Happy Birthday Big Bro!

If a tree says "Happy Birthday" in the forest and no one was around to hear it, did it make a sound?
It has been tradition for many years that when my Big Bro has a birthday we take a hike. Usually the hike is me, him, Andrea and Big D (when possible). One memorable year we were at the top of Granite Mountain for his birthday hike and it started snowing. On June 25th. Gotta love Washington.
Sadly this year my Big Bro is living in Germany with the lovely Andrea but that doesn't mean tradition has to be sacrificed!



Can you guess what's coming?



For this year's birthday hike Big D and I chose a trail called "Dirty Harry" because it just sounded fitting for Big Bro. What would be even MORE fitting is one that is called "Jeremiah Johnson" but it doesn't seem to exist in Washington.



It was a typical Washington Sunday with clouds and mist with intermittent rain that made the forest smell soooo good!



After hiking up a rough and rocky trail (albiet beautiful) we found a turnoff to Dirty Harry's balcony.

There is rumor that on a sunny day this balcony provides a pretty good view of the valley but for now these flowers will suffice. However there's one more view to be seen!

The Happy Birthday View! (Shout out to the Sarge's for my tripod, twisty thing.)

Happy Birthday down low.

Happy Birthday on the edge (that one's for you Andrea).

Happy Birthday from Captain Diana-Morgan.

Happy Birthday from Big D and tree.

Happy Birthday from the mossy forest.

Happy Birthday from Dirty Harry's barrel.

Happy Birthday from the creek.

Happy Birthday...got broke....but it's still Happy!

Happy Birthday from the washed out footbridge.

Happy Birthday from the stump.

Happy Birthday from teeth.

And Happy Birthday from me!!!

I miss you TONS Big Bro (and Andrea!) and I hope your birthday treats you well with plenty of bier. Thanks for all that you do and all that are and making me feel like the luckiest little sister in the world!

I should also include a sunny hike (the elusive mass of incandescent gas actually poked it's head out for a while) with Sugarmama Shannon. We decided to do a hike called either Kachess Ridge/Beacon Ridge. I really can't tell which it is and I'm actually impressed that we were able to find the elusive trailhead.

It is a typical Central Washington hike with dry earth, clear sky and great views.

After hiking a couple of miles Sugarmama Shannon and I were overheated so we decided to dip our heads in the river. We both made promises to each other that we wouldn't share the photos (although I thinks he looks great while I look like a partially submerged lifeless body) so above is the creek that helped some sistas cool down.

The aftermath of getting wet and refreshed by mother nature!

After working our way up, through snow and over some blowdowns we finally reached the ridge. Our view!

I read later that this ridge can be followed to unofficial "lunch point" in another 800 feet elevation. So dangit, I gotta go back!

This is the beacon tower. You can't tell from the picture but I tried climbing the ladder to the top before Sugarmama Shannon asked me to stop because the mother inside of her hurt watching me. That's the edited version by the way of what she said.

Sugarmama on the ridge amongst flowers. Love Washington hiking!

Shannon navigating a blowout...she's assessing the situation....

Going for the straddle method....but somehow gets stuck and starts sliding down yelling "where's the ground!?"

She eventually made it off after the cougar-claw bark did a number on her thighs. Oh by the way, Sugarmama Shannon is more scared of bears than cougars. But I say cougars are more scarier. What do you say?

Famous last Krista words before her run-in with Mama Bear I'm sure.

Will Run for Wine

JDub and I have been friends since high school when she moved down from Bellevue - we bonded right away over our embarrassment and secret life of being band nerds. She clarinet, me the flute. Her father even worked with mine AND her father ended up marrying a woman who was a good friend of the family and whose daughters I grew up with when my sister babysat them. Oh - AND my first "real" job was working for JDub's parents at Baskin Robbins. A lot of details but JDub and I were meant in many ways to be friends.



JDub is a very busy and talented photographer and family woman. I was so stinking thrilled when she called me one day to say that she'd like to take on the challenge of doing her first half-marathon. I knew without a doubt she'd do well after doing her first 5k with her two years earlier. When Big D and I were sporting hangovers and keeping stride with her she turned to us right before a big hill climb and said "I think I'm going to kick it" and that was the last we saw of her until we went over the finish line. Quiet and strong determination is JDub.



Since JDub and I have drastically different schedules she ended up training with JenniO and I trained with my buddy Sugarmama Shannon. This was also going to be JenniO's first half-marathon as well. Together the four of us signed up for the North Discovery half marathon in Port Angeles. I had done this course before years ago and remember it as rolling through forests and along the water and thought it'd be a great first-timers course.


The day before we decided to frolic around Port Angeles because it was a B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L day! Above is Bella Italia where Edward & Bella (if you don't know who I'm talking about you're either male or living under a rock) had their first date at. It was a pretty special moment over a plate of mushroom ravioli but I'd like to think Sugarmama Shannon and I had a special moment of our own as well.

