Kelly Butte Trail #1031

My favorite kinds of hikes are long, easy walks through the woods. I like to be surrounded by trees, covered in shade, and barely breaking a sweat.

Last Saturday's hike delivered none of those things, but it was still pretty stellar.

Lime Kiln Trail

Over the last week or two, we've seen the return of fall weather. Cool, crisp mornings. Drizzle. Earlier sunsets. I love everything about it.

While Matt took a trip to Canada for a paddle race, I decided to seek some fall foliage with Melissa. We headed out for Lime Kiln Trail, a long but easy hike in Granite Falls.

What's 16 years in the grand scheme of things, anyway?

I am totally that aging millennial who can't do math and thinks 2004 was 10 years ago, but the truth is, my 20th high school reunion was this year. I graduated college 16 years ago, and it's been since then that I've seen my old college roommate, Lauren, in person. 

Lauren and I drifted apart after college but reconnected because social media actually has some uses beyond filling me with existential dread. Last summer, she went on an Alaskan cruise out of Seattle and wanted to make it a point to come back and spend time here, because even the drive from SeaTac to the port is awe-inspiring. After going back and forth on dates, she planned her trip for Labor Day weekend.

Warning: lots of selfies ahead!