Hiking Marmot Pass

 So...it's a gorgeous summer day in the Pacific Northwest and of course...I'm going to find a hike if I possibly can.
After surfing the net to find the perfect place, I came up with Marmot Pass.
It's next to the Big Quilcene River in Mid-SW Washington.
The day started at about 65 degrees, ZERO humidity...and ended up getting to about 75. Perfect hiking weather!

 Elevation started at 2400 feet. The air was crisp and clean. The Big Quilcene River was roaring on my left. There were posted warnings of recent bear sightings in the area, so I was equipped with my 'bear bell'  and was as noisy as I could be. So far, I have not been face to face with a bear in the wild and I don't think I'd want to! This is a 'self pic' taken with my little tripod. It's really coming in handy! I was probably about 2/3 of the way up the mountain at this time.
 

This is an (obvious) hand held self pic... the gorgeous mountains in the background are what I was privy to gaze at once I got about 1/2 way up the pass. This was the view on the left side of the path. The going was just starting to get tough about this time, so the treat of having such an amazing view was quite a helpful motivator for me!
Below is the view on my right. The flox and other wildflowers were in full bloom and just gorgeous with the rocky mountains to offset them in the background. There were several different colors to enjoy...2 or 3 shades of purple, yellow, red, white and orange.

Another shot of the beautiful, snow covered mountains with wildflowers in the foreground.  The elevation at the top was 6000+ feet...so the total climb was about 3500 feet. Fairly steep the entire way.      5.2 miles...one way. My legs were pretty much screaming "WHY are you doing this to us?" for the last 1/4 or so of the trip up! The views were definitely worth the hike. I probably saw about 15 people along the way.  I was feeling pretty wimpy off and on, but I'm a novice hiker, so it can only get better, right? I plan to become a PRO...and I am loving the journey. It is really rewarding when feel like you've accomplished something. I get very close to God on my trips just marvelling at His creation. It's amazing that He actually knows me and loves me. I feel so small when I look at all the wonderful things He created. SNOW!!! Yes, I ran into snow. I captured one of the 'tunnels' the snow made...and this is where I had to stop. :(  The tunnelling can cause you to fall through, frequently hyperextending knees, twisting ankles, etc. not to mention that there was enough snow, without footprints, or trail markers...and I lost the trail. Considering that I was in new territory (for me) I thought it would be best that I NOT get lost! I'd hate for someone to have to come looking for me all the way up there!! So, even though I didn't make it all the way to the top (a hiker who had been there said we were about 1/2 mile from the top when we hit snow)...I DID experience the beauty of God's creation, in complete solitude, and spent much of the day in prayer just thanking Him for allowing me to be there with Him and for the blessing of my health. I am so fortunate!!  

I must make a note to say that I was VERY happy to see my car...and the next day, I could hardly walk!! My gluts were more sore than they've ever been...but it was still refreshing and I look forward to heading up again in about a month to see if maybe the snow will be melted or if there's a more clear path to the top!! 

I wish Randy was here to enjoy this with me! I guess I've made him mad enough that he's not going to talk to me anymore. I'll just keep on praying & God will work it all out.