Summer Fun
My favorite summers are filled with tents, lakes, rivers, trails, and cold drinks in the sun. They are spent in the mountains and on Puget Sound, with friends and family. This summer will be busy with all the responsibilities of adult life (why is adulting so hard?), but I will try to fit in as much of the good stuff as I can.
Remote campsite on the Deschutes River that was our first stop on a road trip last summer
Fremont IPA - totally worth carrying up to Blanca Lake!
Sleep outside at least once a month.
Take a random weekday off work to hike a popular trail I'd never consider visiting on a weekend.
Summit a mountain.
Just like last summer: Spend time adventuring outdoors with both my nieces!
Learn a new practical skill: backcountry first aid, avalanche safety and the use of an ice axe, or navigation.
Go crabbing, and enjoy the fresh caught crab immediately!
Try my hand at making my own freeze dried backpacking meals.
Eat at least one meal cooked over a campfire.
If you're curious, here's how I fared on my spring list:
Hike as much as possible while the wildflowers are blooming in the Cascades. We did make it to Teanaway Ridge for a pretty spectacular wildflower show - read more here!
Bake my all-time-favorite: strawberry rhubarb pie! I baked a delicious one for Easter!
Get out for a short, early-season backpacking trip to test out my new sleeping pad. We didn't actually test out our new sleeping pads on a backpacking trip, but we did get a good nights sleep on them camping with the WTA Trail Work Crew on Vashon. I definitely consider this one a success!
Go to the Farmer's Market at least once a month Just barely! I still wish I had time to go more often.
Go for a picnic It turns out my niece is just as obsessed with picnics as I am! We had an impromptu lunch picnic in Wenatchee early in the spring.
Soak up the longer days by getting outside after work at least three days a week I think I managed at least two days a week, but not three.
Plan and host an afternoon tea I completely forgot about this!
Forage for morels We looked for them while we were in Teanaway, but sadly saw none. Maybe next year!
Sign up for a trail work party with the Washington Trails Association. We did two this spring! Read a little about them here and here.
Read Tolkien in the Tolkien room at the Sylvia Beach Hotel The Hobbit, and it was just as wonderful as I remembered.