Flattop Hike

So last week we got this message from Emily Sievers, a friend of mine from high school.

"Please help us raise money to fight pediatric ependymoma, the cancer that took Hazel's life. It just takes three steps:

1) Run (or walk, or hike, or whatever) a mile. Remember to time yourself!
2) For every minute it took to run that mile, donate $1 to the Tanner Seebaum Foundation at tannersfoundation.org
3) Post your run and challenge your friends to do the same! Don't forget to tag it! ‪#‎goldenmilechallenge‬

Don't want to run? Consider a symbolic donation of $7 in honor of the 7 children who lose their battle to cancer every day in the US.

Please help us spread the word. We are doing this to honor Hazel and continue her fight against ependymoma!

Are you ready? ‪#‎HazelsaysGO‬

Emily Sievers Special AK request: I always hoped I would take Hazel to Alaska one day but were were actually told it was the only place in the US we weren't allowed to take her. Would anyone be interested in doing (part of) Flattop in her honor?"

Just last month Emily lost her 3 year old daughter Hazel (pictured above) to pediatric ependymoma.

Here is a picture of Emily, her husband David and their son Leo

Van and I made a donation and completed the Alaska part of the request. Here are some pictures from our hike. It's hard because I was so sad thinking about Hazel but that made me cranky to Van's numerous questions and I was thinking that Emily would have wanted us to have a happy hike so I also tried to stay upbeat.

Van: "More stairs! This place is like a stairs cafe!"

From here we're looking down at a place called The Saddle.
Van: "What's everyone doing down there?"
Me: "That's called The Saddle."
Van: "What's a Saddle?"
Me: "See that low point in between these two high points? That's a Saddle."
Van: "You mean because it's football shaped, with a dragon tail all the way to the ground?"

Something got lost in translation.

Love that great hiker, so sorry for Emily's loss. There aren't any words that can properly express it. But hopefully we will continue to raise money and find a cure.