• Home
    • hiking
    • Travel
  • life
    • About
    • Hike Recaps
  • Photos
  • About Me
Menu

tiny pines

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number

Your Custom Text Here

tiny pines

  • Home
  • adventures
    • hiking
    • Travel
  • life
  • Alpine Trails Book Club
    • About
    • Hike Recaps
  • Photos
  • About Me

Life: Week 30

August 9, 2020 Laura Norsen
processed_2020-07-29 07.38.37 1.jpg

Among the many things I’ve missed during this pandemic, trails are top of the list. While there hasn't really been any point over all the various closures and stay-home orders that I haven’t had at least some option for hiking, I just haven't felt comfortable with the risk of being around the large numbers of other people likely to be out on my favorite trails. Thankfully, as time as passed and we've learned more about how Covid-19 is and isn't spread, the growing consensus seems to be that the risk of spreading the virus is reduced outdoors. Armed with that knowledge - and not one but two options for face coverings! - I finally felt comfortable joining a small group of my Alpine Trails Book Club friends for an absolutely glorious hike. We met up at Ebey's Landing, a trail I've hiked many times. After so much time away, it felt like I was seeing the trail with new eyes and the combination of sun, ocean breezes, flowers, and the company of some of my favorite people was just what I needed.

Read more
In week 30, 2020 Tags puget sound, book club, hiking, beach, summer, life, whidbey
Comment

Lime Kiln State Park

July 1, 2019 Laura Norsen
IMG_6022.jpg

Back in April, when life was hectic and exhausting, Alpine Trails Book Club provided the perfect escape for me in the form of a weekend spent camping on San Juan Island. Our April book selection had been The Light Between Oceans, a heartbreaking and beautiful tale of a lighthouse keeper and his wife who find an infant washed up on their remote island off the coast of Australia, then struggle with the fallout of their unofficial adoption of the girl. Obviously after reading of life on a remote and rugged island whose only structure was the light, we couldn’t leave the island without a hike to one of two lighthouses on San Juan.

Read more
In 2019, hiking Tags san juans, spring, lighthouse, puget sound, alpine trails book club
Comment

Life: Week 17

May 16, 2019 Laura Norsen
upload.jpg

After an exhausting, travel-filled start to the month, April has wrapped up on a high note! Since my sister-in-law was still in town, I was able to celebrate my birthday with both her and my husband over macarons, cocktails, and a delicious dinner in Kirkland. It was otherwise a mostly uneventful week, with most of my time outside work spent prepping for the month's book club outing - a weekend of camping on San Juan Island! After a week of typical spring weather - aka sun, rain, warm, cold - I was a little worried about the conditions we'd be camping in, especially since I discovered dozens of holes in my camping tarp on my last trip and hadn't yet replaced it! Things looked even more iffy when I found myself caught in a hailstorm as I was packing up my car to leave Saturday morning! Thankfully, we didn't see a single drop of rain all weekend. I even managed to soak up enough sunshine to get a sunburnt face! It was a weekend of books, laughter and relaxation. We hiked to a lighthouse, stopped by a farmer’s market, and discovered an alpaca farm with award-winning alpacas where I couldn’t resist picking up a skein of the softest yarn with a photo of the alpaca the wool was shorn from. And to top it all off, my wonderful friend Ashley surprised me with a birthday cake while we enjoyed a sunset from the campground!

Read more
In 2019, life, week 17 Tags puget sound, powerline trail, spring, san juans, camping
Comment

Rosario Beach & Lighthouse Point

May 7, 2019 Laura Norsen
IMG_5800.jpg

Deception Pass is one of my favorite places for winter and early spring hiking, and after weeks of snow in early February, the snow-free trail to Lighthouse Point was a truly welcome sight. As our group gathered at the trailhead on a chilly morning under slate grey skies, I found myself immediately regretting not bringing my puffy down jacket. It may not have been snowy, but it was still cold! Thankfully the faint, sporadic sunlight that struggled through the clouds was enough to warm me once we got moving. Between the rugged views and rambling conversation, any lingering chill was quickly forgotten.

Read more
In 2019, hiking Tags whidbey, deception pass, puget sound, alpine trails book club, winter
Comment

Life: Week 8

March 17, 2019 Laura Norsen
upload.jpg

After another week of mucky snow that just won’t go away, I didn’t venture far from home. My week was mostly work and knitting, although I did manage to get out for a lovely lunch with my mom and niece that gave me a much needed mid-week sanity break! By the weekend, I was beyond happy that my March Alpine Trails Book Club outing finally provided the perfect opportunity to to get outside. It may have been cold and overcast for most of the day, but we had a snow free hike, and even saw a few brief bursts of sunshine! It still felt like February, but the passing moments of warm sun on my face gave me hope that spring is still on the way.

Read more
In 2019, life, week 8 Tags winter, whidbey, puget sound, alpine trails book club, hiking, beach
Comment
Older Posts →

About me

51174846_588023631765_48341394514771968_n.jpg

Hi there! I'm Laura, and I'm an alpine addict. When I'm not out on the trail, I'm most likely at home snuggled up with my cat and a good book.



latest instagram

Even the avalanche lilies can't help staring at lovely Lady Tahoma!
Think cold thoughts... 🌨️🌬️❄️ 108° outside and 91° inside my house has me dreaming of foggy alpine lakes, icy glacial waterfalls, and snowy lowland  paths. #melting #pnw #summer #sheexplores #washington #vscocam
Perks of volunteering with @washingtontrails - sometimes you get a view like this just above where you parked your car. Plus there are candy breaks! #nationaltrailsday
Weeding isn't so bad with such good company! Moments later, this little guy paused to rest on my hand. #inmygarden #pnw #pnwlife
Quintessential Puget Sound view 😍
This place is always lovely, but this time of year is when it truly shines. I feel like I say this about every season, but spring is my favorite!
I accidentally wrote a poem on today's #alpinetrailsbookclub hike. Trees, moss stumps, ferns, rocks, muck, and rain, rain, rain.

It was a soggy one, but lovely nonetheless.
Trees festooned in green, even in the dead of winter. 💚
The spooky vibe of the trails around the summit of Squak Mountain speaks to the dark & spooky part of my soul. 🖤 Also, this short (cold, rainy, super hygge) hike with a wonderful friend was exactly what I needed to kick myself out of my 2020 glo
I wonder - are they called licorice ferns because they taste of licorice? Important questions.

latest hikes

Featured
Iron Goat - Wellington Ghost Town
Oct 25, 2021
Iron Goat - Wellington Ghost Town
Oct 25, 2021
Oct 25, 2021
Lime Kiln State Park
Jul 1, 2019
Lime Kiln State Park
Jul 1, 2019
Jul 1, 2019
Lime Kiln
Jun 16, 2019
Lime Kiln
Jun 16, 2019
Jun 16, 2019

Archive

Select Month
  • October 2021 1
  • December 2020 1
  • November 2020 4
  • October 2020 3
  • September 2020 4
  • August 2020 3
  • July 2020 2
  • July 2019 3
  • June 2019 5
  • May 2019 5
  • April 2019 5
  • March 2019 4
  • February 2019 4
  • January 2019 5
  • December 2018 3
  • November 2018 4
  • October 2018 5
  • September 2018 5
  • August 2018 6
  • July 2018 7
  • June 2018 4
  • May 2018 6
  • April 2018 5
  • March 2018 4
  • February 2018 5
  • January 2018 5
  • December 2017 5
  • November 2017 5
  • October 2017 6
  • September 2017 5
  • August 2017 4
  • July 2017 5
  • June 2017 6
  • May 2017 6
  • April 2017 5
  • March 2017 6
  • February 2017 4
  • January 2017 8
  • December 2016 4
  • November 2016 6
  • October 2016 6
  • September 2016 5
  • August 2016 6
  • July 2016 5
  • June 2016 6
  • May 2016 7
  • April 2016 4
  • March 2016 7
  • February 2016 6
  • January 2016 7
  • December 2015 5
  • November 2015 5
  • October 2015 7
  • September 2015 3
  • August 2015 3
  • July 2015 2
  • June 2015 6

blogs i read
 

alpine lily
pacific northwest seasons
trail snail
a day without rain
happiest outdoors
every two pines
smitten kitchen
my name is yeh
posie gets cozy
hei astrid
deep red blues

590 Tahoe Keys Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150