Interrupted

My Life Thus Far
2016-11-09 06:02:39 (UTC)

Nothing Much Will Change

You can't turn on a tv/radio/internet-enabled device without being inundated with election coverage. Since Bernie bowed out after the primaries I haven't paid the least bit of attention to what's going on, and for the first time in my adult life, I've opted out of an election. Not that my personal protest means much. Due to the electoral college, my state voted for Hillary anyway. The little bit of coverage I've been exposed to has Trump winning... Hillary is no prize, but Trump is an abomination. I've never been more ashamed of this country or had so much confirmation that racism, sexism, homophobia, and bigotry are alive and well. The fact that Trump is in the lead supports that. I'm trying very hard not to be concerned for the future, because even if Hillary wins nothing much will change. Our world is still in jeopardy. Hillary is just less likely to get us blown up for running her damn mouth about sensitive diplomatic issues Trump doesn't know the first thing about. But I have to let it go. I've never been patriotic, but I've also never been flat-out ashamed of being American... but I kind of am now. I bet the rest of the world thinks we're all a bunch of idiots if these are the best candidates we can scrape up. Ugh, I hate politics so much. Who thought any of this was a good idea?

I did end up going hiking again, but this time I settled for a short but sweet 2 miler. Honestly, if it hadn't been for the spectacular views I wouldn't have even though I was hiking. I've gotten so much stronger and my stamina is definitely improving. The funny thing is, I had no intentions of going where I went when I left the house. I pulled out of the driveway and instead of taking a right... I went left.

Originally my tentative plan was to have coffee and lunch at a little coffee shop in downtown Poulsbo, then maybe venture to Belfair to hike the Theler Wetlands. A bit of land donated to the city by a resident. It's right at the tippy top of Hood Canal where watershed meets open waters. It's a delicate ecosystem and houses lots of bird species. And it's still on my list of places to see, but for whatever reason, I felt drawn to the Olympic National Forest. My happy place. There isn't anywhere in the world I love more. I had no particular hike in mind, but I remember reading about 3 different trails in the area of Mt. Walker and I told myself last time I was out there that I'd come back and do them. They're short little destination hikes to either waterfalls or scenic overlooks of Big Quilcene River. As I was driving along Highway 101, I came upon Falls View campground and remembered that one of the trailheads was in this campground! So, I pulled over to the side of the road and parked at the gate.

Falls View campground is abandoned. Well, maybe abandoned isn't the right word. It's currently closed down do to root rot. A lot of the old growth trees are succumbing to it, and the entire ghost town of a campground is littered with fallen trees and big branches. It was a little eerie, actually. Fallen trees everywhere, moss-covered roads, picnic tables, and dilapidated locked buildings. I'm not sure when the campground opened, but it looks old and well-established. My trail guide app didn't say if it's going to reopen next year or if it's closed for good. Only that the trail is still open and to park outside the gate and hike in the extra 1/4 mile to the trailhead.

Falls View Canyon is magnificent. It's an absolutely idyllic climb down into the canyon. It's like I crossed over into another realm! It was warm and blustery, but very invigorating, especially once I got right next to Big Quilcene River. The water was churning and the rapids created a deafening roar... and yet it was one of the most peaceful places I've ever been. And I had it all to myself! I took a few moments to meditate on a large rock next to the river and I swear the residual pain in my back and knees melted away. I wonder if being near rushing water has anything to do with relieving pain? Or if maybe meditation/stress relief is what helped. I could definitely feel a transference of energy, whatever it was.

Adjacent to the canyon trail, there's a teeny half mile loop trail that looks down into the valley and directly at the waterfall on the opposite canyon wall. It was like flying standing next to the edge. I will definitely be back, and I want to take the kids (and Snookums if I can get him to come on a hike ever). Even though I didn't get in a monumental step count or calorie burn, it was still time well spent. I feel great for it. Not just physically, but mentally.

I had a really nice chat with dad tonight. It's funny how we live together and still go days without talking to one another. Part of that is me, but he's equally as guilty. He's happier now that he's got a job, but I can sense he's slightly nervous that he hasn't started yet. It is taking an inordinate amount of time for them to get the background check/reference check done. They told him as long as two weeks. I hope it doesn't fall through for whatever reason. He needs to catch a break.




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