F I F E S   R I D G E

Sunday, July 11, 2004

After waking late in the morning, I fix my usual breakfast of scrambled eggs and oatmeal, then make preparations for my early afternoon bike ride. I'm feeling pretty good today, I'm no longer sore from my Lewis River mountain bike ride, my trip's first bike ride that took place two days ago on Friday.

Today I've task mysellf with tackling Fifes Ridge, a challenging mountain bike trail that shoots skyward 2,000 feet and stretches more than 14 miles across a variety of terrain. I'm really looking forward to its tricky downhill runs, all of which are highlighted in bright yellow on my trail map; such warnings only further fan my interest. In the end, the ride doesn't let me down, it proves to be both interesting and exhausting.

Click here for more detail and pictures of my bike ride of Fifes Ridge.

After completing my bike ride I decide to break camp and head to Seattle, WA. On the way I'll pass through Mount Rainier National Park, and if you recall, Mount Rainier eluded me yesterday, foul weather foiled all my attempts to capture her likeness in digital. Since a few hours of daylight are still at my disposal, I'll make an effort to photograph her once more, for the weather this evening is both sunny and clear, which will go a long way in facilitating that perfect mountain scene I've really been itching for.

I jump in the van and start driving to Seattle, my route will take me out of the forest and into the city, half of the driving will be in wilderness and the remainder will be a mix of country and city. Early in the drive I find myself at Naches Peak, an interesting pinnacle that sits right smack on the border of Mount Rainier National Park and Mount Baker - Snoqualmie National Forest. With camera in hand, I jump out of the van and make my way to a foot trail that'll wisk me to a remote vantage point where I'll set up and shoot the mountain.

Click here for more detail and pictures of my little photo op of Mount Rainier.