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 moreLife: Week 11
After a week of warm, sunny weather, Andy and I had hopes that one of our favorite nearby trails would be snow free and showing signs of spring. Saturday morning, we headed out for a hike, and were discouraged to see snow lingering in all the shady places as we neared the trailhead. Even worse, when we parked, the microspikes that I would have sworn had spent the entire winter in our car were nowhere to be found! Still, hoping the traction of our hiking boots would be sufficient we decided to attempt the trail. Sadly, about halfway up the trail, the well packed snow had turned to ice and with a narrow trail and steep slope, we decided to turn back, opting instead for a lunch and some beer back in Redmond where we had a better chance of pretending winter was over!
Short Sunday hike with my sister and nieces!
The cutest little hiker!
Life: Week 10
This week was a constant battle between the end of winter and the arrival of spring. Even though our local weather guru had said it was extremely unlikely, we once again saw lowland snow. While it thankfully didn’t stick around for long this time, it felt like another setback in progress toward spring. Happily, on a weekend walk through the Redmond Watershed, we found sunshine and a few green things peeking up around the still melting snow. Even if all the branches are still bare, there’s nothing like a walk among old, mossy trees for a dose of green. Here’s hoping for more sunshine to melt out all the lingering snow and kick start some new growth!
Read moreLife: Week 9
Around this time of year, when it feels like spring may never come, Whidbey Island always makes for the perfect escape. I’ve had a serious case of late winter gloom lately, so since Andy and I had our first entirely free weekend of the year, it was an easy decision to head to Whidbey. Happily, while the temperatures were still decidedly wintry, we found sunshine and even a few early spring blooms! It was miraculously warm enough that on Saturday night, I was able to sit outside with my glass of wine to enjoy the sunset - wearing a heavy wool sweater of course! Spring may still feel a long way off, but even a few hours soaking up some sunshine will do wonders to tide me over until we’ve left winter behind.
Read moreLife: Week 8
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.
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