2018 was an amazing year for the book club. We read 11 books, 3079 pages, and hiked over 50 miles! We flew falcons, toured ancient pictographs, popped rocks with WTA, climbed a trail with marmots in the alpenglow of a Mt Rainier sunset, backpacked in the smoky summer sun, and swam in an alpine lake. We explored abandoned railroad tunnels, hiked in the clouds with Maria Mudd Ruth, and went mushroom hunting with Langdon Cook. We shared books, our stories, the trails, cups of tea, sweet treats, our muddy cars, and so so many hugs.

Alpine Trails Book Club 2018

Jan – The Little Book of Hygge // Snowshoe to Laura’s Cabin

Feb – H is for Hawk // Falconry with John the Falconer

Mar – Reclaimers // Hike along the reclaimed Middle Fork Snoqualmie River

Apr – Braiding Sweetgrass // Camping at Columbia Hills with Petroglyph tour and hike

May – Animal Dialogues // Hike to Icicle Ridge in Leavenworth

Jun – Dirt Work // Trail work with Washington Trails Association on the Snoqualmie Lake trail

Jul – A Year in Paradise // Camping and hiking weekend at Mount Rainier National Park

Aug – Almost Somewhere // Backpacking trip to Yellow Aster Butte

Sep – A Sideways Look at Clouds // Mount Baker hike in the clouds with author Maria Mudd Ruth

Oct – The White Cascade // Hike on the Iron Goat Trail to location of 1912 avalanche disaster

Nov – The Mushroom Hunters // Mushroom hunting with author Langdon Cook

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In December we took a break from reading, but snuck in one last outing with the “regulars”- this time to one of our very favorite places, the bookstore! We couldn’t let the day go by without a walk and good food, so we paired our trip to Third Place Books with a walk around Seward Park and brunch and lattes at Raconteur. We each brought a wrapped book to exchange, white elephant style, each showing a side of ourselves not previously revealed. One brought a book that changed her life in school (the actual copy!), another brought a book she read in her tent while backpacking, while others (including myself) simply chose a book off the shelves that we could bear to part with or had an extra copy of.

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It was a joy to reflect on the year, and it was hard to believe that many of us didn’t even know each other a year ago! I can’t imagine my life without these amazing women. We’ve gone on many great adventures which I talk about a lot, but what I don’t talk about as much is how AMAZING the women in this group are. Each member brings their own unique energy to the group and I always find myself rejuvenated after spending time with them.

Our group includes beginner hikers and backpackers to seasoned ultra-marathon runners and everything in between. We have women in their fifties who discovered hiking later in life and are just crushing the trails. We have one woman who conquered her fears of backpacking with us on a trail that was not particularly beginner friendly. She is the same member that has been working out every day and lost 30 pounds(!) since joining our group this year. We have young women just out of school, mothers, teachers, writers, artists. These women wake up in the middle of the night to make the long drive to our outings. We even have a member who occasionally comes all the way from Bend, Oregon just to hang out with us!

I started this group on a whim as a way to make new friends and build a community here in Seattle. I wanted to share the outdoor books that inspired me, but little did I know that it would be this group of women who inspired me even more. I can’t wait to see what 2019 will bring!

Belong by Radha Agrawal

In her thirties, Radha realized that her life was missing something: community. There are tons of scientific studies that show how community enriches our lives and makes us happier and healthier. Radha has made it her life’s goal to help others find their people. But before you can grow your community, you need to make sure that you are doing your part by being a good community member. She then gives you tools to nuture your own group, whether it be an early morning dance party club (like Radha’s) or an outdoor book adventure club of your own.