Adventure #15: Devil's Elbow

September's hike was at Mt. St. Helens! While I've been to that area before (and even climbed to the summit) I haven't done a lot of hiking! I'm considering a trip to circumnavigate this summer, and I would love to spend some more time in the surrounding areas.

Additionally, now that Cass lives in Portland, it's a good excuse for us to "meet in the middle" and for me to explore more of the southern part of my state. The other reason for this trip was so we could earn our Junior Ranger badges at St. Helens! The last time we visited the observatory, we didn't have time, and just because summer is over, doesn't mean we can't still earn badges!

The Boundary Trail leaves out of Johnston Ridge Observatory, and heads east along the ridge. It offers beautiful views of the mountain (when she's out) and also overlooks the valley of the blast zone, giving great perspective of just how much earth was moved that fateful day in 1980.

Hidden in clouds for most of the day, but this is the best we got!

The very end of Spirit Lake in the distance. Did you know there was a Girl Scout camp here?!

Evidence of Elk! 

Devil's Elbow is about a 4 mile round trip hike, and while there are a few ups and downs, it wasn't a very strenuous hike at all. It used to have a loop around the peak at the end, but nature has done her thing, and washed part of the hill away, so make sure you follow the signs and stay where the trail is safe. We also met a gentleman hiking by himself who we kept leapfrogging all day. It was nice to have another another person out there with us, as we'd been told there were recent sightings of a cougar! As much as I love kitties, I think I will be okay if I never see one of these ones in the wild.

Paintbrush are my favorites!

On our way back in, we decided to stop at a bench that had a great view of the valley to sketch a bit in our Junior Ranger workbooks. Well, my backpack decided to take a bit of a dive, and do some exploring on its own. Right down to the edge of a rather large cliff.

That next step is a doozy.

Thankfully, Cass had some paracord to lash around my waist, and I was able to rescue my bag (with my lunch, wallet, emergency supplies, and car keys). Definitely more adventure than I was anticipating, and a good reminder that accidents can happen to even the most experienced of hikers. Be prepared for anything!

If you look REALLY closely, you can see the white butts of some elk down in the valley too! Glad my negligence (and misbehaving bag) didn't contribute to a poor diet for them! 

We finished our workbooks in the safety (and warmth) of the visitor's center, and were sworn in as Junior Rangers! A great day in all! 

Bonus September Hikes! 

I did two other hikes this September, but as they weren't new locations, and didn't involve new people I decided to include them as "bonus hikes". 

The first was on September 3rd up to Mt. Rainier with Mike to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. We visited 2nd Burroughs, and Mike earned his first Junior Ranger badge! I also got started on the Citizen Ranger program at Rainier, which will earn me a patch! 

My final hike this September was to Reflection Lakes to help scatter my grandparents ashes. It's been years since they've passed, but we finally took the time to find a place for them. We had a beautiful lunch up at the lakes, and then went down to do a small hike in the Longmire area (to complete another part of my Citizen Ranger quest)

Fall was out in full force at Mt. Rainier!

Adventure #14: Deep Fried Butter

So, as it turns out, writing is time consuming, and so is teaching (and directing a play). Today is my day to play catch up! September didn't have quite as many adventures as I was able to pack in during the fall, but I'm still going strong, and on track to complete 30 Adventures this year! (I just may not have the blogs finished until I reach 35!)

Educators in my district are regularly given free tickets to go to the Puyallup Fair, and I'm not one to turn down an opportunity for insane amounts of food, so of course I went. My fair fare usually consists of some Dole Whip, a corn dog, sharing a brick of fries, and as many scones as I can shove down my gullet. This year was similar, but I was introduced to the ice cream at the dairy barn, and I think it may be an improvement on the Dole Whip!

The crew, splitting a brick of fries. Turns out 5 people is the perfect number for a brick. 

The one thing that has always sparked my curiosity though, was Deep Fried Butter.

Sweet, buttery irony

When this phenomenon first took the fair by storm, people were shocked, outraged, and offended. How much more 'MURICA could we go? What's next?! A sandwich where the buns were replaced with two pieces of fried chicken? A burger that uses doughnuts as buns? Deep frying potatoes is a natural, god-given right, and deep frying an Oreo or a Twinkie is pushing the boundaries, but still reasonable in the name of humor, but BUTTER?! THAT'S JUST FRYING FAT IN MORE FAT!