This is a view of our hotel room. It overlooks the finish to the marathon and half-marathon. I was super excited to cheer on the marathon finishers from the balcony the next day - most especially those hot male runners! "Beer in Room 268!" I'd yell to the cute ones.

Our running crew the night before amidst a session of camera wars.

Sun setting in Port Angeles. If I was a better story teller I'd know the proper name for this body of water but I don't so just enjoy the picture.

That's our hotel with the Olympics towering above. For someone who has a hard time picking between water and mountains Port Angeles really is the perfect compromise.

This turned out to be a pretty picture but I was actually trying to catch this Father racing his kids back and forth on the deck. I know that trick - tire the kids out so they'll go to bed easier!

The next morning we got up at way too early o'thirty (5:30am) to catch the shuttle to the start. Above is JDub and JenniO poised and ready for their start! They look strong and ready!

"On your mark, get set...." waiting for the start...to...start.

Garmin pulled the cruelest trick on Sugarmama Shannon and JDub - both of their Forerunners pooped out. That means they wouldn't know their pace, heart rate, time, distance, etc - so now they had the extra challenge of keeping their pace conservative yet efficient. Not easy to do so blindly on a long run.

Oh hey, I forgot to mention that I decided at the last minute to go through with the run. I'd been having major knee and hamstring pains and the doctor believes I have a torn meniscus (booooo!) but I just couldn't bow out. I took 4 ibuprofen and started off with a heavy duty knee brace Sugarmama Shannon let me borrow. Not the smartest thing but I was prepared for the consequences.

At mile 3 or 4 JDub was itching to run a faster pace than my hobble and thankfully listened to me when I told her to run her own race, not mine. And the above picture was the last time I saw her until the finish line. Go Jenny Go!

This was a beautiful course through lush forests and I absolutely forgot how aggressive some of the hills could be. Above is a long hill climb after a very drastic hill drop. Right before I made it down the hill I was thinking "There goes my knee!" I did a very poor version of a horse gallop down the hill in an effort to give my bad knee a break. Like Monty Python in the Holy Grail. Got that visual? Good. So did the runners behind me. I'm sure I looked awsome.

After recovering from the abusive hill drop which made my stride even worse I fittingly saw a sign that said "Gun Club Noises Ahead" and thought it'd be a fantastic idea to shoot my whole left leg at that point. I have never popped pills before a run before and it was a really odd experience to not feel all the mental pain cues your body gives you. All I could feel is that it was harder to bend my knee - I was worried what was going on with my body that I couldn't feel. Is ignorance really bliss?

This course had entertaining and supportive aid stations. People from the community stood by dutifully cheering us on and my favorite was this band creating tropical music. It was a great distraction and source of encouragement.

A nice long bridge leading to mile 9.

I mean seriously, how lush and relaxing is this course? Since I was hobbling on one leg I ended up hop-scotching with a bunch of runners. I'd run as far as I could then walk fast to recover. The fella above was one of my hop scotch buddies.

This is the last 3 mile stretch - it's very flat and along the water. It can be hard because there is not much to distract you - I found myself searching out the finish line further down the coast line. Save me from my misery finish line! JenniO told me later she saw a seal playing in the water.

I was looking down at my garmin time and laughing - this was a very slow, humbling time and ended up being my 2nd slowest ever but I was proud to stick it out with my knee. It was very odd to finish a run feeling that my body had energy left but my leg wasn't going to cooperate.

Alas JDub and JenniO after crossing the finish line. They both had amazing finishing times - neither one of them stopped the whole run and charged their way through. How awesome is that? I could learn so much from them!

This is Sugarmama Shannon saying "This is pain!" Since she didn't have her heart rate monitor working for her she actually had to go to the medical tent after crossing the finish line worried about her heart rate and blood pressure. She lived! Yay!

Me and JDub - I was soooo stinking proud of her! I kept on asking her "You didn't walk once? Even up those steep hills?" Running definitely should be enjoyed and sometimes that can be a mental battle but JDub put any protests her body was making into check by powering her way through. Check back this time next year and she'll be coaching me I'm sure!

Oh, and by the way, I'm never going to take ibuprofen again before a run. I have blisters now I didn't feel forming at the time, a toenail turning black, cuts from the timing chip and a barely functioning hamstring with a stiff knee. I will never muzzle you again body!

After our run we decided to do some winery hopping to celebrate. The wineries on the Peninsula are just amazing - they all have distinct personalities. Above is Black Diamond Winery which is very small and quaint. As we walked up to the door of the tasting room we saw a picture of Sharon which said she'd be back in a minute. At that moment we heard a voice coming from the creek below "I'm on my way!" and there we met Sharon making her way up the hill and out of the woods. Her work is never done and it certainly pays off because these were some of the BEST fruit wines I've ever had. And when I say "fruit" you better not be thinking Boones because that is an insult. Sipping her wine was like biting into a piece of fruit. I was actually considering buying a case of all her different wines but settled for two. I highly recommend anyone to come here.

