In the past, I haven't had much luck with the weather when hiking in Mt Rainier National Park, always finding the summit of Rainier shrouded in clouds for the duration of my trip. On one particularly memorable trip, Andy and I were practically chased off the mountain by an unexpected summer lightning storm. Needless to say, when we left home to clear skies, with a cloudless view of Rainier in the distance, I was hopeful my luck had finally changed. Maybe the mountain would reveal herself for the Alpine Trails Book Club! When our group hit the trail from Sunrise at 9 AM it was under a cloudless sky, but soon drifts of cloud began to gather around the summit, partially obscuring our view of the mountain. Even with the mountain hidden by clouds, the bloom-scented alpine meadows and panorama of surrounding peaks made this spectacular hike a new favorite of mine.
Read moreLife: Week 27
I always enjoy a good 3-day work week, and with the 4th of July on a Tuesday this year, that's exactly what I wound up with! I spent many years working as a contractor, and never had paid holidays or vacation, so the idea that I can have a day (or two!) off without stressing about the extra hours I'll have to work later in the week or a diminished paycheck is still novel and exciting to me. Since I had Monday off in addition to Tuesday, I joined my dad for a hike to Mirror & Cottonwood Lakes, which turned out to be surprisingly quiet for a short hike off I-90 on a holiday weekend! I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoy hiking with my dad, since our trips always involve several hours of relaxing by a lake while he fishes, while I catch up on some reading and generally enjoy the peace of the mountains.
Read moreLife: Week 26
Summer is off to a sweltering start! Thankfully when it gets hot outside, our gloomy, dark apartment stays cool. Since I've started working from home, our cool apartment has saved my sanity. I do miss working in an office with huge windows overlooking Lake Washington and air conditioning to keep the place cool, but I'll certainly take a cool workspace with no views over a stuffy one with lots of windows. Who knows, maybe soon I'll even manage to start taking walks in the chilly hours before my work day begins. I keep talking about it, but the coziness of my bed is almost impossible to escape - especially when there's a cat around to snuggle my face!
Read moreLily & Lizard Lakes
I've already written a little about our recent night spent at Lizard Lakes, but the nocturnal drama aside, it was a great trip. While it was overcast and a little chilly as we left the trailhead, it wasn't raining - a first for us hiking this trail! I'd chosen the trail to Lily & Lizard Lakes for this trip for several reasons, but mostly I looked forward to exploring the network of trails more. I also hoped we'd get to enjoy a great sunset from nearby Oyster Dome! For a few years now, I've had a picture in my head of a dreamy solstice backpacking trip, with long days to explore a rocky alpine wonderland and a phenomenal sunset. With so much snow still left in the mountains, an alpine adventure wasn't an option, but this seemed like an excellent alternative.
Read moreLife: Week 25
This was an interesting week. It started off cool and rainy, but by the weekend, the sun was blazing, and the temperature neared 100°! Spring ended with our typical June gloom, but having actual summer weather on the summer solstice was unexpected. Just in time for the weekend, I also caught some 24 hour bug, leaving me achy and congested and keeping me indoors for most of the weekend. By Sunday afternoon I was feeling back to myself, so we did manage to go for a long HOT walk in the watershed. With weather as hot as we've had over the past couple days, the blissful shade of wooded trails is what I crave. I'm definitely relieved the weather has cooled off for now. Hopefully we I luck out and we don't have too many more sweltering summer days this year. 75° is plenty warm for Seattle summers!
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