Picture of the week - Mt. Ellinor panorama

Photo credit - Douglas Scott

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Mt. Ellinor hike & a Spartan race

What an adrenaline rush trip I had this past weekend! My brother called and invited me to hike Mt. Ellinor with him and my nephew on Friday. I was nervous but figured I was up for it, and up for it I had to be, because it was UP the whole way! The wildflowers were in full bloom and the views were incredible thanks to the high cloud ceiling on the day. We've been having really warm temps lately, but on this day we started with a few clouds and a slight thunderstorm warning in the forecast, so it really was comfortable for hiking strenuously.

My nephew is the owner of Exotic hikes and he did an excellent job of helping to make it an enjoyable hike for me. I love random trivia about the areas I'm in and he was up to the challenge.

Me and my nephew

We began our hike "up" with a nice forest around us, which then opened up to a rather rocky area.

We then made our way to a wide open meadow, where we could really enjoy the abundance of wildflowers.

 As if we weren't already going up the trail begins a more aggressive incline after the meadow.

and then finally we were there.

Mount Olympus in the distance behind me

On the Summit

What a wonderful experience and bonus I got to share the day with my nephew and my brother. I'd like to thank him for sending me the the picture's that he took with his camera. So I have picture's of myself on the hike.

with my brother

Endomondo stats:

Total miles hiked - 4.05 miles

Min. altitude -3511

Max. altitude - 5944

Total ascent - 2455 feet

Total descent - 2440 feet

and then......

I found out what "Spartan up" means.

Wow, these are some tough people. My daughter, her husband and their kids had signed up to compete in the Spartan Sprint that was to be held in Washougal, Wa. on Saturday. The kids were in their own "kids only" race, which all 3 completed!

Then it was on to watch the adults.They finished as well, I took around 200 photos of the day. Whew, it was one of the more hyped up and adrenalized events I've ever been to. I'm still psyched up & feel like I want to do something epic like them someday. Yikes I can't believe I said that. With all that said, I really don't think I have it in me to do a Spartan race, but I do now know what it means to "Spartan up" and I will think of that when I am doing something that stretches what I think I'm capable of doing.

Spartan Sprint finishers! (& me)

We also met this amazing father and son team, called the Unbreakable Joneses (Thing 1 and Thing 2), they ran the course and did the obstacles 7 times. Crazy tough guys and as nice and supportive to others on the course as they were inspiring to watch. Which was almost too epic for my brain to absorb.

Incredible Joneses finishing their last lap

Me, thoroughly enjoying myself!