over the thought of her two “babies” climbing a strenuous hike; and all the while, Glenda trying to make us halfway interested in Douglas firs and hemlocks.
So I thought of an idea today that I stole from the Vegas Vacation movie. I suggested to the group that we all take an “alone” day and just take in the scenery ourselves (except for Ray who wouldn’t let go of Mom’s hand as he cringed in pain— his own fault for having two bags of Skittles for breakfast). Even though they all probably knew I was just plain annoyed with them, I think I stated it rather eloquently:
“Loving parents, adorable brother, and respected teacher, I bring you all together today to make a slight suggestion. Feel free to take it or leave it, but I really hope you take it. Here’s the deal. It’s early on in the trip, and we have a long way’s to go. If we’re going to do this correctly, we can’t all want to rip each other’s hair out by the time we get to Montana. I say we take a day for ourselves at Mt. Pilchuck. Dad is severely depressed, Ray apparently needs to go to the ER, and Glenda… no one cares about trees, for the love of God.”
I got a few grunts and grumbles from the gang, but in the end, I got the day to myself. And boy, it was one of the best yet. If you are in the Seattle area, this park is a must.
The main recreational attraction of the park is the three-mile trail to the summit and the old fire lookout. The trail begins at 3,100 feet above sea level and winds through an old growth forest to alpine heather and large rocks at the summit of Mt. Pilchuck (5,324 feet above sea level). I was the only one who was in any kind of shape to make that ascent, so I went myself. The trail was packed though with summertime tourists. I even made a couple of friends along the way.
There was a nice young newly engaged couple camping out in the area for a few nights. Originally from Ohio, they gave me a whole bunch of pointers on what to do when I get there—Cedar Point, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and something to do with Christopher Columbus. Good thing I have this blog to keep track of sites for me, since all of these places and city names are running together!
It took hours and hours to get to the top. We saw lots of cute animals along the way—chipmunks, deer, blue jays, squirrels, and even an eagle! I trudged through dirt and even bits of lingering snow. It was beautiful, but I was not nearly athletic enough to endure this. I was huffing and puffing like an old man when we got to the top. I wish I would have been a little more alert with the photos, but I had a constant grasp on my water bottle so my hands were occupied.
I did take one at the final summit. At the top, you can see an amazing view of the Cascades, the Olympics, and Puget Sound. For that, I finally put the Nalgene down and took a few photos. Feast your eyes on this prize.
A view worth the hike-- Mt. Pilchuck State Park
Yes, the alone day was a good idea. Mom and Ray stayed back and went to some kiddie attraction where Ray probably consumed more sweets. And George and Glenda eventually took part of the trail, where I’m sure they bonded with talks of useless trivia and boring stuff. So, OK, maybe it was just an alone day for me. But either way, I liked it! Now it’s back to some family time for a movie tonight nearby. Tomorrow we’re sleeping late and then visiting some sites in Olympic National Park. I can’t get enough of this Pacific Northwestern scenery—how can the rest of the country possibly top this?
