Second Beach Camping

A couple weekends ago I camped on the beach at Second Beach near La Push on the Washington coast. The weather was amazing and Second Beach spectacular. I explored tide pools, marveled at offshore sea stacks, saw gray whales at First Beach, enjoyed the sunshine, sat by the campfire roasting hot dogs, saw a shooting star, and fell asleep to the sound of the ocean just 15 paces away from my tent. On the way home, we stopped at Lake Crescent to look at a little slice of temperate rain forest. It was a great weekend, and despite having sand just about everywhere, camping on the beach is probably one of the coolest things I have done. Here are some photos...

Vitamin D Levels Return to Equilibrium

I hope all of my fellow Seattleites have been enjoying the sunshine. Though the weather is going to turn chilly again tomorrow - we've been enjoying sixty and seventy degree weather here in the great Northwest. It's absolutely glorious. Reliable sources on Wikipedia report that 20 minutes of UVB exposure can return vitamin D levels to equilibrium for people. So for my health and well-being, I spent the afternoon yesterday sitting in the sunshine at Gasworks park doing nothing except people watching and restoring my dangerously low vitamin D levels. Ahhhh sunshine. Raise your hand if you forgot how wonderful the warm sun feels!

Last weekend I also camped on the beach (yes, like 20 feet from the ocean) at Second Beach near La Push. More on that soon once the weather turns crappy again. For now, my free time will be spent outside. TTFN!

Pix from my Weekend

This weekend, I was lucky enough to attend the second Sounders game, in which they beat Real Salt Lake two to zero. Undefeated! Sunday turned out to be a beautiful day, and though my hiking plans were thwarted due to heavy mountain snowfall, I still got out to walk around Discovery Park and cruise Alki. Here are some pix from my weekend (in Seattle Times spirit, which often posts reader photos).

Cross Country Paradise

Over President's Day Weekend, I went to Sun Mountain Lodge in Eastern Washington with my family. As I have written previously, Sun Mountain is one of my favorite places. It is a cross country skiers playground and I always return home relaxed and rejuvenated.

Days at Sun Mountain consist of skiing the circuit of easy, medium, and expert trails around the lodge. Nights consist of reading, relaxing in the room's jetted tub, eating great food, and playing games. There is no television, Internet, and only spotty cell phone reception. It's the ultimate getaway.

Sun Mountain is in the Methow Valley (pronounced Mett-how) - known for it's dry weather and sunny days, making it perfect for cross country skiing. Some friends thing I'm weird that I enjoy XC skiing so much since it requires a lot of physical work for very little gain, unlike downhill which is all gain and hardly any work. But that's just what I love about it - you have to work for your reward and in the process you are exercising and getting winter wonderland views of the peaceful Methow Valley. It takes skill, endurance, stamina, and patience. And then when you do get to go down hill, you don't have to work hard - just step in the groomed tracks and propel yourself downhill.

I felt quite confident this ski trip - though I did fall once on the first night due to icy conditions and it being Friday the 13th and all. But I successfully skied some expert trails and reached a max speed of 20.6 miles per hour and skied over 30 miles (slow in comparison to downhill skiers I'm sure). On the final day of the trip, I tried snowshoeing for the first time as well. It was fun and also great exercise - not to mention I look super cool in my gators, snow shoes, and big bird ski jacket.

I was sad the trip was over so soon! And just one full day after returning, I was off to Portland for work. I'm back now and enjoying my first weekend at home for a few weeks.

Exploring Eastlake and Beyond

This past weekend and Martin Luther King, Jr. day were absolutely gorgeous in Seattle. It was clear, sunny, and crisp outside - great for walking. So Saturday and Monday I ventured out for some neighborhood exploring. On Monday I walked for nearly two and a half hours, up to Volunteer Park, over to a record shop on 15th (Sonic Boom for a much-needed CD), back over 520, over to Portage Bay, then past the University Bridge and along Lake Union.

There are some incredible early-1900s mansions tucked away on Capitol Hill sides streets - houses you can really only appreciate on a walk. Some have incredible ornate windows, others have detailed brick chimneys and siding, some have turrets, others have solariums, and most are just plain gigantic. Not to mention I found two new parks - one of which is a public beachfront along Lake Union, and the other a minuscule, secluded green patch with a bench looking straight towards the Montlake Cut. Capitol Hill is such a fun neighborhood to explore. The photo above I took from East Boston Street back in October - a great view of Lake Union and beyond.

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful

This morning around 5 AM I woke to intense rolling thunder. Thunder is pretty rare in Seattle, and even more rare considering we were expecting snow to start overnight. I have seen lightning during snow storms a few times - it is an impressive sight - the whole sky lights up like a million fireworks are going off in the thick white clouds.

