It’s been a mild winter, but this weekend, headed to my parents cabin to prepare for the January Alpine Trails Book Club, we found plenty of snow! After getting a later start than we’d hoped, we wound up venturing off in the dark, armed with headlamps to light our way in the driving snow. By the time Andy, Ingunn, and I made it to the cabin, over an inch of wet snow had accumulated on all our gear. While it took several hours to warm the cabin, we had plenty of blankets along with soup for dinner to warm us. Saturday, the temperature climbed quickly, with snow slipping from the trees in soggy clumps as we hiked out to help Ashley and her family make their way to the cabin.
Read moreLife: Week 3
This week was busy with planning and preparation for the January meeting of the Alpine Trails Book Club. We were spending a long weekend at my parents cabin up in the mountains, so every night was spent making large batches of soups and sauces to freeze in preparation for our weekend. After all the busy preparation, arriving at the peaceful cabin was a relief. Friday, we spent a quiet evening watching movies while snow fell outside. Saturday morning, we woke up to several inches of new snow, just enough to decorate the trees and hide our tracks from the hike in. By the afternoon, our group expanded with the addition of Ashley and her little one. After some snowy exploration around the cabin, we settled in for another quiet night of card games and puzzles. We ended the weekend with our perfectly hygge January Alpine Trails Book Club hike, which I'll be sharing soon!
Read moreLife: Week 3
The winter gloom really set in this week. The weather was consistently overcast and rainy, and I quickly lost my motivation to get outside for walks during the week. I've been burning a lot of candles these days to try to get through the long, dark nights. I'm really looking forward to longer days, when there will still be daylight left at the end of the work day, giving me more opportunities to get outside. Weeks ago, my mom had suggested spending inaguration day at their cabin in the mountains, completely off the grid. It sounded like the perfect escape, so Friday morning we packed up the car and headed off for the snow covered cabin. After a stop for lunch at Twede's in North Bend (aka the RR Diner from Twin Peaks) we were on our way. The last leg of our journey was a 1.5 mile snowshoe, since the road to the cabin isn't plowed in the winter, so after parking, we strapped on our snowshoes, shouldered our backpacks, and set off into the wintry wilderness.
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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