When I first met Susie two years ago I was in a dazed and confused state. It was my second day of living Sandy. I hadn’t had a chance yet to unpack, I was starting my job the next day, and I was standing in the library in the midst of a bunch of strangers who were throwing a welcome party for me. This really cute petite lady walked up to me and said, “So I hear you lived in Santa Cruz!” I stood there, kind of stunned, thinking, “how would she know this?” But said, “Yes I did.” “Me too!” she said. And we went on to talk and reminisce about this place we used to live. During our conversation I sat there kind of blown away by how surreal it was that I was meeting someone in Sandy, of all places, who also lived in Santa Cruz. Susie and I are still co-workers and have become friends over the past couple of years. I’m still kind of blown away that we both used to live there (at the same time, and just a few blocks away from each other!).

All of that to say that she took me hiking yesterday and we had a blast! She knows about all of the greatest hiking spots around the Mt. Hood and Columbia Gorge area. Yesterday she took me to Cape Horn, it’s in Washington on the Columbia River almost directly across from Multnomah Falls.

It’s a pretty mellow 7 mile loop. It actually would make a really great trail run. Apparently “they” spent over a million dollars renovating the trail this past year. They installed tunnels under the highway and a really nice lookout spot where you can sit and eat lunch or enjoy the view.

There were several spots along the ridge where the views were absolutely stunning. Here is one of them:

Here is another. And another.

The trail winds down the side of the ridge to meadows and tree lined roads

and then down through a slightly sketchy, moss-covered rocky area.

We had fun chatting about Santa Cruz, Eastern Washington (she was born and raised in Wenachee. Could this shit get any weirder?!?), and being silly. At one point we were swishing through the enormous maple leaves on the ground and she said, with such sincerity, “I wish I could record the sound of the swishing of the leaves.” I was all, “Let’s do it!!” So we did, for posterity:

more photos: