From the comfort of my couch, it can be so easy to forget just how much I'm energized by time spent outdoors. Fall in particular is a challenging but important time for me to overcome my inertia and resist my temptation to spend the shorter, rainy days at home binge watching TV while plugging away at my current knitting project. I need as much time as possible out in the fiery beauty of fall, soaking in every falling leaf and newly emerged fungi before they all vanish for another year. So when two friends suggested in August that the three of us take a random Monday in October off work to go for a hike, I had to say yes. I was even prepared with a suggestion for the trail, Iron Goat to Wellington Ghost Town. I’d hiked the trail once before in October and remembered an easy hike along a spooky abandoned railroad corridor, framed by blazing maples.
Read moreLife: Week 38
Fall is my absolute favorite season for hiking. I know I've said it before, but right now it feels especially true. This year, it may be in part due to the fact that it took most of the summer for me to feel comfortable venturing much beyond my own backyard. As though the Cascades were conspiring to lure me back the their fir scented embrace, the condions this weekend were my absolute ideal for an early fall hike. Even the drive to meet my Alpine Trails Book Club friends at the trailhead was stunning, with low swirling clouds and vibrant fall color. I even surprised myself, managing to both hike all the full length of our roughly 6-8 mile hike (no one’s distance tracking device seemed to agree once we were back at the trailhead). Happily I also had plenty of time to pick enough of the tiny but oh-so-sweet alpine blueberries that lined the trail to fill the Nalgene bottle I brought specifically for that purpose. Those now wait in my freezer as a treat for those long winter days when I need a reminder of sunny days in the mountains.
Read moreLife: Week 34
After months of anticipation, I have finally tasted the first of my homegrown tomatoes! It started with just a couple each day (all of which I immediately ate) but by midweek, I was harvesting enough cherry tomatoes to make for a delicious pizza. Amazingly, my first tomato harvest wasn't even the high point of the week. I took a couple of much needed days off work, and with the opportunity to hike while avoiding weekend crowds, I met up with a friend to revisit the Dirty Harry's Balcony trail where Andy and I did trail work back in 2017. On a August weekend in a typical year, this hike would probably have felt entirely unremarkable, but this year is far from typical, allowing me to see the magic of the young forest. The fresh earthy scent of the trees energized me, and the soft bed of pine needles muted my steps as our small group climbed up the trail. I pointed out a few spots along the trail I remembered working on in 2017, excited to recognize them so easily. We took our time, hiking at an easy pace to save our breath for conversation, catching up on all that had changed in our lives since we'd last seen each other. It was a short outing, but also perfectly rejuvenating.
Read moreLife: Week 22
Having lived in Washington for decades, I’ve come to expect mostly grey skies and drizzle up until the Fourth of July. Some might call it gloomy weather, but I find it comforting - perfect weather for soup, sweaters, and wool socks. As a rule, I plan for overcast weather over Memorial Day - the holiday that marks the start of summer in many other places. Over the past few years’ the chilly spring weather I’ve come to rely on has gradually vanished into an ever-expanding summer, and this year was no exception. Both Memorial Day and the week that followed were decidedly summery, with mostly sunshine and temperatures in the 70s. While the early end to the rainy season makes me worry that we’ll have a hot, dry, and smoky season to come, for the moment the mild weather has been much appreciated.
Read moreLife: Week 49
While I loved our non-traditional Christmas tree last year, I’m so glad that this year, Andy and I once again had time for our annual Christmas Tree Hunt! It’s one of the few holiday traditions that Andy enjoys, and even with him working crazy amounts of overtime, he was able to make time for our snowy expedition. While it had dumped snow in the mountains after Thanksgiving, it hadn't really snowed much since, so Andy and I weren't sure what to expect. It turned out that the snow along Smithbrook Road was so well packed that we didn't even need snowshoes. Our tree hunt was much quicker than usual, even with Andy's stepsister's young kids in the group, because it turns out it's much easier to pick a tree when you don't have to shake off tons of wet snow off multiple trees to find the right one! After we all had our trees securely tied down for the trip home, we headed just a little further east for lunch at the newly reopened 59er Diner. After hauling our tree home, getting it into the stand proved more of a challenge than we’d expected, since our tree was a good foot too tall! After some careful trimming, we managed to get the tree in place, and made a careful note for the future that with 1-2 feet of snow on the ground, any tree taller than me should be avoided!
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