After an exhausting and hectic fall season at work, having four days off work for the holiday was absolutely blissful! There was plenty of time for catching up with family and friends, and enough leftover over for some much needed relaxation! For the first time, I also had the opportunity to get out for a hike on Black Friday. Since Andy was working, and there's already plenty of snow in the mountains, a short hike up Gold Creek Basin near my parents cabin seemed like the perfect option for a short outing.

I got a surprise when I found much more snow than I'd expected, enough that I couldn't to make it to my parents cabin - or even turn around - without clearing the road of snow! Instead of a hike, I spent my morning shoveling snow to clear a route to and from the cabin. Thankfully another family had come up for the weekend, so I had  some help and good company while I worked. After a quick lunch with my parents at their cabin, there was still time for a short walk around the nearby pond before I had to head home. With all the snow in the mountains, and the vibrant leaves all but vanished from the trees, it feels like fall has officially left us behind in the PNW. Now I just need some snow for it to feel like winter is truly here!