Summer Trips and a Sherman Visit

This summer is FLYING by! I had thought I was going to write about my first backpacking trip of the summer, then when that didn’t happen I was for sure going to make an entry about Dan’s birthday backpacking trip. Another failed attempt there… then I figured I could do an entry about Mark and Jeanne’s Washington visit. But heck – why not just give you all the highlights of all three?

 

I Love Her

So first we go back to June!! A mere two months ago! Dan and I had our first backpacker of the summer in the Olympic Peninsula. We did a coastal trek from Ozette to Seafield Creek which is about 15 miles round trip. On this trip, we also got to try out our new backpacks – arguably the most important piece of equipment – and they did not disappoint! I think Dan and I are fully committed to the Gregory backpack brand. Apparently, they know how to fit bags to tall, thin people really well.

It was a gorgeous hike to our site for the night. We skirted the coast, making sure to note the tides especially when we had to cross a river. The only downside was the weather. The peninsula is notorious for rain (think Forks Washington…from Twilight) so we were caught in a mist for the better part of the trip. It was particularly bad when we were trying to start a fire. Dan and I had to work together for about 30 minutes to get one going! After that, we had some dinner, smores, and just tried to keep warm and dry. The weather did FINALLY let up around sunset. The winds changed directions and the mist stopped all of a sudden! It was glorious.

 

Dan Snoozing - Captured by Nicole

When it was getting dark we put out the fire and headed to bed. Planning to get a good night sleep for some exploring in the morning. We had much better weather the next day and our little exploration hike took us over a steep hillside that required a rope, to more rocky beaches, and to amazing tide pools. You guys!! I SAW AN OCTOPUS!! Main highlight of the trip (if not my life).

Bam! One trip down. Now to The Birthday Backpack Bonanza (nice alliteration Nicole).

We took a weekend trip from July 12^th – 14^th into the Snoqualmie mountains about an hour and a half from the house. We left on a Friday after work, met Colin and Katie at the trailhead, and hiked in around 5pm. Five and a half miles later we got to Pratt Basin - and let me tell you, it was packed! We were a little nervous about finding a site but eventually found a pretty flat area. Dan and I cooked dinner (or rather, rehydrated our dinner) and hit the hay. The next day was going to be a pretty big hike up to Mount Defiance and we needed our sleep!

Our fleeting view

So we got to an early start on Saturday but right off, we could all tell the weather was not going to cooperate with us. Cloudy and cold seemed to be the forecast for the day. Nonetheless, we trekked on and completed the hike even though we were not rewarded with views or even a dip in the lake. We headed back to camp, took a glorious nap, and just hung around the site for the evening. Luckily, we nabbed a better site from a couple who decided to leave because they “ran out of things to do” ?!? Although that is seemingly impossible in the area we were in, we were glad for it.

 

Birthday Boy

We were ready to head out on Sunday morning. Not enough warmth or sunlight was had and we wanted out! So we left early and got back to Seattle before 11am. This was Dan’s actual birthday so we celebrated by getting food, cake, and went to Alki Beach.

Last, but not least, we hosted Mark and Jeanne this month! We learned two important lessons from their first visit that we made sure to apply:

1.     We were not going to give up our room (it made both parties uncomfortable)

2.     We were not going to cram in a million activities that burnt us all out

To make #1 a possibility, we had to figure out a more comfortable alternative to an air mattress. I will take all the credit for our solution, which was a trifold 6-inch memory foam mattress with a collapsible frame. It was awesome! And if Jeanne and Mark were telling the truth and not just being polite, it was also very comfy even after 5/6 nights.   

To address #2, we made a much more lax itinerary with less driving. My favorite day was the second to last of their visit when we went to Rainier and hiked Tolmie Peak. We brought our bathing suits to dip into the alpine lake after too – very refreshing!

I think the luckiest part of the visit was that we were blessed with perfect weather the entire time. This allowed for all the outdoor activities such as kayaking and exploring different parks. Each day had a highlight really! 

Tolmie Peak featuring Mark and Jeanne (bug nets were very necessary)

The only pic I have of us in the lake - hopefully, they took a better one

OMG I almost forgot - on the last night, before their flight, I took out the whiteboard for some Pictionary to pass the time, and they had NEVER PLAYED BEFORE! Can you believe it? We spent the next two hours having so much fun haha. Mark was hilarious! One of the words he got was Baby and he drew a car of some sort...because that is his baby. I died.

 

Can you guess what this one was? Also, he didn't want me to take a picture of this haha

That is all for now! Brace yourself for more hiking posts in the near future. We had a 16.5 miler last weekend and are prepping for an 18er for this weekend!!

Love you all so much!