I am a Dawn Wildlife Ambassador; this is a partnered post.
One of the reasons that I love living where I do is the stunning amounts of natural beauty that surround me. There’s no shortage of greenery in Oregon, and living in Seaside allows me proximity to walk in the woods one day and stroll on the beach the next. It’s a special place, and I try to get out and enjoy it as much as I can. Experiencing nature is a good reminder of its importance, so in observance of Earth Day, I thought it was a perfect time to plan a hike on one of our local treasures: Saddle Mountain.
Saddle Mountain is the tallest mountain in my county, so named for the mountain’s curved appearance. It’s been years since Jai and I hiked there, and we’ve always wanted to go in the Spring so that we could catch a glimpse of the wildflowers that bloom out there. Our rainy, stormy Oregon weather has made it hard to get outdoors the last few months, so when we finally had our first dry day in weeks, I packed a picnic basket and took full advantage of the break in the weather to take our hike!
Panorama -click to view full size
We stopped at one of the picnic tables dotted around the area to eat our lunch. I brought along a cooler with built-in reusable dishes and cloth napkins – a complete picnic set with no waste! I can’t think a more peaceful place to eat lunch than this serene area.
A faucet with running water is provided right next to the picnic tables, so that campers and hikers can easily clean up after themselves.
Saddle Mountain is part of a state park, making it a protected area, but the only way that such spots will continue to be preserved is if we treat them with respect. When hiking, it’s important to be aware of your surroundings, follow any posted rules, and not engaging in destructive behaviors like littering. Our natural wonders will only remain so if we do our part to protect them.
The hiking trail is long and steep, and recommended for experienced hikers; we have friends that have trained in the gym specifically to complete it! It began to get rainy and dark as we were hiking, so we didn’t make it too far along, but we did catch a glimpse of some of the Spring wildflowers along the trail that we’ve heard so much about.
I look forward to returning to Saddle Mountain during future Spring days – and that’s why it’s so important to make sure that it’s still around for us to enjoy in the coming years. This Earth Day, I encourage you to get out and enjoy nature in your own community; it’s restorative, inspiring, and a great way to teach your children about the environment and lead by example. Be mindful of your waste, pick up other trash if you see it, and remind yourself how amazing our planet is!
As a Dawn Wildlife Ambassador, I am proud to work with Dawn dish soap in their mission to help protect wildlife. Dawn’s involvement began when research determined that Dawn dish soap was the best cleaning agent for wildlife affected by oil spills. This led to partnerships with International Bird Rescue and The Marine Mammal Center to form the Dawn Saves Wildlife initiative. Learn more about what Dawn Saves Wildlife is doing this Earth Day and every day by following their Facebook and Twitter pages. And let me know how you’re celebrating Earth Day in the comments!