I woke up later in the morning for work and lay in bed wondering if it had snowed, and if so, how much. My house is a block down from the freeway, so from my bedroom I can always hear the faint roar of cars. It never bothers me since it's such a dull, constant, unobtrusive sound. But this morning I heard nothing. Just muffled silence. Which was one clue it was snowing and snowing hard outside. Then a text from a friend arrived saying "snow snow snow!" That was my second clue so I closed my eyes and drifted back to blissful sleep.
When I actually dragged my body out of bed I immediately looked out the window and saw there was almost two inches of snow and fat flakes of goose down floating from the sky. It's over five hours later and the fluffy flakes are still coming down.
Seattle is both one of the best and absolute worst cities for snow. Since we so rarely get real snow storms, Seattle is totally unequipped - we have very few sanding trucks and plows to clear the streets. Not to mention a lot of inexperienced drivers when it comes to snow and ice (myself included). Add in steep, treacherous hills, it can be a recipe for disaster and chaos. Yet largely as a result of these reasons, as a born and raised Seattleite, I can't help but love the snow.

The holly tree in my yard - it looks so Christmasy with snow!

Almost every instance of a snow storm during in my elementary and high school days meant no school. It meant sleeping in, playing for hours in the snow, snow angels and snowball fights, no homework, eating maple syrup with snow, drinking hot cocoa, and passing out long before my bedtime from sheer exhaustion and excitement. The city shuts down during snow, which means you have to forgo previously made plans and maybe use some vacation leave. But the snow is so beautiful that it's hard to stay mad for long - today I have resigned myself to the snow even though my office Christmas party was rescheduled and I probably won't see my friends tonight. It's hard to be unhappy when the world looks so clean and wintry and peaceful. And, this snow is perfect snowball snow. So... as long as there's no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let is snow!

My Subaru trying to blend in with its surroundings.

Let it Snow! Seriously...

I will say also that Mother Nature seems to be making up for lost time. She was unbelievable easy on us Seattleites this fall with dry, warm weather. But now the National Weather Service says in a special weather statement: "be prepared for an unusually prolonged and intense period of cold winter weather" - which means for the mountains...... SNOW! Good news for all of us winter sports people, finally!

Color Wheel

This fall in Seattle has been absolutely gorgeous, up until just yesterday. The sun has been shining most days, and the temperature often hits low-sixties during the day. At work we played a three-on-three basketball game at a nearby court and were sweaty from the sun and warmth. I've read that fall leaf color is maximized by warm, sunny days and cool nights in late summer and early fall. This year's weather likely contributed to the incredible colors seen around the Northwest. The trees below line the streets of the business park center where I work - it makes driving to work quite enjoyable every morning.

My To-Do List

By writing this down and sharing with others, hopefully I'll encourage myself to complete the list below. Below is my to-do list for the coming months. Winter can be a depressing time in the dreary Northwest, so here is a list to keep me motivated, active, in shape, avoid any symptoms of seasonal affective disorder, and keep off that holiday pudge. Some on the list like biking and running are not always feasible in Seattle winter, but I will try my best. Wish me luck!

• Get comfortable riding my bike on the street and getting around Seattle that way.
• Try mountain biking.
• Learn to drive confidently in the snow so I can go cross country skiing anytime I want this winter.
• Start regularly hitting the gigantic set of stairs by my house.
• Try downhill skiing this winter.
• Go snowshoeing for the first time this winter.
• Complete my Adobe Photoshop CS3 Classroom in a Book so I can be proficient Photoshop user.
• Learn to not hate running so much.
• Start reading each book on my bookshelf before I buy or check out more books. This includes Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, so we'll see how long that takes.
• Sign up to volunteer for the Seattle Expanding Your Horizons conference.
• Expand my music interests.
• Navigate Washington, D.C. by myself in a couple weeks.
  
• Visit Gabs and Galen as soon as possible!

Lake Chelan Vacation

I spent the week of August 18 in Chelan, Washington with three friends. We stayed Saturday to Saturday and had a great time, though the trip turned out to be a little different than we had planned.

Our first two days in Chelan were hot and calm. We spent Sunday on the water, intertubing, floating, swimming, and going off a neighbor's 10-foot water slide (yipee!). I discovered that I remember how to dive, and practiced the Michael Phelps dolphin underwater swim. On Sunday, we found a water thermometer hanging off a neighbor's dock - it read 72 degrees. Not bad for chilly Lake Chelan - it felt great on a 95 degree day. We also discovered that across and up the lake a bit from our cabin was a smooth rock hanging about 20 to 25 feet over the water. Teens were jumping off the rock in hoards, and the water was incredibly deep at that spot, so we decided we would make it back to jump before our vacation was over. Sunday night we went to Slide Waters, the small water park in Chelan. I felt like a kid again zooming down water slides.

Monday started off warm, but the wind picked up in the afternoon. We rented a wake board but with the wind and our inexperience, no one got the chance to really try it out. By the evening, a thundershower rolled through Chelan, and we felt a little down because it kept us out of the water.

