This week was busy with planning and preparation for the January meeting of the Alpine Trails Book Club. We were spending a long weekend at my parents cabin up in the mountains, so every night was spent making large batches of soups and sauces to freeze in preparation for our weekend. After all the busy preparation, arriving at the peaceful cabin was a relief. Friday, we spent a quiet evening watching movies while snow fell outside. Saturday morning, we woke up to several inches of new snow, just enough to decorate the trees and hide our tracks from the hike in. By the afternoon, our group expanded with the addition of Ashley and her little one. After some snowy exploration around the cabin, we settled in for another quiet night of card games and puzzles. We ended the weekend with our perfectly hygge January Alpine Trails Book Club hike, which I'll be sharing soon!
Read moreLife: Week 47
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.
Read moreLife: Week 39
I'm happy to report that fall has most definitely arrived! While we had one suspiciously summery day this week, I think (hope!) we've left our days of 80+ temperatures behind for the year. The trees in our apartment complex are some of the first to turn a vibrant gold and lose their leaves every fall and I've started to see them as an indicator that fall has arrived. Soon they'll be bare, but for these few weeks, on sunny afternoons their color reminds me a little of my beloved alpine larches.
Read moreLife: Week 17
After a lovely weekend spent on Whidbey Island, Monday morning, we had to pack up and head home. I always find it hard to leave Whidbey, but it's especially difficult when the sun is shining. After a stormy weekend, we the island sent us off with beautiful weather, so before heading home, we stopped for lunch on the patio of one of our favorite cafes on the island. By Monday night, back at home, it was once again raining.
I think at this point in our excessively soggy winter and spring, even those who love the rain are over it. Not me though! While I'm not happy about the amount of snow that's left in the Cascades, that will continue to linger well into summer, I'm loving all this wet weather! I always sleep better with the sound of a good storm as my lullaby, and all this wet weather has been keeping crowds down on trails! I've been on several hikes this year on popular trails I expected to be packed with other hikers, only to find peaceful, uncrowded trails. On our hike to Barclay Lake this past Saturday, we saw only a few people. It was chilly and overcast, but still it was a surprise to have such a popular trail mostly to ourselves.
Read moreLife: Week 8
This week started with warm weather and a constantly changing mix of rain and sunshine. There were tiny signs of spring beginning to poke out into the warmth and light. The snowdrops in my parent's front yard are in full bloom, and many other bulbs will follow with their blooms soon! I love this time of year, when new greenery appears nearly every day. I know soon enough my impatience for long summer days of hiking in the mountains will make me tire of spring, but for now I'll continue to be on high alert for every sign of spring.
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