Between my busy work schedule and the nearly constant rain this week, I only managed to make it outside a few times. Thankfully with the gorgeous fall foliage coloring all the trees of Redmond, it doesn't take much time outdoors for me to feel completely content. I wish I had more time to get out to enjoy the constantly changing leaves in the area, since the scenery can change dramatically in a day this time of year. One day this week, driving to the store to get lunch, I drove past some vivid rust-colored trees and thought about stopping to take a few photos, but didn't have the time. Two days later, when I drove by again, the branches were completely bare of that beautiful foliage. I may not have a photo, but at least I had the chance to see those beautiful trees! Before I know it all the leaves will have tumbled from their branches and we'll be well into the darkness winter!
Read moreGreenwater Lake - Lost Lake
With all the hiking Andy and I did over the summer, I've hardly had time to edit the photos I've taken, let alone write posts. Thankfully, now that fall and rainy weekends have arrived, I finally have some time to catch up, starting with a lovely, laid back weekend we spent at Greenwater Lakes and Lost Lake in late July. The six mile trail is gentle for the first two miles until you reach the second Greenwater Lake. Over these first two miles, we passed many families with young kids out for a short, easy backpacking trip. There was a bit of added excitement at the first stream crossing, where the log bridge has been damaged by winter storms. Even though the bridge was tilting rather awkwardly, it was clearly the safest option for crossing Greenwater River, and we managed to make it across without incident. I read that two weeks after our hike, the Washington Trails Association took a work crew to reset the bridge, which would have been an impressive feat to watch, or better yet, participate in!
Read moreLife: Week 39
Work is getting increasingly hectic as the holiday season approaches. It breaks my heart a little to feel too busy to enjoy my favorite season, so lately it feels like I'm living for the weekend. This weekend, that meant visiting one of my favorite mountains: Mt Baker! We managed to get to the trailhead at a reasonable hour, so we had plenty of time to take in the up-close view of the mountain from the Park Butte lookout. It was my first time hiking on the south side of Mt Baker, and even though the clouds never quite cleared from the mountain, it was a wonderful area, one I'd like to explore more! Andy really hates getting up early, but it was definitely worth it this time. We were able to enjoy our day, stopping for (probably too many) photos of the gorgeous fall foliage and to stuff our faces with the tastiest wild blueberries. To balance things out, we did sleep in the day before, spending a lazy Saturday eating a decadent breakfast of our version of huevos rancheros: homemade ranchero sauce and fried eggs on top of a black bean quesadilla. Afterwards, we lounged around the apartment for a few hours before dragging ourselves out to squeeze in a few errands. With how busy my work schedule is lately, I'm really enjoying these quieter fall weekends.
Read moreLife: Week 38
Now that it's officially autumn, I keep expecting cold rainy weather, but over the past several days it has felt like summer is having a brief revival. The pressure is back on to get outside and make the most of sunny weekends while they last! With that in mind, this past Saturday we headed for Melakwa Lake. Unfortunately, we got a very late start, which meant parking over a quarter mile from the trail and having hardly any time to relax at the lake. However, our late start meant we had some beautiful late afternoon light once we reached the lake. Andy really had to push me to leave the lake, since I kept stopping for "just one more photo!" I was extremely envious of the couple that reached the lake shortly after us with plans to spend the night. Andy and I both agreed we'd like to come back to camp in one of the rather impressive sites we found while exploring the area.
Read moreFall Fun: 2016
Somehow today is the first day of fall! It's certainly felt more like fall than summer over the past weeks, but September has been absolutely flying by. Since my lovely vacation at the beginning of the month, I've hardly had time to get outside and appreciate the changing of seasons. After the jam-packed summer I've had, I'm certainly looking forward to a quieter fall. I recently read this lovely post about why Seattle natives welcome fall so enthusiastically, and I couldn't agree with the sentiment more. This summer in particular, any weekend I wasn't out hiking, I felt guilty - as if I were squandering the limited summer days. Now that temperatures are cooler and it's raining more often, I'll be happy to have a little more free time for last minute plans with friends and family, as well as quiet rainy Sundays at home curled up by a fire with a good book. Keep reading for few other things I'm looking forward to doing this fall!
Forage for one of my favorites fall foods: chanterelles, elderberries, or wild blueberries
Try a new soup recipe. Maybe something entirely new, or just a new version of an old favorite!
Get a head start on all my Christmas knitting so I'll have time to make a new sweater for myself! If I can ever manage to choose between this one and this one...
Continue a new favorite tradition by going on another larch hike.
Get outside for lunch or after work at least 3 days a week. As easy as it is to forget about it, I need that time outdoors!
Bake a pie for no particular occasion and invite friends over to help eat it!
Get caught up blogging about all the hiking we did this summer. I've got at least three trips to share!
Take a break from all the tempting new releases, and read one of the books that's been on my to-read list for years. Perhaps this one or this one...
Grilled cheese sandwiches cooked over a campfire were one of my favorite meals all summer
This little tent saw more use this summer than it has in the past 5 years combined!
If you're curious, here's how I fared on my summer list:
Sleep outside at least once a month. Between one car camping trip and three backpacking trips, I definitely had this one covered!
Take a random weekday off work to hike a popular trail I'd never consider visiting on a weekend. Sadly, I never got around to this. There's always next summer though!
Summit a mountain. Thanks to Alpine Trails Book Club, I summited Sauk Mountain this July.
Just like last summer: Spend time adventuring outdoors with both my nieces! No grand adventures, but I was able to get in some quality time outside with both nieces!
Learn a new practical skill: backcountry first aid, avalanche safety and the use of an ice axe, or navigation. I studied up on backcountry navigation. Now I just need to get some practice using that new knowledge!
Go crabbing, and enjoy the fresh caught crab immediately! The boat on Whidbey was not fully operational this summer, so we never got the chance for crabbing.
Try my hand at making my own freeze dried backpacking meals. I made a cous cous dinner and oatmeal packets and they both turned out great!
Eat at least one meal cooked over a campfire. Car camping provided plenty of opportunites for this!
