forest friday

#ForestFriday - Gifford Pinchot NF

I recently had the privilege of hiking with one of my besties from Texas up in the Gifford. We found the glorious trees and waterfalls that Washington (and the PNW) promised me years ago when I first visited. Enjoy a few photos and go on and get out there this weekend if you can! Happy hiking!

The calm noise of a flowing river. (Falls Creek)

The hike was worth it, for sure.

Around the rocks and ferns…

It’s bigger than it appears in photos.. Falls Creek Falls

The upper portion is as big as other waterfalls I saw earlier in the day

Majestic.

#ForestFriday - Through The Woods

I have a few specific memories of my grandmother (Gramma) that always comes to my brain when I think of her. Today is her birthday, so I’ve been thinking about her all morning. For this #ForestFriday I’m thinking of the times we would walk the dog through the Besser Natural Area (Bell Bay) and look for the old homesteads in the woods. We’d meander down the trails and walk past the lagoon and eventually out to Lake Huron. This little nature area was only a few minute drive from our family cottage, so we would go often in the summer season.

Enjoy some photos as I travel down memory lane in honor of one of my biggest supporters and favorite people in one of our favorite places (and then a few of her just for fun). Rest in peace and thanks for everything, always.

#ForestFriday - Up North Minnesota

I’ve got Minnesota on the brain right now because I’m planning my trek there for Labor Day weekend. I am so excited to get up there for a while (I took several days off) and it’s going to be good to see my people. I’m excited to see the forests and the big lake (Lake Superior) as well as the small lakes. I’m hoping for good weather, but will take anything we get. I’m ready for Leinenkugel's and bonfires. Superior National Forest makes up most of the woods around where I’ll be, so I’m sharing some photos from previous trips for this Forest Friday. I hope you get to the forest and have a great weekend!

#ForestFriday - Looking Up

When I find myself under some trees, I always look up. There’s something magical about looking up at the canopy and seeing the sky through the branches or between the treetops. I like to gaze in wonder at the living organism that can grow so tall and broad. Take a look at some of my favorite canopies and go find your forest this weekend!

#ForestFriday - Oregon Caves NM

Back in 2016 I visited Oregon Caves National Monument while on a trip to Northern California to see the Redwoods. The drive up from the Redwoods is fantastic and follows the wild and scenic Smith River as you drive up US-199.

The actual road to the caves is lined with trees and the whole places is forested. Enjoy a few photos of the outside on a sunny day!

And here’s some from inside the cave! Not quite a forest, but such a cool place that I can’t wait to go back to now that I live close by.

#ForestFriday - Urban Oasis

I spend a lot of time in the city. I live in the center of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area and it can take hours to get through it all to escape as the sprawl is out of control. When I’m at home, I try to find little parks that have trees and a nice path to take the dog for a walk. Here are some photos of the paved paths at River Legacy Park in Arlington, Texas. This park has miles and miles of paved paths connecting multiple areas throughout the city. There are always shaded paths to seek refuge in the summer and little openings to find the sun in the winter. Enjoy a few photos of the places I am fortunate enough to have found!

#ForestFriday - Dreaming of Northern Minnesota

I’ll be heading to Northern Minnesota in early February to brave the cold and snow to go off the grid for a few days. I’ve talked about it before, but my friend’s cabin is one of my favorite places in the whole world. The cabin is a short hike or paddle from the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness and surround by Natoinal Forest on the other side. It is peaceful, quiet, and the perfect retreat.

If you’ve followed me, you know the BWCAW is important to me but also an important part of Northern Minnesota. I support Save The Boundary Waters which is a nonprofit set up to promote the preservation of the Boundary Waters. If you want more information, would like to donate to the cause, want to find ways to get involved, and/or need a link to leave a public comment against mining in or near the Boundary Waters, click HERE.

From Save The Boundary Waters homepage - they said it better than I could.

“On December 20, the Trump Administration’s U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced it will renew Chilean mining giant Antofagasta’s Twin Metals mining leases. This action is intended to avoid America’s bedrock environmental laws to allow dangerous sulfide-ore copper mining on public lands next to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for the benefit of a foreign mining company. 

The Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters is leading the effort to ensure permanent protection for the Boundary Waters Wilderness, America's most visited Wilderness and Minnesota's crown jewel, from proposed sulfide-ore copper mining. “

Here are some photos from a trip taken in September of 2015. I can’t wait to get up there and snowshoe down to the BWCAW and hide out from everything going on in the world for a few days. Please join me in supporting the efforts to protect this special place. Happy Friday and may you find the forest - even if it’s just through this post.

#ForestFriday - Wishing for snow!

Cooler weather has FINALLY arrived here in Texas and it has my brain thinking beyond fall and into winter. I also know, some places already have snow, and I’m jealous. Anyway, here are some photos from the forest in Northern Michigan around my grandparent’s house. Not quite the wild and free mountain forests, but the forests I grew up exploring! (November 2007)