Return to Paradise

I am happy to report that snowshoeing at Paradise on Mount Rainier 

has become a winter tradition. 

I can say that since it's been two years in a row, right? 

Joe and I took advantage of a sunny last day of February. 

We were among the first to arrive and the only snowshoers 

so we felt like we had the mountain all to ourselves.  

  

Similar to last year, it was incredibly windy. 

You can see in the photos above how the snow had been sculpted by the wind.

Our faces were numb but it was worth it. 

Due to a mild winter in the PNW, this was my only snow experience this year. 

I'm glad we made the trek. Paradise is a beautiful place! 

Bandera Mountain

Summer is in full force here in Seattle. 
Kate and I chose to brave temperatures in the upper 80's to 
hike Bandera Mountain on a gorgeous, clear Monday. 
I only have photos from my phone, so pardon the lack of quality. 

Once we reached the steep meadow area the bear grass was phenomenal. 

We also saw plenty of paintbrush, lupine, and many other 

wildflowers I don't know the names of. 

Rainier was beautiful and once we hit Little Bandera 

we could see more of the jagged Cascade profile that I love. 

We had a short snack break at the summit before heading down. 
The bugs were BAD. We borrowed DEET from the two other 
hikers we saw on the way up. Too bad I already had several bites 
including a horse fly bite on my knee swollen to half-dollar size. 

It was an excellent hike which I would totally do again. 
Thanks, Kate, for joining me! 
Next time, bug repellent. 

Snowshoe Paradise

I'm going to pretend like it hasn't been nearly five months 

since the last time I posted here and just jump back in, ok? 

The first Saturday in January happened to be gorgeous, 
so Joe and I drove to Mount Rainier for a day in the snow. 
We hiked around Paradise in the glorious sunshine. 
The wind was crazy and caused some amazing little blizzards. 
One of my gloves blew off a ledge and was long gone in seconds.  

I'm so happy we were able to enjoy this beautiful day on the mountain. 
I'll try to be back before another few months pass by. 

Rainier Hiking: Fremont Lookout

I'm back to share my second July weekend... 

Joe and I have had Rainier on our hiking to do list 
and the forecast for the 13th was looking pretty perfect.  
I have snowshoed from Paradise but this was my first time 
hiking Rainier in the summer and my first time at the Sunrise area. 
I was amazed at the views as soon as we hit the parking lot 
and they only got better... 

We intended to hike to Burroughs Mountain but as soon as 

we got out of the car the ranger asked where we were headed 

and strongly recommended against it as we didn't have ice axes. 

Apparently just having an ice axe means you can handle anything... 

We were stubborn and decided to see how far we could get. 

Turns out the sheet of icy snow on a steep slope (see above) 

with nothing but sharp rocks below was a little much. 

Everyone ahead of us had turned back 

and we decided to play it safe and join them. 

So we headed out to Fremont Lookout instead. 

The hike was pretty easy and there were views the entire time. 
The wildflowers were going crazy - tons of lupine, paintbrush, 
western anemone, glacier lily, and carpets of phlox. 
We were glad we started early because by the time 
we turned around the trail was packed. There was also 
an incredibly long line just to get into the park as we were leaving. 

We will definitely be heading back to rainier to hike Burroughs and 
hopefully to hike some trails from Paradise as well. 
I feel so lucky to live close to such amazing places. 

Methow ValleyWeekend

Last weekend Joe and I spent two nights at Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop. 

 It was sooooo nice to get away for a few days! 

 Our room at the lodge was incredible. 

When we walked in there was classical music playing 

(I couldn't stop giggling) and a gorgeous unobstructed view 

of the valley out of one side of the room. 

There was a little sitting area with a gas fireplace 

and a deck with chairs outside. There were was also a jacuzzi tub 

with shutters that opened up to enjoy the view. 

One of the nicest rooms I've ever stayed in! 

We had dinner at the lodge and took a walk around one of the many trails. 

Then we enjoyed the cozy robes and some champagne 

with a fire while enjoying the view! It was so, so nice. Wow. 

The next day we hiked up Patterson Mountain from the lodge. 

It was a hot hike so I was glad for the clouds. 

Plus they added to our view from the top!

That night we had a wonderful dinner in Winthrop at Arrowleaf Bistro 

complete with chocolate mousse for dessert 

and some really good wine from Chelan. 

We spent a lot of time in the car enjoying the scenery 

and stopped for cherries on the way home. 

I can never get enough time with Joe so weekends like this 

are my favorites. Especially in such a gorgeous place! 

Bridal Veil Falls

We had a good two weeks of gorgeous sunny weather this May. 
I have been spending time outside and away from my computer. 
Last weekend Joe and I headed for a hike. 
Along with everyone else in Seattle according to the parking lot. 
We managed to find a spot at the Lake Serene trailhead 
and headed up to Bridal Veil Falls. 

It wasn't a very long hike but it felt great to be out on such a gorgeous day. 
I am sad to say that was my first hike this spring. 
I hope to get out much more frequently now that the weather is improving! 

Flashback: Enchantments

I have to call this a "flashback" post because these photos are from August. 

In fact, "Flashback Friday" will be happening for the next few weeks. 

Things got so busy I never had time to blog these photos, 

but they are some of my favorite memories and need to be recorded. 

(image source)

Jason and I have entered the Enchantment lottery for two years, 

and this year he finally got us a permit. 

So at the end of August we set out with Michael and Katie 

for two nights in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness... 

We hiked up to Snow Lake and set up camp. 

We re-hydrated some lentil soup for dinner and enjoyed 

some canned IPA that was worth the extra weight in our packs. 

We looked over toward Aasgard Pass  

and got some sleep before the next day's climb.  

 We began by hiking around the lake, 

which required climbing across massive boulders. 

Just a few days before, a woman had to be helicoptered out 

after falling here and suffering a head laceration. 

 We made it through and looked up at Aasgard Pass... 

It doesn't look so bad from here. 

Looks can be deceiving. 

We took frequent breaks and watched 

as the lake appeared to get smaller and smaller. 

It took hours and lots of snacks to make it to the top. 

 When we did finally reach the top we entered a completely different world. 

 We filled our water bottles in the 

cold clear streams that connected the lakes. 

And we feasted on carrots, hummus, and cheese. 

 Here we are! 

 Our original plan was to continue up Little Annapurna, seen above. 

We were running out of daylight and had to cancel that plan.  

 We still had some time to explore the Upper Lakes. 

And throw some snowballs. 

And of course take a million photos. 

 Going down Aasgard Pass was as hard as going up. 

People have died from falls here. 

You can see how tiny Colchuck Lake looks from here. 

 People have also died from mountain goat attacks. 

This one decided it would be fun to follow me.  

We made it down as the sun was setting, 

and it was dark by the time we reached our campsite. 

We hiked back out the next day 

blistered, bruised, and aching. 

It was an epic three days that I will never forget. 

Best backpacking trip ever.