Come play outside with me!
My happy place is outdoors. I hike, run, camp, backpack, kayak, ride, float and walk. I’ve done some cross-country skiing but not enough to mention. I have been blessed with parents who raised me to play outdoors. Many years ago, I found an old outdoor magazine. My dad was on the front cover! This humble man, who never bragged, used to climb mountains. I may never be on the cover of an outdoor magazine (or any for that matter), but I will always be my father’s daughter.
I’ve found it hard to find time to hike. I don’t like spending more time driving to and from a hike than I do on the hike itself. Living in the heart of the Willamette Valley, puts me within one to two hours of two incredible hiking destinations: The Cascade Mountains and the Columbia River Gorge. I have been on a quest to find local hiking spots, without the two to four-hour round trip drive time.
Ratings are 0-5, based on my hiking experience. I would give a 0 to a nature walk that takes little effort with little elevation. At this point in my experiences, my two hardest hikes have been Mt. Defiance (elevation) and over 20 miles backpacking on the Salmonberry River Trail (distance and trail conditions).