So many good things this week! To start the week, we tried a new restaurant in Redmond that had delicious cocktails and a burger with a slab of pork belly on top (!!!) that was absolutely fabulous. On Wednesday afternoon, we headed to the Olympic Peninsula for a long weekend of hiking with Andy's family. We made it to the coast just in time for dinner and one of several spectacular sunsets. We spent our days hiking as much of the remote Olympic coastline as we could. Along the trails, we gorged ourselves on wild huckleberries and wild blueberries. The tides were never particularly low, but we did manage to find some small tide pools on Rialto Beach, along with lots of interesting metal debris we eventually decided came from an ancient shipwreck. For the most part, the weather was hot a sunny, which seemed completely out of character for the coast. During our long days hiking on the beach, the foot pain I've been noticing on many of the longer hikes I've done this summer became much worse, which was frustrating although it did lead to many huckleberry breaks while I sat for a while to give my feet a break! I'll definitely want to get that figured out before it becomes a serious issue that prevents me from hiking entire! Even with those issues, the whole weekend was one of the best vacations we've had in a while!
Read moreLife: Week 33
Another ridiculously hot summer week, but I can feel fall creeping in at the edges of things. Leaves are just beginning to change color, and the days keep getting shorter. We spent another laid back weekend close to home. We've got a busy schedule over the next few weeks, so we wanted to give ourselves time to relax. Friday was Andy's mom's birthday, so we met her at one of our favorite local breweries for beer and barbecue from a food truck. Saturday morning, we went to the farmer's market - only the second time we've made it this year! The last time was the first weekend, when we bought all the flowers in preparation for Mother's Day. August and September are always the best time of year for the farmer's market, and we came home with armloads of tomatoes, a honeydew melon, carrots, and ripe, fresh peaches that tasted like summer. So glad we finally had the time to make it to the farmer's market again!
Read moreLife: Week 32
Summer is back with a vengeance! We had a lovely cool few days early this last week, but by the weekend, temperatures had climbed back to a summery 85°. According to the forecast, they'll continue to climb higher over the next week. In past summers, when temps are this high, I'd spend the weekend a home reading trail reports from other hikers, thinking they were insane to be hiking in the heat. This year, Andy and I were those crazy hikers. Not only did we hit the trail this weekend, we went on our longest, most difficult backpacking trip of the year. Crazy indeed!
Read moreMarmot Pass - Upper Big Quilcene
For years, all my favorite trails led to lakes. On day hikes in particular, I'd bring a lunch and a book, and once I reached the lake, I'd find a (hopefully!) quiet spot to sit and munch and read for at least an hour. I didn't understand the point of trails to ridges and basins. If there was no specific destination, how did you know when to stop hiking? When did you get to sit and read? Over the past year though, I've started to appreciate ridges and passes more. Sure, the stopping point is often less obvious, but that means there's room to wander and explore. And it's hard to beat the views you get from a pass or a summit. Until recently, I never would have considered hiking somewhere like Marmot Pass, but I'm so glad that's changed!
Read moreLife: Week 31
It's only early August, but already it feels like summer is winding down. We've had blissfully cool, nearly fall-like weather for a few days now, and I am so ready for sweaters and soup and piles and piles of blankets! We'd planned for another backpacking trip, we even took Friday off for a longer weekend of hiking, but sadly Andy caught an awful summer cold, so instead we spent the weekend at home. As sad as I was to miss out on a weekend in the mountains, I think we needed the lazy weekend at home. We went for a few walks, spent lazy mornings watching cartoons and eating pancakes, and I spent some quality time knitting. I've got one project that just needs seaming before it's finished, but unfortunately seaming is one of my least favorite things. For a sanity break, I started working on a lighter weight wool hat to take for myself on summer backpacking trips. I'm kind of in love with the super fun colorway - it's called Holi Festival! I'm using a very simple pattern for the hat to cut down on bulk, so I'm glad it will have some personality from the yarn.
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