August 2012: A Note From Diane

Hello, Hiker!

I hope your boots are dusty, because that means you've been out on the trail.

My summer has been filled with lots of wild encounters around Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier in the Cascade Mountain range: a herd of 24 mountains goats, a black bear, several eagles (golden and bald), marmots, rubber boa snakes, glistening green frogs...

And one morning while getting an early start on the trail, I was entertained by the howls of a coyote pack. That sound always makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. And they were close, too! I wish I had seen them.

But what really dominated my summer hiking was the wildflowers. I've never seen such a profusion of columbine, lupine, and paintbrush in all my years of hiking in the Cascades. Our rainy early summer paid off in blooms!

Which got me to thinking.... since my hiking partner (also my husband) took hundreds of flower photos this season, why not share them with you?

So my winter project will be sorting, organizing, and labeling flower pictures for you to enjoy through the long dark months when you could really use a boost.

I think I'll start with yellow flowers, since they seem to be everywhere! Or maybe purple.... oh, well. Stay tuned, I'll let you know when my first installment is ready on my website.

And I'd love to compare notes - which of "my" flowers do you find on your hikes? And do you call them the same thing?

Hiking Nutrition Tips

I don't want to keep you long while the sun is shining - I know you want to get out on the trail just as much as I do!

But I did want to let you know that I just finished creating some instant download e-booklets to answer many of the nutrition questions that I receive.

In keeping with the spirit of hiking, they're lightweight in terms of length, but packed full of information gleaned from credible nutrition sources as well as my own years on the trail.

I priced them at $2.29 - about the cost of a decent energy bar in my neck of the woods.

If you'd like to take a look at the titles of my FAST HIKING FACTS: NUTRITION TIPS, go

here.

That's all for now!

Now go get those boots dustier....

From me to you,

Happy Trails always.