The summer has been a constant challenge of struggling to balance life and work, and seeking to find those voids where I could quickly retreat to the outdoors. Not only do these trips help provide a breathing room in our busy lives, but a whiff of greenery has boosted our morale which had taken a hit over the last few months of a stressful pandemic season. In a way, these trips where we climb high above the urban landscape, is symbolic of our struggles to forget them momentarily and to lead our lives with the simplest of needs: food, shelter and clothing.

I hope we get to continue doing these, if only to remind us that the machinations of everyday life are not the only things to live for

Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA