You can’t live in Seattle and not get bitten by the hiking bug. At least, not in my opinion. I realize some people don’t get how truly amazing it is to be surrounded by such majestic mountains. I consider those people to be beyond special and I tend to ignore them. I kid. But seriously, the mountains take my breath away, and I don’t pass up a chance to get in a good hike.

I’m not trying to climb any crazy peaks or anything, but spending a few hours on a hiking trail gets my mind right. Being in nature helps me center and remain focused on the pure beauty of life. So, when my friend asked that I lead a hiking trip for her and a few other hiking noobs, I said yes. We hiked Rattlesnake Ridge and I am happy to say she enjoyed every bit of it.