Another truly excellent week! I never regret getting outside - something I really need to remember for the weeks to come. The damp, chilly months of spring are always the hardest for me to get outside. My lack of motivation probably has something to do with my impatience for peak summer hiking. I always forget the often unbearable and bugs and dream of gorgeous trails still under feet of snow, then feel disappointed by the lowland trail options available early in the year. This year, I'm determined to appreciate the trails that are accessible year round for their own beauty, and to squeeze in as many snowshoe trips as I can before the snow becomes too unstable and avalanche danger too high!
Read moreEbey's Landing
I love the peaks and forests of my beloved Cascades, but sometimes, especially in the dead of winter, I need to escape to the salty, windblown air of Puget Sound. I love the snow, but winter on the coast is so rugged, stormy, and beautiful. You may have already noticed that Andy and I visit Whidbey Island a lot. For how frequently we're there, we certainly don't hike the Ebey's Landing trail often enough. The cabin we stay at it so lovely, I'm usually happy to spend an entire weekend there. On this last trip, we took friends with us, and they were just the motivation we needed to get out on an actual trail.
Read moreLife: Week 4
It was mostly a gloomy, wet week in Redmond, filled with busy days at work and lazy evenings with miscellaneous leftovers for dinner. On Friday we headed off for another long weekend at Whidbey with friends. In the rain shadow of the Olympics, it felt more like spring than winter, and we had a wonderful time cooking, drinking, chatting and taking many, many photos. Saturday, we went for a leisurely hike at Ebey's Landing. More about that beautiful trail soon!
Read moreMarten Creek
The Marten Creek trail is an unmaintained, often overlooked gem. When Andy and I visited on a Sunday early in January, we nearly had the trail to ourselves. It hadn't snowed in a while, and the snow had a hard, slippery crust that made our snowshoes unnecessary, but we still had a lovely time hiking through the quiet, snow covered woods.
Read moreLife: Week 3
The days are gradually getting longer and the sun is fighting through the clouds. I so appreciate leaving work while there's still some light left. Soon enough, it will be summer and I'll have long sunny evenings, but for now I'm enjoying both the rain and the sun that struggles through. I had plans to leave work early one day so I could get a long walk in before dark, but was disappointed to too busy to leave early enough on the two sunny afternoons. Instead, I went for a short walk through a small park before lunch on a very rainy Saturday. I don't think I'd like this park as much in the sunshine. The mist and rain made everything outside the tall trees and old buildings disappear. In the sun, I think the city would feel much closer.
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