A few Saturdays ago, I was blessed to be able to go hiking with some girlfriends up the Suiattle River Trail outside Darrington, Washington. We had been trying to get together for some time and finally the stars aligned. Both Anne and Serra have young ones, so scheduling time to get away can often take skill. They requested an easy hike, both because the weather was not the greatest and because it had been awhile since either one of them had been able to get away.
The night before, I had spent the evening helping my 18 year old son file his first taxes. I had been mentally preparing for this all week, bracing myself for something similar to long ago nights spent helping him with his homework. I made sure I got lots of sleep the night before.
The actual filling out the online forms went well, it turned out that dealing with the getting forms that are all online now was the biggest hassle. A billion security questions (What is the name of your mother’s brother’s first pet) and the fact they didn’t have my phone number correct in their system (I guess a 9 does look a little like a 4). The evening ended with explaining to my son how the number of exemptions he claimed on his W-9 affected how much he would get on his return. Ah, welcome to the adult world.
I met Anne and Serra at Anne’s house and we started our journey up towards Darrington and the Suiattle River Road. We began chatting and catching up on each others’ lives as it had been awhile since we had been able to hang out together (Facebook and church only allow for so much connection). Serra is an elementary school teacher and Anne is a civilian project manager with the Navy (she was once a lieutenant).
You can only imagine the variety of conversation (and occasional sailor language) that filled the car. Did I mention that I woke up this morning with an email from my son freaking out because his tax return had been rejected because he had put his social security number down wrong on his W-9 at work? Some of that sailor language may have been mine. I was so ready for a hike.
From Highway 530 on the Suiattle River Road, it is about 26 miles to the trailhead. Although this is one of the best forest roads (newly reopened), we were only able to make it to the junction with the road to Green Mountain before stopping the car was necessary and all three of us scrambled out to find a tree (bathroom break). Maybe it was the caffeine consumed on the way?
We found the parking lot empty when we arrived, surprising for a Saturday morning. There was a truck with a couple and their dogs that drove up to use the privy but they didn’t stay to walk the trail. The rain had been intermittent on our drive but had stopped by the time we made our way towards the beginning of the trail.
The last time that the three of us had hiked together was on our Enchantments trip the summer before. That was the first time that I had hiked with Serra but Anne has led several women’s hikes that have included her. Serra was first grade teacher for one of Anne’s boys and they have been good friends ever since.
Anne and I attend the same church and hike and backpack with a great group of women there. She was one of my biggest supporters 4 years ago when I got the crazy idea to start section hiking the PCT. She even hiked into Suaittle Pass and joined me into Stehekin on my 2013 Journey. I can’t imagine not having her for a friend.
Our four hours on the trail turned out to be a wonderful time, filled with great conversation and camaraderie. Isn’t it amazing the chain of thought that occurs when you are able to wander out in the woods for hours (whether by yourself of with others) without the world constantly pulling at your sleeve? You never know what you may end up talking or thinking about. The problems you workout or things you might learn about yourself and others.
We rambled on about having to finally give in to getting older and getting glasses (yeah, that’s me), the Bermuda Triangle that exists inside every middle schooler’s backpack (my son had a carton of chocolate milk in his FOR A WEEK), something called the Butt Bible (I’m going to have to look that up), the ups and downs of having a special needs child, our hiking plans for the summer, how much Anne and I LOVE our new pastor, and on and on. The laughter, the smiles, the connection.
I may have taken them a little off trail to find a better river view. I forget sometimes not everyone is comfortable doing that!
When we arrived back at the car, there was a part of me (as there always is) that didn’t want to get back in and drive home. How do you hold on to that feeling of peace, calm and understanding you gain on the trail so that it can continue with you into the days after your hike until you can get back out there? All the more reason to get back out on the trail again. And again.
Anne reminded me after proofreading this for me that I can’t talk about the peace and calm of hiking and not mention our drive home. We were just about where you can see the devastation of the Oso Mudslide when Serra suddenly tells Anne to pullover. Both Anne and I thought she had to go to bathroom, but it turned out it was because her phone had come into an area with reception. As soon as the car came to a stop, Serra relayed to Anne that her husband had texted her to say that he was at the ER with her older son who had taken a shovel to the face (via the younger sibling) and was requiring 5 stitches. The pullover was to prevent Anne freaking out while driving! Luckily, it landed somewhere between taking out an eye or dislodging teeth. Needless to say, Anne’s serenity hadn’t lasted long. Life was once again tugging at her to take up where she had left off.
Some of you know that I had the exact same experience returning from a hike when I finished the Wonderland Trail last year and I talk more about that on What Nourishes Me. All I can I can think now is that things happen in threes and Serra needs to put her kiddo in good hands before her next hike!
My trip report for this hike is HERE.
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