On our fourth morning on the South Cascade Loop, we pulled
into the town of Toppenish – and our eyes were immediately drawn to the
beautiful hand-painted murals scattered throughout this quaint, western town. Everywhere
we looked was another historic scene, and of course every time Ryder saw a
horse, he squealed with excitement. The time, artistic talent and love that
went into all of these paintings is visible in every single piece – and all I
can say is that they truly are remarkable.

            From
Toppenish, we decided to head up to Owen Roe, just a few minutes up the road in
Wapato.  As we drove up the long, winding
road up to the tasting room, I marveled at the countless rows of vines bursting
with grapes, ripe for the harvest. Upon arriving, we were welcomed by not only
the manager of the tasting room but by one of the owners of Owen Roe as well,
as they were enjoying the late morning sun on their patio. After trying a few
of their reds, I settled on a glass of the 2016 Sinister Hand, which I can
happily now say is my absolute favorite Washington Red Wine. Taking our glasses
of wine outside, Andy and I enjoyed our beverages at their outdoor picnic
tables, taking turns working with Ryder on his walking skills in the grass
nearby.

After some fun in the sun and a
quick tailgate lunch, we were all ready for an afternoon mountain bike ride.
After a short drive to a trailhead off of Konnowac Pass, we changed into our
mountain bike clothes, loaded the little munchkin in the pack, and headed off
up the trail. Beautiful views and some flowy, fun single-track welcomed us
after a nice post-lunch climb. Shredding back down to the car with a tuckered
out Ryder on Andy’s back, we relaxed and enjoyed the warm, fall afternoon
sunshine while the munchkin took a nap.

With a rested and stoked baby on
board, we jetted off to the next stop on our list: Bale Breaker Brewing
Company. As we unloaded Ryder from the Subaru, the unbelievably amazing smell
of freshly barbequed meat wafted over to us from the food truck parked out back
by the Taproom patio and we knew that our decision to head there post-ride was
definitely one of the best we had made during our trip so far. With a pint of
Top Cutter in one hand and a pint of Bottom Cutter in the other, I met the boys
outside to enjoy our drinks while sharing a snack of some amazing farm to table
food from Guerra’s Gourmet, the food truck that lured us in from the parking
lot – and yes, it tasted as good as it smelled.

Satiated and relaxed, we decided to
drive to Snow Mountain Ranch for an afternoon hike. Surrounded by sagebrush,
chirping birds and acres of shrub-steppe, and with Ryder on my back, we wound
our way up the mountain, stopping and showing our little man all of the
critters and plant life that caught our eyes along the way. While taking a
moment at the top of the mountain to fully embrace the beautiful views
surrounding us, a breeze slowly enveloped us and cooled our warm bodies after
the sunshine-filled climb… Ryder smiled at me, Andy smile at me, and in that
moment, everything was perfect.

Hungry and ready for a big dinner
after a day of epic adventures, we headed down to the Naches Valley, home of
Bron Yr Aur Brewery, for some gourmet pizza, salads and definitely another
great tasting pint of locally brewed beer (hey, we are in the beer and wine
capital of the state — don’t judge! Haha). Kids and parents filled the lawn
out back, playing with soccer balls, hoola hoops and just enjoying each other’s
company. Ryder and I joined in on the fun, and after Andy had eaten his share,
he joined Ryder with the other kiddos while I filled my belly in preparation
for the mountain adventures that the next day would bring. The White Pass
Scenic Byway was next… and I could barely hold in my excitement.

It was Day
5, the final day of our trip – and I hadn’t slept much the night before because
I was so stoked for the adventures that I knew the day would bring. But that’s
okay, because that morning, just as the sun was rising, I was already a half
mile into my trail run – it was my favorite time of day, and I was doing one of
my favorite things… yep, today was going to be epic.

After my quick 6 mile run,I drove back to Naches to grab a massive coffee from Highway Espresso before heading
back to the house to make us all a big ol’ home-cooked breakfast. Because I knew
we would be adventuring in the mountains all day, I packed us a massive picnic
lunch along with enough snacks to feed an army.

Our first
stop as a family on the White Pass Scenic Byway was at the Tieton River Nature
Trail (near the Oak Creek Elk Feeding Station off of Highway 12). After
crossing the bridge on our bikes, we headed through the elk gate and off down
the winding trail, surrounded by sweet smelling sagebrush and breathtaking
rocky cliffs. A few miles in and the desert landscape began to turn green again
as we climbed further up the trail, following the Tieton River upstream. Ryder
let us know he was just about ready for his morning nap, so we turned around to
enjoy the fun, flowy trail back downriver to the Subaru.

After some
milk and a snack, Ryder was out for the count in the back seat as we drove to
Rimrock Lake. Sand, calm waters, blue skies and a perfect picnic spot welcomed
us as we parked in a small pullout close to the shore on the south side of the
lake. Once Ryder awoke from his slumber, we headed down to the shoreline, ready
for some grub, some paddle boarding and to play in the sand, of course! Ryder
was in heaven, surrounded by a never-ending playground of water, sand, rocks
and sticks – but after a few hours of playing, he once again was all tuckered
out so we loaded up and hoped Ryder would get a quick cat nap before we made it
to the White Pass Summit.

