The trailhead started with a steady drizzle—rain leaving fresh drops, wind cutting through layers, mud grabbing at every step. The journey was questioned more than once, but up high above the doubt and the weather, everything shifted. The clouds thinned, the wind stilled, and the sky lit up like it had been holding its breath. In the Cascades, nothing’s given. But when it shows up, it shows off. #outdoorresearch #thriveoutside #rooted