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2016 in Hikes

January 2, 2017 Laura Norsen
Breathtaking views from the Sauk Mountain trail on a cloudless July day!

Breathtaking views from the Sauk Mountain trail on a cloudless July day!

2016 turned out to be a great year for hiking, even if Andy and I had to cancel plans for the hike I was most looking forward to! We covered a lot of trail this year, and spent more time camping and backpacking in one year than we have since we started dating! We also volunteered for our first trail work party with Washington Trails Association, and I joined the Alpine Trails Book Club, which combines hiking with another of my favorite pastimes - reading. 2017 is already off to a good start, but some of the adventures we had in 2016 will be hard to beat!

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In life, 2016 Tags hiking
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Life: Week 51

December 28, 2016 Laura Norsen
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The week of Christmas is always so busy! All the time spent with family, baking loaves and loaves of pulla, the last minute scramble to finish all my knit projects before Christmas. I'm still wrapping up some last minute projects for the final gift exchange we'll have over New Year's weekend, but after months of knitting, it's wonderful to start passing my knits along to the recipients. The sweater I knit as a surprise for my niece, based on a favorite sweater of mine and my sister's turned out perfectly - a relief, since it was the first improvised sweater I'd ever made! My mom and sister both loved it, and it matched the original almost perfectly! It's dark so early these days, but light takes other forms in December - whether it be stunning winter sunsets, twinkling Christmas lights, or neon signs lighting shops in the city. During the shortest days of the year, these glimmers of light keep me sane!

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In life, 2016, week 51 Tags winter, holidays, knitting
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Life: Week 50

December 21, 2016 Laura Norsen
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Now that work has (finally!) slowed down for the holidays, I've had more time for mid-day walks and evening baking sessions. It's continued to be cold and overcast, but sadly there's been no more snow around home since the dusting I missed last week. It's been years since we last had a good snow around here, and now that I'm working from home, I wouldn't mind a few snowy days one bit! Luckily, we had plans to spend a lovely weekend in snowy Bellingham visiting friends who recently moved north. I'd thought it had been cold at home, but when we got into town Friday evening we discovered we were terribly under-dressed for the 18° temperatures! We didn't have to suffer too long, since there wasn't much walking to do, but the cold was certainly a shock! Saturday morning, we had a delicious brunch followed by a peaceful walk around Lake Whatcom. After a few hours relaxing at our friends hours, we spent the evening bar hopping in the city. Andy and I have become major homebodies since the summer, and it was a nice change of pace to get out so much. 

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In life, 2016, 2015, week 50 Tags bellingham, winter, food, lakes
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Life: Week 49

December 13, 2016 Laura Norsen
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It may still technically be fall, but it's certainly feeling like winter! Lately, most days we've had frost that lingers well into the afternoon. We even had snow at home on Thursday, although I was in Oakland for work at the time. It was a busy trip with very little time for sightseeing, but I did manage to find time for coffee at my favorite Oakland coffee roaster. After spending most of the week away from home, I was looking forward to getting home early enough to have time to unwind from the trip before bed. Unfortunately, my flight was delayed for over 3 hours for no obvious reason. It was beyond frustrating to have end up stuck at the airport for such a long time. Thankfully I had a good book with me, and after getting some dinner - a long with a very large drink - I found a quiet place to read while waiting for my flight to finally leave. 

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In life, 2016, week 49 Tags winter, snowshoe, california, travel
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Life: Week 48

December 6, 2016 Laura Norsen
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It gets dark so early these days. Somehow work has managed to stay busy, even though we should be well into our holiday season lull, so I've mostly been cooped up inside, especially during daylight hours. To compensate for all the darkness, I've been burning lots of candles, and even finally got around to using the pretty glass oil lamps we inherited from Andy's grandparents. I had my annual holiday craft party on Sunday, where I get together with friends to watch Christmas movies and work on our various craft projects. That meant spending most of Saturday baking and cleaning in preparation. I baked cookies, the Winning Hearts and Minds cake, and my favorite - pulla. Pulla is a Finnish cardamom bread that my family has had every year at Christmas for as long as I can remember.  Instead of cookies for Santa, my sister and I would leave a plate of pulla. Last year, I didn't have the time to make pulla at all, so I'm enjoying it even more this year! I might even have time to make another batch before Christmas!

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In life, 2016, week 48 Tags winter, food, baking, holidays
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About me

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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

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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

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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