Washington has a bad reputation for being perpetually rainy, but all that rain keeps our lush green forests happy! I often take our forests for granted, and have even been known to complain about hiking through the "boring trees." Every so often, I'm reminded just how lovely a quiet walk in the woods can be, and hiking to and from our work site for another trail work party with the Washington Trails Association on Saturday gave me the reminder I needed. The phenomenal views from a viewpoint the crew leader shared with the group certainly didn't hurt either! Since the trail we spent the day working is currently closed while new and improved trails to the summit are being built, we had the view all to ourselves, unheard of for any trail off I-90. Once again, we had a great time, mostly digging holes then filling them up again and getting filthy in the process.
Read moreLife: Week 22
While there's still piles of snow in the mountains, it's feeling a lot more like summer around Puget Sound. The days are long and sun filled, and spring blooms have begun to fade into berries and leafy canopies of green. One a walk this week, we found the first ripe salmonberries of the year. I've never liked salmonberries, but as a sign of all the berries to follow, they were certainly a happy sight! I've always loved the Powerline Trail at this time of year, when the grass and brambles lining the path are well into their spring growth spurt, shooting up and out in a riot of green. Soon, the city will come through for their mowing and pruning, but for now there are places where the grass is taller than me (not a challenge at my height!) giving the trail the feel of a wild suburban jungle.
Read moreLife: Week 21
We had a glimpse of summer just in time for Memorial Day this year! The week was filled with sunshine, and by the weekend it was uncomfortably hot. Signs of the approaching season abound - daylight is lingering well into the evening and soon there will be berries lining the lowland trails and filling the farmers market! Rather than suffer through holiday weekend crowds and traffic, Andy and I spent the weekend close to home. On Saturday, we made our first trip of the year to the Redmond Farmers Market, where we picked up an impressive amount of spring produce along with a pile of my favorite spring flowers - peonies! Afterward, we drove into Kirkland to investigate some of the new businesses I'd been wanting to try.
Read moreBoulder River
I find shady riverside trails are always at their best on a sunny day, but they're even better with good company and good conversation. On the Saturday our group met for the May Alpine Trails Book Club hike, we lucked out and had both! Arriving at the popular trailhead at 9 AM, we were surprised to find the parking relatively uncrowded. It might have been a clear, dry morning, but signs of our wet spring were all around. Towering boulders that rimmed the trail were decorated with dripping moss and ferns and the dew drenched trail glittered in the morning sun.
Read moreLife: Week 20
As work slows down for the summer, I'm beginning to have the energy and time for other things in my life. I've finally started to catch up on my towering backlog of books, made a dent in the mess our apartment had become, and wonderfully even had time for a walk after work! It was the perfect week for it too, since the days have been increasingly sunny. I'm sure soon I'll be whining about the heat and sun, but for now, for a few days at a time, I'm happy for the sunshine. It was especially appreciated on our Saturday hike along Boulder River for the May Alpine Trails Book Club meeting. The river was raging, and a much milkier shade than when Andy and I visited last year in April. After the hike, we stopped in Arlington for lunch and a beer at Skookum Brewing. Definitely one of my favorite things about Washington - there's always a good beer stop on the way home from the trail!
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