Moving to the Evergreen State allowed me to try new activities, including exploring the great outdoors. Hiking interested me because I could pare the activity with one of my great loves: photography. Even so, it would be three years since becoming a resident of Washington before I would step foot in a park and complete such a trek.
On Nov. 16, 2023, my long wait came to an end. My friend and avid hiker Mark Oehlert invited me to join him on what would be a nearly five-mile roundtrip journey to Snow Lake. Filled with a mix of anxiety and trepidation, I agreed to the adventure.