The Pacific
Crest Trail was next on our list of adventures for the day, and once we got to
the parking lot, we packed our bag full of snacks and water, loaded the newly
refreshed munchkin on my back and started up the trail. The goal was to get to
the ridge above Shoe Lake, and we did just that. Gazing out at the Goat Rocks,
and looking back at the bowl we had just climbed out of, Andy and I reminisced
about past winters, when we had skied from this exact ridge, taking powder turn
after powder turn down to the trees below. The White Pass backcountry is not
only our favorite place to hike in the summer, but it’s also our favorite place
to ski and explore via skis in the winter.

As our day of adventure began to come to a close, we tried to fit every last wonder we
could into the few hours of light we had left. Driving down the west side of
White Pass, we stopped at a look-out for one last view of the massive, unwavering
beauty of Mount Rainier. Then, with the sunset fast approaching, we pulled into
the Palisades Viewpoint, an overlook showcasing mature, Douglas-Fir trees
growing above giant, moss-covered basalt columns – a truly breathtaking example
of natural PNW beauty. And as our week of exploration on the South Cascade Loop
came to a close, I grabbed Andy’s hand and smiled… because as amazing as the
last few days had been, the greatest part of the trip had been sharing every
wonder, every experience with the little nugget snuggled tightly in the crook
of Andy’s arm – our son, our lil’ man, our greatest adventure yet.

Dust billowed behind the truck in front of us as the three cars followed each other
up the winding dirt road. Mountains littered with craggy rocks and moon dust
filled the landscape around us. As we drove past a large boulder, I gazed out
of the passenger window and was immediately taken aback by the beautiful
creature whose black eyes pierced into me. His brown mane danced in the wind as
he stood completely still, never taking his eyes off of me as we slowly drove
past. As quickly as he appeared, the sentinel of the pass was gone – swallowed
up by the boulders and rock walls of the mountain pass.  Andy and I were heading to the Boulder-White
Cloud Mountains with a group of friends. The goal was to shred the legendary
Castle Divide ride… one last time.

In early August of this year, President Obama passed a Wilderness Bill that would
convert over 275,000 acres in the Boulder-White Cloud Mountains into Federally
designated Wilderness. This new designation would still allow hikers and other
non-mechanized sources of travel, but bikers would no longer be able to make
the epic 22-mile ride from 4th of July Creek to the East Fork of the
Salmon River. Knowing that this designation would soon be enforced, Andy and I
made sure that our two-week road trip didn’t end until we had witnessed the
beauty, hardships and insane descents that Castle Divide had to offer. 

 After a night of cold beers, warm
food, and a rather impressively hot campfire (Andy = Pyro) we were ready for
what the mountains had in store for us. We all hopped into 2 cars and made the
few hour trek to 4th of July Creek where our journey would begin.
Backpacks full of food, water and tools we headed up the first climb – 7
friends embracing their last chance to ride a truly unforgettable trail system.
Traversing along cliff sides and pedaling up high alpine single-track, we wove
our way through the mountains. Geode crystals played hide and seek among the
thousands of dark grey rocks that littered the trail and wildflowers danced in
the warm breeze as we rode by. Throughout the 22 miles, there are three intense,
grueling climbs – but the end game is well worth the struggle. The last climb
puts you on top of a saddle that overlooks the most beautiful landscape you can
imagine. Mountains - as far as the eye can see… and a descent that you know
will take your breath away. Dropping in one by one, we made our way down the
meandering alpine single-track, hopping off side hits and rallying around
corners. Moist, tacky hero dirt welcomed us as we plunged into the forest,
winding through trees, plowing through rock gardens and launching off of drops.
At the very end of the ride, the trail shoots you out into the open – fast,
flowy and covered in loose rocks, the red dirt of the desert welcomed us as the
smell of sage filled our nostrils. I will never forget that final descent – the
smile plastered across my face, the laughter that I felt would never end, and
the joy of being able to share it all with my best friend.

The campfire was insanely hot again
that night, but not until we all enjoyed a dip in the hot springs, a bath in
the cool river and another meal of my infamous Duff Pot Camp Stew. Sitting
around the campfire, sipping a cold beer and enjoying the joy radiating off of
the entire crew, I realized that this ride had been much more than an
adventure. You learn a lot about yourself when you are in the wilderness – even
though you are in a group and in the mission together, the constant struggle to
keep pedaling, keep grinding up that hill (even when the altitude makes it hard
to breathe and you feel like your lungs are going to explode), when you feel
like your body can’t make one more pedal stroke, you remember that the word
can’t isn’t in your vocabulary.  Believing in yourself, your skills, your
training and your mental toughness all plays a factor when you are in the
elements. Winning the mental struggle that accompanies the physical ones is
part of life – and needs to be won every single day whether you are in the
mountains or in the office.

As Andy and I drove along the
winding roads through the mountains from Stanley to Boise, we enjoyed our
victory treats that we picked up from the Stanley Bakery. We were on our way
back to Naches from our two-week road trip – and the memories of the adventures
were still fresh in our heads. Sweat, blood, tears, smiles, laughter, new
friends, old friends, epic trails, massive campfires, whiskey, B.O. – This trip
was definitely one for the record books. Every climb that we crushed together,
every scary new drop or knarly, techy trail that we slayed together, every
night that we gazed at a star-filled sky together - Moments and memories like
these make every hardship worth the struggle. Life is full of mistakes, failure
and defeat – but that isn’t what we live for. We live for the feeling after
landing a massive jump, we live for the rosy, but smiling cheeks after pedaling
up a crazy steep mountain pass – we live for the moments that take our breathe away…
especially when in those unforgettable moments, we are standing side by side.