So we decided that we wanted to take some time to explore the beauties that the PNW has to offer us. I wanted to do a hike that was more challenging than just a walk in the park. Michael suggested that we do Rattlesnake Ledge. We invited our friends Heather, Mike, and Alex along for the hike. We left for the Alex's house around 06:30 AM and let him carpool with us. It was a good thing that we did because when we got to the mountain, there was barely any parking for us. There were a lot of people that were on the hike, but I couldn't complain since it is a very popular hike, especially on the weekend. The hike itself had a lot of switchbacks, but it wasn't too steep of a climb. I don't think we had to stop to catch our breath at all, but we did stop to take off our jackets. I'd say that we took the mountain at a good pace, and made it to the top in a decent amount of time. I was pretty impressed with the boys being able to hike up the mountain with their packs on, and not losing their breath. It definitely showed me that I needed to work on my rucking skills, not that I would be using them any time soon... When we got to the top, there were so many people that I didn't even know where to go. We ended up climbing up this one rock, jumping over this small crevice (you could see the bottom, I guess I don't know the proper term for that. I feel like a crevice is where you can't see the bottom, and you fall to your death), and then climbed down to this ledge. There was a guy sitting down by himself, and he was there to escape the madness too. We respected him and kept quiet and kept to ourselves. We sat there for a few, cracked open our Rainiers, and just enjoyed the serenity of it all. It was so nice on that ledge that chipmunks came out to say hello. I spent a few minutes just trying to take their photos, and the climb down was well worth the shot! If I had to do this climb again, I would definitely say yes, but on a day where there would be less people to climb it. Good job PNW, it was a great time.
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It's been a month of us dating, and I already want to keep doing these cheesy things with you. Today I brought Michael up to Mount Spokane. I tried to keep it a surprise, but it didn't help that there were signs at almost every turn we took. I thought it would be a great place to make a new memory for both of us. He said that he'd never been up Mount Spokane before, and neither had I. I researched so many places that I could take him in exploring my new home for the next two years, and the best I got was the Vista House Lookout at the tip top of the mountain. It's a small brick house that has nothing but a table inside. The view at the top wasn't as extreme as they are on the west side, but nonetheless, was beautiful. The evergreens were a nice sight to see after driving through all of the wheat in the Palouse. It was really chilly at the top, so we didn't stay too long. We did take the time to take photos of each other though, and I'm glad that I found someone that takes just as silly photos as me! Thank you for being my date today, my love. I can't wait to reach the top of so many other mountains with you. Here's to the beginning of my life's adventures.
Today Michael and I decided to go to Pig Out in the Park. It's this food fest that Spokane holds every year that allows food trucks and restaurants to come out and give people a taste of Spokane. I think it's perfect because it's right around the time that new students like myself move to Spokane, and have no idea what's in the area. I'm glad Michael has an appetite like I do. We ended up just buying one thing from each stand and we would share it. That way we didn't get too full at one truck, and we could try everything. The first thing we ate was this giant bacon wrapped hotdog. It was pretty good, but I'm not sure if it was because it had bacon on it, or because I literally starved myself that day just to have an empty stomach for all the food. The second thing we got was BBQ, slaw, and cornbread from some random group. I can't remember any of the restaurant names. I guess that doesn't help me any... I wasn't too happy with this purchase. As you can see, they didn't really give us much to eat. The food was mediocre. I felt like I could make a better Southern combination, but then again, I did spend almost $10,000 learning how to do so for 12 weeks. No one can go wrong eating chocolate dipped cheesecake covered in peanuts. I love cheesecake, and I love chocolate. I was really sad because the last bit of my cheesecake fell off of my stick, and I didn't get to eat it. We ate gyros! I think my love of doner kebabs is rooted in Germany. It was the first thing my parents brought to our hotel room when we first arrived. At first I was very hesitant on eating it because it smelled so strong, but as soon as I ate it, I swear I fell in love with it. The gyros was good, but it still doesn't match up to the original. I love bananas, Michael loves bananas, and what better way to end the day than with banana ice cream? The ice cream was great. It was creamy and flavorful. The only downfall to this treat was that the waffle cone was hard to eat. I feel like I was eating a waffle cone made that morning, so I ended up not finishing it. Sad day. My guy's first visit to Spokane for me was great. It was so nice to spend our first "monthsary" together. I can't believe how lucky I am to have such a great guy come into my life so quickly. Thank you Michael, for everything you've given me so far. Happiness is pouring out of my heart.
