As summer flies by, I'm beginning to notice the sun setting earlier each day, the days growing shorter as fall nears. I'll miss the long, luxurious summer days when they're gone, but it's hard to be sad about the swift approach of fall. For now, I'll be making the most of what's left of summer, spending as much time outdoors as possible. This past week, that included an backpacking trip to Lost Lake outside Greenwater. I have to be specific because there are at least 10 lakes with that name in Washington! This particular Lost Lake was peaceful, relatively uncrowded, and thankfully mosquito free. Nearly all the campsites at the lake were occupied by dusk, but we arrived early in the afternoon, and managed to snag the perfect site, well away from anyone else. We spent the evening reading and watching the resident geese paddle around the lake. This hike had been Andy's choice, and while I would have chosen a destination with more dramatic views or photogenic lakes, I was quite pleasantly surprised by the hike along Greenwater River and up through the forest. On our hike back out, we even saw a river otter napping on a log on nearby Quinn Lake!
Read moreLife: Week 29
These days, my daily runs are scented by the abundant blackberries lining the local trails. My daily runs are also more like daily walks, since I can't handle running in this heat! I've made a deal with myself that even if it's too hot to motivate myself for running, I should at least go for a long walk. Hopefully I can keep up some level of activity through the heat to come in August.
Read moreBagley Lakes
It's rare in life to get rewarded for very little effort, but the Bagley Lakes trail does just that. When recently camping with friends just 30 minutes from the recently plowed and open road to Artist Point, we couldn't resist the call of nearby Mt Baker. Along with a small crowd of other cars, we drove to the end of the road to explore the still snow covered Artist Point. Most of the crowd was content to park, play around in the snow, snap a few photos, then turn around and leave. We, however, also made a stop a little lower at the Bagley Lakes trailhead to stretch our legs on a short hike. While Artist Point was still heavily blanketed in snow, here there was more trail than snow - just barely. The three of us had visited once before, as part of a larger group during my bachelorette party two years ago. I've always loved returning to trails a different times of year to see the the dramatic changes the season make to familiar landscapes.
Read moreLife: Week 28
Another exhausting, wonderful week! Monday and Tuesday were spent in California, relaxing and soaking up the last of our visit with family. Flying in to SeaTac, especially in the evening, never fails remind me how lucky I am to live where I do. Who else gets such beautiful views descending to their city airport? Once we were home, most of our free time during the week was spent planning and preparing for the weekend. We had plans to finally go backpacking, but once again a forecast of a nearly state-wide chance of thunderstorms almost made us cancel again. Ultimately we decided that instead of hiking a nearby trail I had picked out the previous weekend, we would go to the Olympic Peninsula where there was a possibility of rain, but no thunderstorms.
Read moreLife: Week 27
It was another marvelous week, starting with our annual 4th of July on Whidbey. On the 4th, the tide was extremely low, and while there are no tidepools on our strip of beach, there were still all sorts of interesting things to see. My dad, a marine biologist, was with us which meant we were actually able to identify many of the creatures we found. Early in the morning, Andy set out the crab pots and managed to catch two crab, which we took home and ate on a delicious caesar salad. Midweek, we finally managed to squeeze in a short post-work hike in a nearby park neither of us had heard of - Soaring Eagle. The trails were lovely and well-maintained, and if I lived a little closer would make an excellent place for evening trail-running. Even with the 30 minute drive, I'm sure I'll be visiting the park again soon!
Friday morning, we were up bright and early for a flight to Oakland and a much needed visit with Andy's sister Erika and her family. Most of our weekend was spent relaxing at their house and playing with our niece, just the way I like our visits. The exception was our Sunday afternoon, spent at a Sonoma winery with a group of Erika's friends feeding the resident fish, playing games, sharing a picnic, and drinking some (almost certainly too much) excellent wine!
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