Yes.

Yes it is.

And it's delicious.

The butter starts as tiny balls, frozen after being scooped into shape by a melon baller. It's then coated in batter (much like the batter used to create a funnel cake) and dropped into a boiling vat of grease, as nature intended humans to do with all of their food.

If you're unlucky, like me, there will be only one person working the counter, and one of the fryers will be down, so you'll get to wait in line for about 20 minutes. 

If you're REALLY unlucky like me. It will be pouring rain while you're waiting.

But fear not. The wait was worth it.

Hot out of the fryer, covered in cinnamon sugar, and raspberry "jam" (it's definitely just raspberry corn syrup)

The face of pure joy. The arteries of sheer terror. 

The ultimate verdict: 

Would I wait 20 minutes in a torrential downpour again? Probably not. 

Would I wait 5 minutes in average PNW Fair conditions? Hell yes. And I'd probably get a dozen, instead of just 5. 

The dough is hot and crispy, the butter is melted and delicious, and my arteries are clogged from here until June, but it was so worth it. This is what living is all about: rushing towards death via scrumptious and nutritionally void calories. 

Adventure #13: Cedar Butte (Ceder Butt)

After Russia, my time in August was almost up, so I needed to find a hike pronto. After a little searching on WTA, I found Cedar Butte, which is in the Issaquah Alps. It's near Rattlesnake Ledge--a hike which is notoriously crowded, and offers great views-- but lacks the crowds, and boasts similar views, so I thought I'd give it a try.

My hiking buddy for this trip was my cousin and roommate, Mattie!

After finding the map, and asking directions from a few volunteers out to support a half-marathon happening in the area, we found the trail. The sign that "can't be missed" can totally be missed.

The hike on the way up was misty and cool, and maybe even a bit rainy, but the trees kept most of the rain from falling on us. We got damp brushing against the branches of plants, but it was pleasant, and a nice "welcome home" from the Pacific Northwet.

The views from the top were less than stellar that day, but we found a lot of enjoyment in the cool green mossy forest, and towering firs. 

The "view"

My favorite part of this hike: the cadastral. These markers are placed for geological surveys to mark summits, or other particular locations. Keep an eye out and see what you can find! Keep a sharp eye out, and see what typos you can find (Note: CEDER BUTT)

Adventure #12: Moscow By Roof

This will be the last of my posts about my trip to Russia, but I would LOVE to chat more about my trip. Let's get coffee, and I'll bring my photos :)

One of the best things about going on the river cruise was the ability to see so much of Russia that I wouldn't have likely put on my itinerary if I was planning it myself. Getting to compare the historical richness of St. Petersburg to the small outdoor museum of Khizi, to the bustling city of Yaroslavl, to the veritable metropolis of Moscow was fascinating. However, there were definitely times where we felt a little trapped within the schedule of the boat, and the limited time we got to spend in some places left us feeling like we wanted to stretch our legs by the end of the trip. Moscow was our chance to do this.

We had planned a day with no optional excursions (except one late in the evening) and had planned to explore ourselves. Step one was getting family and individual pictures in front of St. Basils. While our walking tour had taken us by this spot the day before, we didn't have nearly enough time, and given that this is THE iconic spot in the city, we took advantage of it early in the morning. Lines were also short to go inside, and while we had seen PLENTY of cathedrals with their walls of painted and gilt icons, this one was very different. Instead of one main room, each dome hosts an individual chapel with its own wall of icons. It was a nice break from the usual, and great to see people taking care of such an iconic place.

Outside of St. Basils

Inside St. Basil's

Stop number two was a walk through an enormous and elaborate department store, GUM (rhymes with doom). Exiting on the other side of Red Square, we took in the gardens, fountains, and statues that surround the Kremlin, enjoying our leisure time, and the sunshine.

