For the second year in a row - third if you count the year nobody came - our January Alpine Trails Book Club outing involved a snowshoe to Gold Creek Pond, followed by an afternoon of tea, snacks, and convivial conversation at my family cabin. Watching the forecast as the date approached, I worried that we’d have a repeat of last year’s epic snowstorm, making for lots of soggy gear and photos smudged and blurred by fat flakes. Happily, by the weekend all predictions of 7-8 inches of show on Sunday had vanished. Instead, our group of 15 set out under a low, dense blanket of familiar wintry grey, with not a glimpse of the surrounding mountains to be found.
Read moreLife: Week 48
After a year full of epic adventures with Alpine Trails Book Club, Ashley and I decided to end the year with a low-key get together, especially since December can be such a hectic month. Last fall, the two of us had spent a relaxing day walking through Seward Park, followed by brunch and some book browsing at the Seward Park Third Place Books, and we agreed that a repeat of that trip would be the perfect outing for our group. I gave my friend Ingunn a ride into the city, and as we waiting for the rest of the group to arrive, we were confused to find flowers blooming abundantly as if it were early May and not early December. We even spotted a few hummingbirds darting between the flowers. Even after the group arrived, we took our time swapping stories of recent travels and plans for the holidays before setting off on our short loop around the park. After our walk, there was still plenty to discuss over an absolutely delicious brunch before it was time to head home with a pile of new reading material. I can never resist picking up a least one new book when I’m in a local bookstore!
Read moreBagley Lakes
I think it’s safe to call the group of adventurous ladies who showed up on a brisk, damp morning are all pluviophiles. For the first time, our book club was joined by the author of our book for the month, and the clouds had descended to accompany author Maria Mudd Ruth on our hike. We’d originally planned a longer hike of the Chain Lakes loop, but as our group gathered at the Bagley Lakes trailhead, with icy wind blowing rain at us from every direction, we quickly made the decision to opt for a shorter loop around Bagley Lakes.
Read moreA Weekend in Paradise
For many years, Rainier has been a bit of a tease, tempting me from afar with her beauty on the rare crisp cloudless days of fall and winter then hiding behind a dense veil of cloud in the summer when I make the drive down to hike on her shoulder. This summer Lady Rainier broke the spell, and for two glorious days spent camping and hiking with the most wonderful group of Alpine Trails Book Club ladies for our Weekend in Paradise I basked in the mountain’s glory.
Read moreLife: Week 28
This week had some ups and downs. In the middle of the week, our kitty wound up spending a few days at the emergency vet with a bladder blockage. He's doing great now, but we had a stressful (and expensive) couple of days that almost led to me cancelling plans for a weekend camping at Mt Rainier for the Alpine Trails Book Club adventure. Thankfully Andy convinced me that a weekend away was just what I needed, and I'm so grateful he did. Instead of sulking at home, I spent a weekend in Paradise in the company of the most wonderful group of women. It's amazing to me that the combination of books and hiking seems to draw in such a diverse group of like-minded people. Over the weekend, I discovered many other passions I share with some or all of the ladies, and while discussing tea over breakfast, one woman mentioned she packs china teacups with her on hikes to up her backcountry tea drinking experience - something I'm totally going to copy! Somehow, we also managed to squeeze in three hikes over the course of our two days in the park, all of which were spectacular in their own unique way. I'll write more about the weekend soon, but it's certainly safe to say that Andy was right - the weekend was the perfect cure for several stressful days spent worrying about a sick pet!
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