Grateful
grateful — adjective — \ ˈgrāt-fəl \ — warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received
As my 1-year anniversary of moving to Seattle has come and gone, I wanted this first entry to be a bit retrospective. The image above was my favorite taken during my first trip to Olympic National Park, which happened to be my first ever photography day trip since I moved to the Pacific Northwest. What better way to start my exploration than hitting one of the most untamed wildernesses out there, right?
The date was November 23rd, 2018. I packed up my Jeep Cherokee and hit the road to tackle the 4 hour drive around the southern end of Puget Sound. I intended to make my first outing a relatively easy one since I was still getting my bearings on the area. As I was driving down the road, with the then-new album from Mumford & Sons ringing in my ears, this question was bouncing around my head: coast or mountains? Did I want to catch an iconic Washington coast sunset or watch the light dance on the peaks of the Olympic Mountains? I decided to stick to what I was comfortable with for this trip.
I arrived in Port Angeles and pulled over to see what I could grab for lunch before heading up to the ridge. For those of you that know me, this next part won’t surprise you. My eyes landed on a sign for a local restaurant: Westside Pizza. I don’t remember exactly what I got, but I do remember it being some damn good pizza. After probably scarfing down an entire pie by myself, I felt ready to get out and do some shooting.
I arrived at the trailhead for Hurricane Hill and told myself that I had about 2 hours to get to the top for sunset. I set out on a forested path and before I knew it, I was above the treeline and could see for miles in every direction. I reached the top sooner than I expected and took a much needed rest before taking out my camera gear. On top of Hurricane Hill, there isn’t a bad direction to shoot. To the north, there are views of the Strait of Juan De Fuca and Vancouver Island, Canada; to the south, a seemingly infinite expanse of snow-capped peaks; the east and west were more of the same.
Before I knew it, the sun was golden orange and I had taken way too many photos. Satisfied with what I had, I packed away my camera, collapsed my tripod, and looked westward to watch the sun dip behind the mountain. Right as the sun set, something incredibly rare happened: a green flash! I couldn’t believe my eyes. I’m not exactly sure what causes it, but I know they are few and far between. Click here to learn more about them!
It was time to hike down…in the dark. I set out, knocking out the switchbacks much faster than I did when I was ascending. After about a mile’s walk, I noticed that the sky had exploded into soft shades of pink and purple in the twilight, with a waxing gibbous moon as icing on the cake. I couldn’t resist pulling out my camera for a few extra shots. After once again taking too many photos, I packed up and picked up the pace downhill. Darkness had fallen once I made it back to my car. I deposited my camera bag into my trunk and hopped in the driver’s seat to start the 4-hour trip back to Seattle.
As I drove the winding roads back home, thinking of the day I just had and the beauty around me, I couldn’t help but feel thankful for everything in my life at that moment. Life has only gotten better since that memorable trip and as the anniversary of that day is approaching, I’m reminded of my ever-growing love for this area and the appreciation that accompanies it.
I’m grateful for this life.
Check out these other photos I took on that evening!
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