The next winery we went to was Camaraderie Cellars which was like walking into a fairytale of gardens. The tasting room was spacious, warm and cozy with a fireplace inside. As we tasted our wine we were provided with crackers and dark chocolate to taste.

The aftermath.

The perfect place to experience a wine buzz.

Buuuuuuzzzzz.

They even have a firepit outside of the tasting room. This couple is so warm and friendly that we instantly felt comfortable and cozy in our surroundings as if it was our own home. We all sat and relaxed around the fire and got to know the owners a bit. They definitely know how to live a good life - I highly recommend you come here to relax, buzz and be merry.

JDub looking just like her Mom here so I had to include it.

Oh and this winery is also loved by their neighbor's dog Gizmo. Do NOT feed him after midnight! Ten points if you can name the movie reference by the way....

This was my first view of Harbinger Winery and I liked it RIGHT AWAY. Why you ask? Oh where oh where do I start?

They converted an old logging truck stop into a winery and a kayaking touring service. This winery is a perfect blend of wine and adventure - I fell in love instantly. They have about 9 wines on their tasting list for a small fee of $5. How amazing is that? Their descriptions of their wine is humorous, their wine labels are artistic and their philosphy on life is contagious. My favorite was their Raspberry wine (I was feeling very fruity that day) which won a Gold Medal at a Sonoma competition. Well, a bunch of their wines won a bunch of medals but that's the only one that stuck out among my strong wine buzz.

Instead of me asking about their wines I kept on asking about Adventures Through Kayaking next door and the different adventures they provided. Big D and I had a birthday celebration for both of us coming up in a couple of days and kayaking sounded like a great alternative to hiking since my hamstring/knee probably weren't going to function very well. In my drunken state my rubber arm was twisted and I signed up Big D and I for an adventure day of Kayaking and Mountain Biking.

Sadly that was our last winery that we visited. As the four of us drove home we all shared stories of our running journies through the course and the excitement of potential races to run in the future. My 3 running buddies also signed up to run Sound To Narrows 6 days later and I just know the will knock out that tough course with strength and determination. I will be sporting a hangover and an icepack on my leg. Sucks to be them muhahahaha.

Two days later Big D and I got up at 5am to make our way back to Port Angeles for our day of adventure. All the voicemails/texts/messages I received for my birthday included people assuming I was "sleeping in" - far from it bastards!

Above is a picture that I stole from someone elses website of Freshwater Bay where we went kayaking. Our guide was super informative and mellow and the weather was perfect as my sunburnt forehead can attest to. I didn't take ANY pictures the whole day because I was too busy having an adventure and being in the moment! We saw wildlife, went rock gardening and waved at Canada from our kayaks. It was true bliss.

After they fed us lunch we then went Mountain Biking. Again I stole this picture from another site but I'm sure I looked *just* like the above. Our guide was super enthusiastic and encouraging - Big D & I had him all to ourselves. He talked just like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.

Now back when I was younger I was going down a rocky hill on my bike, flew over the handle bars and got rock to the forehead causing a waterfall of blood to gush. My Mother still made me go to Wednesday night church with a washcloth to my forehead to soak up all the blood. Needless to say I definitely was facing some fears by getting on the bike again.

The trails were steep and had some narly hairpin turns that really made my butt pucker. It was really great to have a new challenge and face my inner scaredy cat. I *almost* went off the edge of the trail after a tricky turn but thankfully straightened out just in time. After spending a couple hours navigating the trails in the forest (and gutting it up two HUGE hills) we came close to our journeys end on a paved country road.

Now let me interject here that I have some "fears" that I derive from my j-o-b. One of them being I don't trust cars on the road when it comes to bicycles. And now I found myself on a paved road that was narrow with lots of hills and turns. Big D and our guide took off and I followed suit and I found it: I found liberation. We were flying so fast down the hills and around the curves and as soon as I saw Mount Baker staring me down along with all the farm animals we were passing, at the base of the Olympics I attained clarity and realized "To hell with it, we have one life to live and there's no room for fear." Happy Birthday to me.

All in all I can't say enough good things about Adventures Through Kayaking. The owner of the winery was very involved in our day as well and gave us a free wine tasting when our day of adventure was over. All the guides were super friendly and personable - Big D and I felt so lucky and fortunate to celebrate our birthdays with them.

Congratulations to Sugarmama Shannon, JenniO and JDub for a great race! Thank you to the Olympic Peninsula for not only being a great host to a great run but also a wonderful provider of Birthday celebrations to Big D and I.

All the sand, water, mud and wine ensured that we stayed dirty in our thirties. Whoohoo!