Climb Every Mountain

13...13...39...hike!

Thirteen days without the 13-year-old, staring my age square in the eye and hearing the call of the wild. The Cascades beckon, and I obey.


Day 1: Leavenworth--the Alpine village, not the prison. Walk along the Wenatchee River after Jaegerschnitzel yummies. Sehr gut, meine Liebchen!









Day 2: Mount Rainier, the spirit god to the Cascade Indians, who rightfully feared and revered the volcano for its ability to appear and disappear in the sky at will, depending on the moisture and mist of the season. Visible from below only 90 days per year, the 14,408-foot behemoth welcomes, clear and proud, on a hot summer's day.



The long and winding road to Sunrise Point.












Glacial footprint along Sourdough Ridge shows the geologic activity that formed the region.






Lupine fill the subapline meadow with color and life.









Sunrise Ridge taunts, "Cross me if you dare." And we do.








Lunch of PBJ and Ruffles on Dege Peak, elevation 7006', staring the giant in the face is a great reward for a morning's work.








Day 3a: Snoqualmie Falls. Memo to self: save the protein bars for the Apocalypse. And avoid trails acessible enough for bad moms with toddlers who took a day off from wailing at Walmart to deposit their decibels at the clifftop.

Carefree toddler noise, good. Grumpy mommy who counts, bad--1...get over here!...2...I said now!...3...

I want to whisper, like the creepy guy in Willy Wonka, to toddler: take the Snoqualmie Rail Tour and throw mama from the train!

Day 3b: Feeling robbed of the day's meditative challenge, buy trekking poles (let's hear it for junior poles, found in the Munchkin corner of REI, next to the Special Little Trekker hydration packs and Small Hikers are People Too footwear).

Blaze through Riverside State Park, hellbent on washing that mom right outta my hair.

Redemption comes on a ridge, dripping in the 9 p.m.-still-84-degree heat, awestruck by a vibrant, orange sunset.