Tuesday we went wine tasting with Lakeside Limousine Tours. We had a blast - and felt very cool being driven to wineries in a limo. Many of the wineries in the Chelan area have some of the best views of the lake and delicious food. Some of the wineries we visited include: Tildio Winery, Benson Vineyards, Nefarious Cellars, and Vin du Lac. Vin du Lac tasting was outdoors under a trellis with gorgeous views of the lake.

Wednesday the weather didn't look great, so we decided to take the Lady of the Lake ferry to Stehekin, the northern most point and source of Lake Chelan. When we arrived in Stehekin, it was pouring down rain, so we hopped on the Rainbow Falls tour (school) bus. After the tour, we bought sweatshirts to stay warm, explored downtown Stehekin, marveled at the car graveyard with license plate tabs dating all the way back to 1991 (that I saw), and enjoyed the views and remoteness of the tiny town. After three hours, we caught the Lady of the Lake ferry back to Fields Point Landing.

Thursday was still windy and cool, so we stayed mostly out of the water and barbecued, played games, and relaxed. It was refreshing to be away from a computer and television. Friday rolled around and we woke to calm waters so we motored the boat to downtown Chelan for a hearty breakfast. The clouds burned off by noon and we made the decision to spend the entire damn day on the water, for better or worse.

We headed first to the jumping rock. Our boat captain stayed behind to take photos of the rest of us daredevils. We swam to shore, climbed the rocky terrain, and prepared to face certain death. Just kidding! But that's what I felt like. Heart racing and nervous as heck, it took me a long time to muster the courage to jump, though I did finally take a measly step off those rocks and plunged into the water. It was so much fun - I'm glad I did it. We spent the rest of the day boating, swimming, and intertubing. The day was incredible and we stayed on the water until the sun dipped behind the hills.

Saturday came and we were sad to have to leave our oasis so soon, especially since it was hot and the water calm. On our way home, we stopped outside of Leavenworth to float down the Wenatchee River - something the four of us have down for three years in a row. We had a blast and enjoyed resting on a sandy spit along the river, though it was bittersweet since it meant our vacation was over.

I love Lake Chelan. I am a bit sad to not have our vacation to look forward to anymore, but the memories and photos will help me get through the dreary Seattle winter. Until next year, Lake Chelan!

Moonrise over Lake Chelan our first night on vacation.

Stehekin Landing and Lodge

Rainbow Falls in Stehekin - 312 feet of cascading waterA view of the beginning of Lake Chelan and the North Cascades shrouded in clouds.We saw bighorn sheep on the ferry back to Chelan. There is so much more wildlife in Chelan than Seattle - we saw the bighorn sheep, fish, bats, frogs, lizards, and a variety of squirrels. Looking north on Lake Chelan from the Lady of the Lake ferry.
Cruising.Tubing buddies.Panorama from the cabin deck. Looking north from our cabin deck.Sunset and floaties.

And to prove I actually jumped. Hopefully you can't see the grimace on my face. And I look like a total dork because I'm trying to keep my arms at my side and toes pointed to avoid slapping the water uncomfortably. Yay for conquering fears.

Puget Sound Cruise

I was fortunate enough to spend Sunday, August 10th out on the Puget Sound on a 42 foot boat belonging to a friend's work associate. We left from Salmon Bay on the Magnolia side, traveled through the Hiram Chittenden Locks across Puget Sound around the west side of Bainbridge Island then into Liberty Bay, where we docked in Poulsbo, Washington. This was the first time I have been on a private yacht (that I can recall at least), the first time I have been through the Locks on a boat, and my first time in Poulsbo. Quite a day for firsts!

The Locks are operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. I discovered like many government operations - efficiency is not one of their primary duties. It took us about two hours each way to get through the Locks. Not that I'm complaining! Despite some ominous-looking clouds, the weather was beautiful, and we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset. There was hardly a breath of wind all day. I'll take calm waters over bright blue skies for cruising on the Sound.

I love water and water reflections - so there was a lot of photographic opportunity. I took tons of photos, here are some of my favorites:

NOAA research vessel Miller Freeman. We waited in the locks with this ship. Seems like NOAA is everywhere I go! I waved to the cranky-looking man on the bow. He waved back, totally unaware that I worked for NOAA for seven long years, maybe even edited his writing or research.

Poulsbo Marina. There were a bunch of harbor seals hanging out on the log booms.

Summertime and the livin's easy.

A three hour tour...

Railroad trestle from the opposite direction - heading back to the Locks.

Can you see the great blue heron? Some rude family on a Zodiak motored right up to it, then chased it as it flew away. While waiting for the Locks, we fed the seagulls Doritos and red vines. One of the boat passengers balked at us for feeding them unhealthy food. Considering seagulls eat garbage, I think chips are probably OK.

Here's a progression of sunset shots - you can see we waited for the Locks a while. But the sunset was beautiful! I love the color in the final photo.