Mount Pilchuck

This hike started out innocent enough...

But before we knew it we were in the snow fields!

It cleared up closer to the top.

The view from the lookout cabin was pretty awesome!

There were a few sketchy spots on the way down

but we made it and it was a lot of fun!

Brandt and I went on our first mountain hike of the summer this afternoon near Darrington called Squire Creek Pass.

Brandt found little flecks of gold leaf in the river where we stopped for lunch--we're going to be rich! :)

Three Fingers Mountain

Overall, a great hike: about 8 miles and 2500 ft of elevation with some great views and fun creeks to cross.

Visit from the Holdens

Brandt's parents were in town this weekend so we spent Saturday carving pumpkins, making pizzas and hanging out.






Earl carved a pretty cool witch.

We cooked the pizzas in Tarah and Paul's awesome outdoor cobb oven:

After the pizzas were done we let the oven cool down a bit and then we baked a couple of delicious apple crisps.

We spent Sunday walking around Carkeek park. There's this old, formerly lost apple orchard within the park:

Puyallup Fair

Brandt and I made our first ever visit to the Puyallup Fair this Saturday.

The gondola ride was one of our favorite parts.

This piggy wanted some privacy.

Orcas Island with Mollie & Gary

We had a great time this past week hanging out with our friends from CA, Mollie and Gary.
We spent Saturday visiting Orcas Island. Even though it was raining off and on we got some great views from the top of Mt. Constitution.

The skies cleared up in the evening.

We stopped by our neice and nephew's house on Monday to check out their new playhouse!

Fishing

Rob, another teacher in the science department, invited me and Dave out for some fishing on his boat near Everett today after work.

Dave nabbed 2 pink salmon and I was fortunate enough to land a fiesty coho.

Good weather, good company, good times.

Mt. Rainier Camping

We had a great time camping at Ohanapecosh the past couple of nights in the Mt. Rainier National Park.

We forgot our games so Becky made a make-shift cribbage board.

Becky wasn't afraid to ford a raging river on our hike.

Big cedar trees at the Grove of the Patriarchs.

It was beautiful up at Paradise.

We walked a few miles up the Skyline trail.

We stopped just a little bit above Panorama Point.

We were treated to a view of Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens.