Apologies to my fanbase, I haven’t posted any story in a while. The next story is also a bit old, but I would still like to share it.

It isn’t that long ago that I went to the United States for business and now, a few months later, I am back again, for two projects. The project is in Glendale, near Los Angeles. Glendale is close to the rich and famous in Hollywood and Beverly Hills. I spend my one and only free Sunday doing a stroll through Hollywood Park. This is a large park with several small hills, and I did a “hike” of one and a half hour with an ascent of 150 meters (I put the word hike between “…” because it’s more of a stroll through the park for me than an actual hike). One of the highlights of this park is obviously the HOLLYWOOD sign. Like every other tourist I just had to take a photo here.

Later in the afternoon my colleague and I made a visit to the famous Santa Monica pier and beach. It is extremely crowded at the pier, but worth to visit for a day. We had a bit of a walk around and stopped for a nice cup of coffee and cake. I am more of a nature guy, away from the crowds, but the immense crowds on the pier and beaches are very interesting to see. There is something about this area that gives a nice and positive energy. Everybody is out enjoying the sun at the beach, either swimming, running, working out at the beach-gym or practicing acrobats at a designated area. It is a beautiful sunny day, and we are really enjoying the time off and getting the rest we need. Visiting Santa Monica reminds me of one of my favorite shows; Californication (I should really watch it again).

Next stop: Seattle – Washington state.

The last time I was in Washington state, a few months ago, I really wanted to climb one of the mountains near Seattle (either Mt. Olympia or Mt. Reinier). At the time it was still too early in the season and hiking trails had not yet been opened. Faith would have it that I returned in June, which is absolutely great. Now I can finally fulfill my short-term dream from almost three months ago. After a week of hard work at the hospital in Bellevue, it was time to chase some mountains in the weekend!

But first things first…

For a long time, I have been wanting to get new all-round hiking shoes so I got myself a new pair. They advise to first break in the shoes by going for short walks… well I didn’t have that time. I will break them in directly on the mountain. It will be a great test and let’s hope for the best!

On a Saturday afternoon I drive to a small and cute town called Enumclaw. It seems to be a popular tourist destination and it has a nice little and historical city center. I wish I can spend a bit more time here but right now I am here for one thing, and one thing only. This town is pretty much as close as I can get to the Sunrise parking area of Rainier Mountain. Staying in this town will save me travel-time tomorrow morning. I checked in at a nice, traditional American guesthouse and after settling in, I went for dinner in town. I had a brilliant idea (I am so proud of myself 😀); I found a great Italian restaurant for dinner. But I will not only have dinner, I will also order my lunch for the next day; pasta with meatballs, the perfect meal for an active day. As I am sitting at the bar (the only available seat at the time), an older lady next to me strikes up a friendly conversation. She is from New York and we talk about the birds and the bees. It is nice for a change to spend dinner with a stranger, instead of staring at my phone the entire evening. I thank her for the pleasant conversations and evening but at 9pm I call it a day and walked back to the hotel for an early rest.

5.30am and my alarm goes off. I couldn’t resist to hit the snooze button a few times, but I also wanted to beat the weekend crowds on the trails in the mountain. I had a quick breakfast and checked out from the hotel. It is still more than an hour drive to the parking area and I reached it at 7.30am.

Reaching the summit is not part of the plan today, as this is almost 4400 meter high and you need ice-crampons, rope and pick-axes to reach it. I would love to do it but not on my own. Today, I planned a nine mile (almost 15 kilometers) strenuous hike with an elevation climb of 750 meters. There are many beautiful trails at Rainier Park and I choose one of the more challenging ones; the Burroughs Mountain trial. I want to feel the rocks under my feet as I ascend. Mt. Burroughs is just a small little nob next to mount Rainer, but it will provide plenty of challenges and nice views.

Not long after the start, the first ice patches appear, and the trails goes right across. This is usually fine but one of these patches is steep and slippery. I had to be extra cautious but slow and steady did the job, I made it safely across (otherwise I also wouldn’t be writing a story right now). The ice and snow reminds me of the cabin-hike in the Swiss alps two years ago.

The trail crosses ice, rocky paths but also large meadow fields. Although the meadows are not in full bloom, there are still a few and persistent beautiful little flowers present on the mountain. The desire of Ayu to make photos of every beautiful flower, whether it is in the mountains or not, has really rubbed off on me. Wherever I am, every time I see flowers, I just have to take a photo to capture the memory. The weather is beautiful with clear blue skies. It is early in the morning and still quiet and peaceful on the mountain. During the entire hike there is an amazing view on Mt. Rainer and the surrounding areas. I am above the tree line and visibility is very clear. I walk across beautiful blue mountain lakes and I have the pleasure of being greeted by wildlife. I see many cute little squirrels, several mountain marmots and even some goats in the distance. While hiking up this rocky mountain, the songs of the birds keep me company. This is a challenging hike, but it is exactly this which clears my mind, to me it is relaxing and provides peace at the same time.

I reached the top of second Mt. Burroughs (there are two) at 11am and I rewarded myself with that delicious pasta that I carried all the way here and which has been waiting for me since last night. After a well-deserved rest, I plan to go back, but not quite yet…

I noticed a hidden trail up to Steamboat Prow peak (I learned that name from a lady during the hike). It turns out to be the technical route which climbers take to get to the summit. It looks very challenging indeed and very rocky with parts requiring technical climbing and ropes. I walked up the trail a little bit, over narrow mountain ridges and cliffs. This was definitely the most fun part, but I could not go too far because of the time constraint I have. Besides I am not prepared for such a climb, I only come for the hike. The lady that I have been talking to, says it is doable to climb up Mt. Rainier with ice-crampons and pickaxes in one day, for fit people. This sounds like my next adventure when I am back!

After this little detour, around noon, I am on my way back. I thought I was being smart by taking a shortcut, but the shortcut turns out to be not a shortcut. This was the route to Sunrise basecamp and not Sunrise parking. It was a longer route, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The views and the surroundings were very different; in the last part I crossed the pinewood forest, and it smelled amazing.

It was a gorgeous and very rewarding day. Another mountain I can cross of the list. I was happy to be back at the car around 1.30pm. I still have a two-hour drive back to Bellevue (Seattle). And the shoes; they held up perfectly. Despite a few minor blisters I am happy with them.

And as for my next adventure… that will be my birthday in The Netherlands :D, before flying back to Bali.

Check out the amazing footage I made with the GoPro on Mt. Rainier:

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