Mist and Rolling Hills at Twin Falls Trail

Saturday, February 5th, 2011

Our Saturday morning started with a quick drive 40 minutes southwest of Seattle to the Twin Falls Trail where I got the best butt workout ever! When we left Seattle, the fog was so heavy that as we crossed the West Seattle Bridge we not see the city skyline.  It was a very cool morning in the low 40′s, but we were armed with our warm gear, so without hesitation we took to the trail.

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Stevens Pass Review

Saturday, February 5th, 2011

Here begins my review of ski resorts.  As a lifelong skier, I’ve established nine categories of evaluation that are relavent to… well me, but I hope that others find my reviews helpful.  I would not consider this a comprehensive review.  I do not review ski schools, terrain parks, shopping, or lodging (unless we stay on site). My first ski resort review is of Steven’s Pass, located east of Seattle, WA. It was a very convenient drive from the city, so from an accessibility stand point this was trip was already off to a good start.  If you have questions following, please feel free to send a message along.
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Our Seattle Adventure Begins…

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

I’m in an airplane right now… 32,000 feet above the ground on my way to Seattle, WA.  It’s not my first time in Seattle, but it is my first time calling it home.  Even more unique is that for the first time, this is not a round trip.  So for all of our friends and family that want the true story of how we decided to move to Seattle… here it is.

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This is why you “Hike Through Life….”

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

Get your Kleenex box ready because I am going to be super sappy.

Today brought me back to what is really important in life.  Casey and I took our 5 year old niece skiing.  It was her second time, so she was still working on the basics, but she did a fantastic job!  Even when she had a total “yard sale” – skis flying in different directions, hat off, mittens missing… we still were able to smile at each other because we are so lucky to have these moments together doing things we love.  With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, today put everything in perspective.  Memories like these are why you have to endure the day-to-day struggles of life.

Select the link to view my video of the day… Brooke Skiing

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My Idol, Miss Frizzle!

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

I have a deep, dark secret that will probably completely destroy my image, but here it goes…. Miss Frizzle is my idol.  Yes, I’m taking about none other than Miss Frizzle  from the Magic School Bus.  I am very sincere– I have always wanted to be just like her.  While her outfits were a bit outrageous, you have to admire the enthusiasm and zest with which she lived her cartoon life!  She made me what to be a scientist.  Hell, she made some the most boring topics, like rocks, mold, and pond scum, interesting.

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Pack Only the Essentials…

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

Any good hiker will tell you that when you’re heading out onto the trail you pack the essentials.  That’s right ladies… makeup is not a necessity (and it’s that great??)! So, here are my top five most important things to have (this list excludes things like water and food… duh).

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In Search of “Inspiration”

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

“Nature has been for me, for as long as I remember, a source of solace, inspiration, adventure, and delight; a home, a teacher, a companion.” -Lorraine Anderson

This post is not as much about “hiking” as it is about “inspiration.”  Tonight our house smells like a campfire and that is inspiration for this post!  Last night we made a fire in our fireplace and we apparently closed the chimney flue too early because the house REEKS!  Casey and I cleaned the whole house today… vacuumed, washed the floors, dusted, vacuumed the furniture, and  lit candles, yet the house still smells.  I even went so far as to do the laundry (which I hate), but unfortunately it’s done nothing to help with the smell and has inadvertently caused Casey to complained that I don’t fold clothes… booo.  Here’s the point though… as we cleaned we kept laughing about the smell and how “stupid” we had been.  It reminded me of the times we shared laughing around the fire pit on many of our camping trips.  And that’s when “inspiration” hit…literally!

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Playing Hide-and-Seek with Mount Rainier

Monday, October 18th, 2010

I suppose my life’s mantra should be “Expect the Unexpected.”  Time and time again I envision and expect one thing, but life turns out to be much different– sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse.  This post reflects just that…

Growing up and living in West Michigan you’d think that I would have grown accustom to the constant clouds coming off Lake Michigan, but the reality is just the opposite.  Every time the clouds start rolling in, I start threatening to move someplace with more sunshine (this is usually followed by Casey rolling his eyes at me).  I should have expected clouds when we decided to go hiking at Mount Rainier, but I was hopeful for clear skies and spectacular views of the volcano.  Obviously, I’m delusional since Washington is one of the cloudiest states and our hike at Mount Rainier was nothing more than a big game of hide and seek.  We sought beautiful views, but the mountain hid behind all of the clouds (Booo!!).  While I sound rather pessimestic about our adventure, let me just say that the unexpected surprises we experiences on this hike memorable and worthwhile.

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Urban Hike for ArtPrize 2010

Sunday, October 10th, 2010

This entry is about a “hike” of sorts… an urban hike!  We hit the streets of our hometown– Grand Rapids, MI to explore the latest and greatest craze to hit the city… ArtPrize.  With a 100+ art entries spread throughout downtown, street vendors selling their wares, and live entertainment the city resembled a party scene more than the conservative business district it usually is.  In only it’s second year, the art festival has grown by leaps and bounds and the excitement surrounding the event was palpable!

Each art piece is entered for a variety of reasons, and the stories are almost as interesting as the pieces themselves.  Some artist’s hope to provoke thought, or create social change, some share unknown treasures of the world, others yet hope to be discovered as the next great artist.  For whatever their reasons, people flocked to see the buzz around some of the most beautiful, interesting, and down right strange pieces of the festival.  The really cool thing about ArtPrize is that the winners are decided on by spectator vote.  Our visit was nothing short of humorous and and fascinating.  This post is just a small sampling of what we saw.

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The Views from Washburn…

Monday, September 27th, 2010

The most fantastic views of Yellowstone Nat’l Park are from the top of Mount Washburn.  We took a 7 day vacation and camped in the Canyon area of Yellowstone.  This area offers some of the most expansive and diverse views of the park.  When traveling on bike or by foot you are able to appreciate see nature in  more breadth and depth.  On this day we biked to the base of the Washburn trail at Dunraven Pass.  From there we continued on foot up the mountain.  Read the rest of this entry »

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