Granite Mountain

A couple of weeks ago, Sonja and I joined some friends and their son for a Sunday hike. I knew that it would be strenuous and I knew that I'd have at least 35 pounds on my back (Sonja plus the backpack and some snacks). I did not know how tired I would be only 1/3 of the way up. Early on, the weather was foggy and we couldn't see anything in the distance but clouds. A couple hours in, the trail opened up, the weather cleared and the work was more rewarding. Sonja had a good time pointing to the trees, the "agua", rocks, dogs, and "Ashoo" (aka Asher-our 10 month old hiking buddy). She is wearing his hat in this photo.

We also hiked across snow near the summit. Sonja didn't want to touch the snow until I made it into a snowball for her to throw. We enjoyed views of Mt Rainier and the mountains near Snoqualmie Pass. The old fire lookout was closed, but there were a few small chipmunks there to keep us company.

All in all, it was a great day for a hike. It was also Sonja's first day without a nap in her entire life. She did great, but we won't let that happen again unless we're hiking!