It's time for me to head back to Eastern Washington to start my first year in Nursing School, but first, hiking with my favorite guy! Michael's friends invited us to go on a hike with them in North Bend. We left the house pretty early in the morning and go to North Bend around 10:00 AM. We ended up getting there first, and had all of the time to spare because his friends were very late. We took the time to walk around the outlet, and grab ice cream at McDonald's. His friends finally showed up around 1:00 PM. To be honest, with how I am as a person, it was actually kind of annoying that someone could be 3 hours late, but I was only okay with it since it was his friends. (Looking back on it now, it's not something I would have tolerated very well.) We rode in Adrian's car to Denny Creek. It was about a 30-minute drive from where we all met up at. The hike itself wasn't too hard. It was a pretty steady trail that didn't have too many switchbacks that I remember. It wasn't very steep along the length of the trail. When you made it down to where the waterfalls start, it was a whole different ballgame. You have to climb the rocks to get to the next set of waterfalls. We were able to do this with a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts in hand. I think we were able to climb passed 4 or 5 sets of waterfalls. The first set of waterfalls you come to are really flat and smooth. There were a lot of kids hanging out with their parents using the rocks as a water slide. I thought it was actually pretty cool and regretted not wearing dry fit clothing. When we got to the top, we cracked open some beers and enjoyed finishing the hike. I'm glad I could meet some of Michael's friends. UPDATE: I went back to Denny Creek almost exactly one year later, and free climbed two more waterfalls. It probably wasn't the safest thing I've ever done, but I'm glad that I did it and the surge of adrenaline was worth the cool photo. I think Michael thinks I'm reckless. I think I live life on the edge.
Michael and I thought that it would be a good idea for us to spend the day hiking and taking photos of Spokane, but the only place I knew that was really close was Camp 7 Mile. I only knew about this place because this is the area we train in for ROTC, haha. It is the area that has defeated me in the past, and I got sent to the hospital because of it. We didn't go that hard in the paint though. It was a nice stroll in the park for us. Spokane isn't really much to look at. When I ask people to describe Spokane, a lot of people from Spokane described it with "trees". I would always ignorantly ask, "what trees?" Coming from Western Washington, my backyard is pretty much lined with Evergreens. On the way highway, all you pass is trees and every now and then, you'll pass a city. Well, down south at least. When I think of Spokane, I definitely do not think of trees. I think my thoughts of Spokane are mostly mixed with my thoughts of Pullman: golden hills. Camp Seven Mile has a lot of trees for what is in the general area of Spokane, but it's mostly dried grass and what looks like dry trees. It's not the lush forests like you have on the west side of Washington. When you breathe in the air of Spokane, it's dry. When you breathe in the air of Western Washington, it's more... fresh. Michael and I still made the most out of the hike though. We walked on the trail, and then I decided that it would be fun to venture off the beaten path. I found this giant rock to climb. I love climbing rocks. Michael does not like to climb rocks. Michael does not like heights. It's hard to believe that the man I fell in love with has a selfie of him falling from the sky with a parachute, but does not like climbing up 30 feet without a rope... Okay, I see how that can be not so appealing, but still. I climbed to the top and I sat up there for a little bit. It didn't take long for him to work up the courage to join me. I'm so glad that he did. I'm so happy that Michael pushes his limits to try and keep up with my dangerous actions. Sorry, but I mean... you did it right? Good job, bud.
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