Two days in a row!

We did make it out to hike two days in a row, didn't have to work either of the weekend days!
Sorry its been 7 days until you got to hear the trail reports, when I take off for a weekend of fun, there is a lot of catching up required the following week!
On Saturday 3/20 We(Ryan, Jacob, Natasha and I) headed over to the Olympic Peninsula via Edmonds Ferry and Hood Canal Bridge, in search of some good views and less snowy trails.  We found great views, but also a lot more snow then we were expecting, at Mt. Townsend Trail.  The weather on Saturday was unbelievable, super sunny nearly 70 degrees, just a great day.  The first two miles of the trail were icy in places but passable.  When we reached about 4800ft , we hit snow and lots of it.  The snow was on a steep grade and it was very soft.  Snowshoes are not workable when you have to put one foot in front of the other to stay on the narrow trail..  We made it through the snow for about an hour.  After an hour of post-holing and a super steep ascent we took in the views while we devoured our lunch.  After replenshing the calories we had just burned so rapidly, we discussed and decided climbing more wouldn't get us very far and put us at risk for injury so we turned around at about 5600ft. 
On Sunday Ryan and I joined the American Lung Association Climb for Clean Air Team for a training hike.  We hiked Little Si just outside of North Bend.  For as sunny and warm as Saturday was, Sunday was the complete opposite.  The entire hike was in the rain.  Although it was raining and a bit chilly we got the chance to meet up with some great people.  We look forward to more chances to get to know them and to hike Mt. Rainier with them. 
the weekend in pictures:

The Olympics from the Edmonds Ferry

Getting Ready at the Trailhead

Ryan, Natasha, and Jacob at the start of the snow

The view from lunch, of the Cascades and Seattle

The only picture we took at Little Si, because as you can tell it was very wet.  My face is supposed to look happy(because I was), just squinting to not get rain in my eyes!

Ready for the Woods!

Its been two weekends without any hikes, we are craving some trail time.  For the physical training of this adventure, the gym is a great substitute for the trail when you have to get in some cardio and can't make time for the trails.  As you may recall there are 3 parts to this adventure: fundraise, physical fitness and mental confidence/strength.  Unfortunately the mental training for all of this has been put on the backburner.  We know that we will be most mentally prepared if our heads are clear of stress and worry about: the climb, work, house stuff, condo sale, proximity to family, etc.  Wow those things not only fill the mind they fill our time!  Without complaining you can imagine that the busy-ness of it all has kept us from the trail.  Well we have finally found some time and hope to keep it for the trails and not get sidetracked with work, yard stuff, etc. 
For Ryan and I, being outside in the woods, hitting the trails, keeps the clarity in our minds of what is important.  I know it may sound silly but after a hike we emerge from the woods feeling more patient and happy.  So this weekend we head for the hills.  Saturday morning we will be doing Mt. Si.  We would prefer a bit more solitude, but I have to go to work in the afternoon so this is the closest hike we can do and get back in time.  Sunday Ryan has to work but I get to join the Climb for Clean Air team for a training hike to Little Si.  The hike shouldn't be hard but it will be great for meeting other people on this great adventure.  Stay tune for pictures and hike reviews.

Fundraising and Training Update

Lets start with the fact that Ryan and I are $532 from reaching our $7000 goal!  Even more good news is that my dad is $1500 from his goals of $3500.(donate to dad)  How awesome are our friends and family?  I will tell you simply that our friends and family are inspiring.  We laid out our hopes and you are all exceeded expectations!  We are helping those with lung disease with such ease, awesome!

Ok so now to the training.  We are fundraising prepared but what are we doing to prepare for a 14,000ft climb? 
With our work schedule it makes it tough to get to the gym or outside regularly, but on average we make it to the gym in the morning 3 times a week.  I am really looking forward to warmer and brighter mornings to run outside and breathe the fresh air.  The gym is great to get in some sort of cardio, which is better than nothing, but we all know preparing for a big climb means hiking and climbing outside in the real mountains; which our hearts want to do every evening after work and every weekend.  Work sure gets in the way of the heart!  We have had the pleasure of a few hikes and snowshoes trips as reported earlier in this blog, but recently all we have time for are a few urban hikes.  I would just say a nice walk but we have committed to wear our amazing new daypacks on evey walk we go on, which makes it feel more "hike" like.  Yep thats right, can you picture it?  We are walking around Brier, a lovely neighborhood of sidewalks and cute homes with our bags filled to the brim, helmet , ice axe, and trekking poles attached to the outside.  Yep, we look a little silly but wow it sure helps the heart when work won't let us head to the woods.  So we hope as it gets warmer we get more time in the woods, but we are staying active. 
In other news, last weekend and one day next weekend we have been working to completie a MOFA class.  MOFA is a 26 hour outdoor first aid course designed by the Moutaineers.  The class is a requirement for any alpine scrambling (which we are taking) and basic climbing courses offered by the Mountaineers.  We are 2/3 complete and feel pretty prepared for most accidents in the outdoors.  The last day of the class is going to be practice of all the things we learned to really set up our confidence with the new found knowledge.
Hopefully the following weekend (3/20-21)we finally get a chance to go hiking!  Any recommendations?