Visiting Rachel in the Methow

They never tell you how hard it is to move away from your friends after college (I'm lying-- they definitely did but I ignored them). After a surprisingly hard week, Jack suggested that we go see my best friend Rachel in the Methow. My brain was clouded with post-grad job stress, and I forgot that even though she doesn't live in the Seattle area, I have the freedom to kind of do whatever I want! And what I wanted to do was see Rachel. On Saturday morning, Jack and I fueled up with some yummy breakfast sandwiches from Kirkland Bakery and set out to the North Cascades. Rachel's seasonal job doing lynx tracking includes a cozy living situation called "the shack". To no one's surprise, the shack has no address (all we got was the pin with its latitude and longitude) and is directly off the highway. Three people share the small space that looked like it was about the size of my studio apartment in Seattle. It's perfect. The blistering 100 degree heat was no joke, so we drove another 40 minutes to Black Pine Lake. The secluded lake was the perfect time to catch up and cool down. After the lake, we drove into Twisp for a BBQ dinner and some card games. We then ventured to a nearby park/brewery to hear some fantastic live music. It was truly the perfect evening. Back at the shack, I couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised at how much I had missed Eastern Washington. I had never been to the Methow valley, but after a brief trip there, I believe that it is the culmination of all the best parts of Washington (or at least my favorite parts). There are the sparse rolling hills that I have called home for the past four years in Walla Walla while also showing off the snow-capped and jagged peaks of the Cascades. On Sunday morning we stopped at the iconic Mazama store for some trail snacks that we would need on our impending hike. They're known for their baguettes, so we got one of those plus a sour cream cherry coffee cake (yum!). The alpine trail Buckskin Ridge was the perfect temperature and view. Pops of color from the wildflowers were impossible to look away from, along with the impressive views of the valleys and peaks of the Cascades. Ever the biologist, Rachel gave us a lesson in tree identification while we trekked along one of my favorite trails I've been on. After a baguette break, we turned around and finished the 4ish mile hike. We dropped Rachel off back at the shack and headed back to Seattle. Jack and I made a pitstop at Diablo Lake (somewhere we decided almost instantly that we would come back to soon). Even though it was just a one-night trip, it was truly healing. I hadn't realized how much I missed Rachel or Eastern Washington, and it filled my cup to be in the Methow with two people I love with all my heart (Rachel and Jack if you weren't following). This trip was a not-so-gentle reminder that it is so so important to make an effort to spend time with the people who matter. - Elena