August outdoor adventures

Lenticular clouds near Mount Rainier

August was jam-packed with outdoor adventures - two backpacking trips, some day paddles, day hikes, lots of fun work outside, visiting friends, and mushrooms. Life doesn't get much better than that right?

 Backpacking in North Cascades National Recreation Area along Ross Lake with Nickie and Carolé.

 Cascades from our camp on Ross Lake

 Wine, chocolate, and good friends

We were treated to a visit from our friend Gretchen in August - last sighted at our wedding in 2009! Ralph came to see Gretchen too and fun was had by all. When friends of yours, like Gretchen, live in the U.K. you have to take every second with them you can grab. We also got to meet her kiddos and we collectively discussed ways to see her husband and our friend, Matt, again. Someday I guess we will have to take a trip to the U.K. eh?

Jay's new kayak, named Iridaea after a lovely red algae, was ready for a real paddle after we bought her. We were busy the next several weekends so we decided to paddle out after work to Burrows Island and the lighthouse for dinner. The light was perfect, the company was perfect, the kayaks were perfect, and the food and wine were perfect. It was a ridiculous night.

 Alaria and Burrows Light

 Jay paddling back to Skyline Marina with Mt. Baker in alpenglow.

It took some work and some luck, but we (J&J and Nickie and Carolé) scored on an overnight backpacking permit in Mount Rainier National Park on the Spray Park Loop trail. Our drive to the park was awesome with big lenticular clouds pouring off the mountain (first photo of this blog) but by the time we climbed to the 6,300 ft. high point on the trail, Rainier was hiding. We still, as you can see, had some fun along the way even though it was freezing (glad we know how to dress appropriately!).

 At the high point on the trail, right on the flanks of Rainier, with my love looking "down" on the Cascades.

 Heading down to Seattle Park

 Nickie, Jay, and Carolé in Seattle Park watching for that mountain to appear. 

There it is! Yes!! After these clouds cleared, the views kept getting better and better. The huckleberries did too!

Descending into the huckleberries and not sure if I should eat every berry in sight or watch Rainier and the lenticular clouds pouring off that majestic mountain. 

The next morning we kept losing all the elevation we gained (and lost) yesterday. I knew we had a big elevation gain push at the end of the day when I would want a light pack, but then we found this mushroom. Into my pack it went for a 10 mile wander back to the car.

Yum.

 Crossing a bridge along the Carbon River

 The Carbon Glacier

What four people look like after 3,000 ft. in elevation gain in 1.5 miles.

This beauty was treated well back home. 

All August photos can be found here:https://goo.gl/photos/4WK3aZCiyZH3jefU7

September through October....

I had this grand idea that I would write an individual blog for each of the fun things we did this fall, but ya know what? It ain't happenin'. So this is going to be half of a massive catch up blog - covering two months of fun and told more through photos than through writing. I'm a lucky gal to have such a fantastic and fun-filled life....

Nate, Ana, Julie, and Jay

In September the current North American Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society scholar, Ana, came to visit! If anyone has been reading this blog, you know that I was the scholar in 1999 and I LOVE hosting current scholars if they decide they want to visit the Pacific Northwest. Ana spent a week catching up on life at our house (occasionally it is really nice to just take a break from a non-stop year). I'm so happy Jay and I could provide that cozy spot for a chance to relax a bit and plan for the rest of her awesome year. We got her out diving one day at the Keystone Jetty near Coupeville. This is a famous dive spot in WA, but I had never been diving there and it was great fun! Nate, the diving safety officer from Shannon Point Marine Center (where Jay works), also came along for the fun.

Ana at the Keystone Jetty

Puget Sound rockfish and anemones

Giant Pacific octopus

We have lived and played in North Cascades National Park for six years now but had never been on its most famous trail - Cascade Pass. We heard it was crowded....so we opted to avoid it all this time. I'm so glad we finally went in mid-October! The crowds were gone, the huckleberry bushes were red, the larches were golden, and the weather was amazing. What a freakin' awesome day hike! It ended with some serious mushroom scores once we were out of the park boundaries.

If we had had more time, we would have done an overnight backpacking trip here.... maybe next fall? This wouldn't be a bad view to sleep next to.

Pika!

The following weekend we headed south to the Olympic Peninsula to catch up with some old friends and meet up with some new friends while hunting for the elusive matsutake mushroom.

Ralph demonstrating the look of a mushroom hunter who has found his prey

Matsutake smell - dirty socks or red hots?

These mushrooms are not easy to find.

Olympic Mountains

Marinated and grilled tofu and matsutake with a soy lime sauce.