To hike or to soak?

August 17th I found myself in Fairbanks, AK again and I got a car and went out on the Chena Hot Springs road. There are several trailheads and hikes you can do along this road. I chose to do a mile on the Mastodon Trail and then spent the rest of my time soaking at the Chena Hot Springs. 

Back home in Seattle on Saturday 8/21 I hiked with a friend of mine up Mount Peak in Enumclaw for 2 miles.  (and 1,000 feet of elevation gain)  This little mountain used to have a fire lookout tower which was torn down in 1966. They are going to rebuild the tower at the top! 

Photos just do not show how steep it is!!

At the top, construction of the new Fire Tower has already started

Great views across the valley

So now I have a total of 21 miles hiked so far and we have raised $818 for Washington Trails. Only 9 more days of hiking left for me this month. I hope to make it to 30 miles for the month....maybe 31 for one mile a day.....

Thanks so much to everyone who has contributed so far. If you have not donated yet, You can click on this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page (or cut and paste if the link is not working)

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/3328554

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

2021 Postcards from Friends

August is Hike-a-thon month!!

I hope I can count on all of you guys again this year for support. Any amount from $1 to $100 is welcome.
You can click on this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/3328554

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

Hike-a-thon goes to new heights!

This week I had a layover in Fairbanks, AK where it was supposed to rain any minute! I hiked 2 miles along the Chena Riverwalk on August 8th.

yummy

antler arch

And now to the HEIGHTS of Crystal Mountain in Washington. I took the gondola to the top to hike back down to the base of the mountain. Insider tip: buy your gondola tickets online and save almost 50% off the walk-up rate. 

Deer on the mountain

This view was worth it!

could just relax, but I got miles to go

sweating off my sunscreen!

deer prints

some trail signage

I didn't know about the scavenger hunt!

a rare bit of shade

looking back up at the mountain

I got in 5 miles all downhill!! My poor knees. My total so far is 18 miles for hikeathon.

And thanks to my donors!! We have raised over $617 and I am halfway to my goal.  You can click on this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/3328554

 or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

2021 Postcards from Friends

August is Hike-a-thon month!!

I hope I can count on all of you guys again this year for support. Any amount from $1 to $100 is welcome.
You can click on this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/3328554

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

First Hikes for Hike-a-thon 2021

 

My first hike for Hike-a-thon 2021 was 4 miles along Alki Beach Trail at 6am on August 1st! I did not have time to drive out to the mountains, so I took advantage of a great urban trail to get some miles under my belt. I started at the Birthplace of Seattle monument and walked for 2 miles along the beach to Duwhamish Head and then back to my car, for a total of 4 miles.                    

Birthplace of Seattle monument

Low Tide

I spy a cruise ship in the distance

The Alki Flower Houses

The Houses were originally built in 1914

They are registered as a wildlife habitat for birds, bees and butterflies!

Another Cruise Ship on the Seattle Waterfront

They have the locks of love thing going on at Duwhamish Head, I am not a fan

Next up was a layover in Anchorage Alaska and I hiked along the Ship Creek Trail and saw the Salmon swimming upstream and folks fishing and it was just a gorgeous day in Alaska. And I hiked 5 miles along the Ship Creek Trail. 

Ship Creek Trail in Anchorage

Salmon caught at Ship Creek in Downtown Anchorage!

Heading back to town along the trail

At home in Seattle, I hiked 2 miles on the Cedar River Trail in Renton. Another Urban Trail, but you can see new airplanes !!

blackberries too!

Lots of Planes to see (737 Max)

So I have hiked 11 miles and so far I have raised $487 for Washington Trails!! Thanks so much to everyone who has donated already. Any amount from $1 to $100 is welcome. You can click on this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/3328554

 or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

2021 Postcards from Friends

August is Hike-a-thon month!!

I hope I can count on all of you guys again this year for support. Any amount from $1 to $100 is welcome.
You can click on this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/3328554

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116

July: Books I read

 

If It Bleeds by Stephen King (library) I started it thinking it was a full book, but it is short stories. I got so confused! LOL (there was character cross-over) but enjoyable as always for King.

The Witches are Coming by Lindy West (library) essays by Lindy West about being a woman and feminist and how we need to stop being nice. Great reading for everyone

Flora by Gail Godwin (library) Coming of age story and one of my favorites. Rereading this one from years ago. 

Telling Tales by Ann Cleeves (library) I enjoy Vera as a protagonist. But the books can sometimes be slow to engage. The stories are worth it in the end. 

Ripper by Isabel Allende (library) thriller set in San Francisco, just okay.

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead (library) sprawling novel about a female aviator sort of like an Amelia Earhart. I liked it

Beach Read by Emily Henry (library) Two very different authors step out of their comfort zones and try to write in the other's style. 

Every Little Crook and Nanny by Evan Hunter (library) fun little crime novel (Evan Hunter is also Ed McBain) 

The President's Kitchen Cabinet by Adrian Miller (library) From  George Washington to Barack Obama, the story of the African Americans who have fed the White House.  

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes (library) Greys Anatomy creator, Shonda Rhimes spends a year saying yes to the things that frighten her (she is an introvert! Who knew?) 

Super Host by Kate Russo (library) a man who rents his house out on an Airbnb style app interacts with the renters in different ways. set in London

To Die For by Joyce Maynard (library) the book that the movie was based on and a fun read. 

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (audiobook) So I usually really enjoy his books, there are often quirky characters that you grow to love and there is usually an uplifting message. This book was a downer. It is about rival hockey teams and how they destroy the towns where they live. It was just sad sad sad and depressing and I did not get an uplift at the end. 

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams (library) So it was great fun to finish up the month with this book. I really enjoyed it. 

Oh and August is Hike-a-thon month!! I hope I can count on all of you this year for support. Any amount from $1 to $100 is welcome. You can click on this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/3328554

 or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116