At the suggestion of our Hotel Manager on board the ship, we walked to the Ritz Carlton and took the elevator to the top floor where they have a rooftop bar. Believe it or not, you don't have to be a guest at the swanky hotel-- just be willing to pay for a cup of coffee or a bowl of ice cream and you can get one of the best views of the city.

Next, we walked to the Bolshoi-- home to famous Russian ballet artists. While we didn't get to go in, as we didn't have tickets for that evening, we did enjoy the courtyard, and seeing pictures of the history of the ballet.

Bonus points to whomever can tell me what's playing! The title is in red. (I figured it out phonetically)

After an afternoon of wandering through Moscow, hunting Lego souvenirs for my boyfriend, we finally ended the day with a tour of Moscow by night. A stop at the WWII Monument, and a boat ride along the river were nice, but my favorite moment was getting to see St. Basil's all lit up. The bus stopped on one side of the church, and many people were disappointed to see it in the dark. I decided to walk up the small side street to get a picture of the lights on GUM, and much to my surprise, there was a projection show being tested for an upcoming festival (which explains why the lights were out on the other side. I was the only one on the bus to get to see it, but it was breathtaking. I could have stood there all night, and I wish I had the chance to explore their equipment, and talk to the programmer too! It was a beautiful way to end a beautiful trip.

Adventure #11: Russian Banya

Turns out, running a blog during the school year is going to be a bit more of a challenge than I thought. Working on catching up as I can!

One of the best experiences I had in Russia was on the island of Mandrogy. This small island used to have a community on it, but it was ruined during WWII and disappeared for many years. In the mid 90s, a wealthy man decided it would be fun to bring the village back, and created it as a tourist attraction, and almost outdoor museum for historic buildings and handcrafts. Many artisans will live on the tiny island for the summer months while river cruises bring a steady stream of tourists with their pockets full of money and a need for souvenirs.

One of the optional excursions offered by the boat was the chance to experience the Russian Banya, or sauna experience. Russians believe this helps with purification, and will often have standing weekly appointments. While I've been in saunas before (I'm a lizard person, and I would love to warm up in a sauna after swimming in a cold pool) I'd never experienced anything quite like this.

I thought the process sounded interesting, and I convinced my cousin to come along with me, because adventures are always more fun when you have a friend. We met the rest of the group (about 20 people total from a ship of near 200) and walked down the path along the river. Once we got to two small buildings tucked into the trees, they split us into two groups-- men, and women. Given that most of the people on the cruise were traveling with their husbands, this meant that most people were instantly separated from their travel buddy, inciting panic and much more of an adventure than they had planned on.

We walked down the path, were shown into a changing room, and told to don our bathing suits, or wrap ourselves in large bed sheets (for those that didn't bring a suit). Then, we were given small, woolen hats, and I still have yet to figure out why, but it was part of the experience (maybe it's to keep us warmer? Maybe it's to protect our brains? Jury is still out). Our "host" for the experience, Dmitri, was in charge of pouring the water on the hot stones, letting steam roll over the room. He instructed us to breathe deeply, and get the steam in our lungs to help with the cleansing. He encouraged people to sit up as high on the benches as they could to get the most steam possible. He told us that we should all be sweaty because it was good for us.

And then he brought out the tree branches.

Part of the Russian Banya is a "birch broom massage" which means getting beaten with a bundle of leafy sticks. It doesn't hurt, and the theory behind it is that it gets the blood flowing to help your body release all of the toxins that have built up, but I wouldn't describe it as comfortable either. I'm not sure how much "science" goes into this, but it was definitely an experience! Ultimately, I think I prefer my massage therapist back in the states because I don't end up covered in pieces of leaves (which is also supposed to be good for the skin).

At the end of this beating, we all walked out to the dock on the river, and either jumped in, or had buckets of river water dumped over us to cool us back down. I figured jumping into a Russian river is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing, so I might as well take a chance. I'm not usually a fan of cold plunges, but what the heck.

It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! Refreshing, yes, but not uncomfortable. Possibly even enjoyable! After plunging, we came back into the building, and drank hot tea, and ate spoonfuls of a tart berry jam, to get our blood sugar up. Following this, it was back into the steam room for a second round of sweating, beating, and jumping into the river.

