After spending a few amazing nights in Seattle, we hit the road to explore the North Cascade Mountains in Washington.

Lucky for us, Lone Fir Campground happened to be about a 2 hour drive from the big city.

With the sun setting we opted to load up at Fred Meyer (ps. Coconut Chocolate Luna Bars are my #1 hiking treat!). We packed enough gear to legitimately camp but made the newbie mistake of not anticipating the drop in temps as we climbed higher into the mountains.

The great part is we had no competition in this beautiful campsite nestled between a stream and the mountains. Views ranged all around us and we were hungry for more!

The morning after our stay in the truck, priority #1 was coffee. We drove another 25 minutes east to the friendly mountain/ski town of Mazama.

It was like heading back into the 80’s, with a fuel station attached to an adorable little shop. They had artisan bread, local wine + cheese and COFFEE!! We bought them all. Kidding – we don’t often buy bread, we make it!

Pre-hike, we loaded up with 2 Americanos and a full tank to set out for our hike.

It was pouring rain. We arrived in the parking lot Venturing parallel to the Pacific Crest Trail (the PCT) made famous by Cheryl Strayed, played by Reese Witherspoon in the film Wild. Side note the PCT extends into Manning Park, which I saw in July when I embarked on a 10K trail race with my sister.

There’s a reason people load up their packs and head into the forests for months on end. A certain solitude and serenity awaits. Sure, there’s the threat of bears and mountain lions, but the beauty of your surroundings are next level.

As we geared up with our full pack of essentials, snacks, water and our camera, we layered up in preparation for the wet trails waiting ahead.

Sometimes it’s best to go with the flow of the weather.

Originally planning to spend another night camping in the North Cascades and with the rain only getting heavier, we did a reality check-in. It was still light out and if we pushed it, could make it across the Canadian border with just enough time to catch the last boat back home to Vancouver Island.

So with a soggy boot on the gas pedal, we wove our way down from the mountains in time for one more Fred Meyer stop with all the Coconut Chocolate Luna Bars we could carry.

We ended up making it on the 9pm boat with a satisfied look on our faces having just completed a microadventure of our own making.