I think the best part of the experience was the camaraderie we built as a group of women. It was such fun to see us start the experience slightly nervous and uncomfortable, but end with endless giggles and a shared experience. We spent a fair amount of time taking photos inside the banya, figuring out how to take a group photo, and then taking pictures with Dmitri too (I'm sure he thought we were all crazy).

Back on the boat, many people were very curious about our experience. The rumors about being beaten by birch brooms had scared many people away from the banya, but they all wanted to know what it was like. There are no words to fully describe the experience, but it makes me think of why I love traveling so much. It offers the chance to really step outside of our own comfort zones, and fully experience another culture. To embrace what others see as commonplace, or "normal" allows us to grow as humans, and start to understand that no matter where we're from, we all just want to be happy.

Adventure #10: Viking River Cruise to Russia

I've been trying to figure out for about a month now how to break up my most recent international adventure, and finally realized that I just need to write about it and stop procrastinating. With the start of school again, it's been a struggle to find a moment of sitting that doesn't involve immediately falling asleep, but hopefully I'll get back into the swing of the school year routine soon.

As an experienced international traveler, I have to admit that this trip didn't exactly push my personal boundaries a lot-- most of the places I visited were museums or historical sites, we always had a guide to make sure we didn't get lost, and on this trip most of our food was provided for us on the ship too! But the great thing about traveling is that even if the trip doesn't provide a lot of challenges, it will always provide insight into different cultures.

Now, based on my previous comments, I don't want anybody to think I didn't enjoy myself. Viking easily made this trip one of the most relaxing international trips I've ever been on, which was DEFINITELY a new experience. My family's motto when traveling is usually "you can sleep when you die". We spend our time seeing as much as we can in as little time as we can, because we never know when (or if) we'll be back. Viking is an incredible company that has service at the heart of everything they do. I'm normally not a huge fan of cruises, but this trip was much more my speed. It was very educationally focused, and I was much more interested in attending lectures on the Romanov family than playing bingo in the bar or salsa dancing on the lido deck. The food was spectacular, and our rooms were kept immaculate by multiple housekeeping visits a day. I was also astounded by the ability of the crew to learn our names and our preferences so quickly. As a teacher, it takes me about 3 weeks to learn the names of 130 students. The crew had our names, coffee orders, and room numbers memorized in about 2 days!

Another "first" on this trip was losing my luggage. I normally travel in  a carry on, but I was convinced to check a bag because this was a longer trip, and it would be nice to not be in the same pair of jeans for two whole weeks. Viking was incredibly hospitable, provided me with all the toiletries I needed, and washed all my clothes each night until my suitcase was delivered from the airport. Definitely an experience I don't need to repeat again, but I'm glad that it happened in a place where I had so many other people helping me to navigate this potential disaster.

Being in Russia at this point in time was also fascinating. Despite the "friendliness" between our current political leaders, I feel like there are a lot of tensions regarding election hacking, and even some latent resentment regarding our cultural relationship in the past. It was fascinating to be reminded that despite the way our countries are run, or who they are run by, that we are all just humans; we all want the same things. People want to be happy, and safe, and healthy have opportunities to grow. Whether they are from big cities like Seattle or Moscow, or little towns like Belfair, or Uglich, people want to connect with each other, and learn about the world around them. We all have our own given circumstances that shape us into who we are, but our experiences are often much more similar than we realize.

One striking moment on this trip was getting to meet a woman named Nadia who opened her home to visitors so we could see what her life was like. She spoke through a translator and told us about her life as a grandmother, and how she enjoyed working in her garden. She spent most of her early life growing up in Lithuania, and became a biology teacher. When the USSR was dissolved, the principal at her school said she had done a great job as a teacher, but she had 6 months to leave the country. I was floored that she had spent her life in one place, and was suddenly told that she had to abandon everything she's known. Then, I remembered that people in my own country, known as DREAMers, are experiencing similar uncertainties about their future. It really hammered home the point that no matter how different we are, we have even more in common.

I'll write a bit more about a few specific moments of my trip, but there's no way I can blog every moment. If you'd like to hear more, let's meet up for a drink (or maybe some pelmeni) and we'll chat :)