8.2 miles

Yesterday, my friend from work, Jennifer, her dog, Sydney, and I took a "little" day-hike to Lake Ann. The season up in this area of the mountains is very short. In fact, the road was not open to the top of the Mount Baker Highway until August 10th, and by October, snow will likely begin to fall again. So, with a good forecast, we arranged to drive up there to take a hike. While the skies were a bit cloudier than we had hoped for, the trail conditions were great and the temperatures felt good for hiking. Over-packed, and somewhat mentally prepared for a long afternoon, we set out for the lake.

I had been there about 20 years ago with my family for a camping trip and remember Lake Ann as a crystal clear alpine pool with a magnificent view of Mount Shuksan. Matt and I made boats out of sticks and leaves and floated them on the stream that trickled from the lake. I cautiously played on the rocks and grass around the lake hoping I wouldn't fall in the icy water. Even though we could see the bottom, Dad insisted it was quite deep.

This time around, the lake wasn't so big as I thought as a little kid, but the clarity was still intact and I could still see the deep bottom. Had we thought to stay overnight, we would have spent a spectacular evening taking in the cloud-spotted views in every direction! Instead, we enjoyed our late lunch and fresh, quiet air.

Mount Shuksan virtually swallowed us as we looked up at it. The mountain displays a few low-hanging glaciers that were spitting out ribbons of water. I call this mountain "God's Cathedral." It is the most photographed mountain in North America and looks like the very definition of a mountain. While at the lake, a steady stream of clouds shrouded the higher pinnacles; adding a surreal feeling to it's powerful presence.

The trip to the lake was much more difficult than we had thought. About a quarter of the trail is rocky and not entirely pleasant to climb up. Neither was it particularly easy to walk down as every step has to be placed deliberately to avoid a twisted ankle. But, we were rewarded with a glimpse of the snowfields and glaciers of Mount Baker. We almost missed our view as the mountain melted into the clouds, but, rather stopped a few seconds to take in the sun rays through the clouds.

Arriving at the car, 8.2 miles later, we were pretty beat; but glad we accomplished something! I am impressed by so much: The glaciers carving out mountains and valleys, the variety of colors, shapes, and sizes of mushrooms we encountered, our ability to eat huckleberries and wild blueberries as we hiked, and the forest ecosystem life cycle thrives so brilliantly! And, of course, I found a fun hiking friend in Jennifer, too. I had a fantastic long day getting to know her better and finding out that we can both admire the outdoors together!

On our drive back down from the trail head, Shuksan showed us it's crown. The clouds cleared and we saw it's grandeur right in front of us! That view was an exceptional way to end our exhausting day!

We stopped in Maple Falls for hot chocolate and a stretch of our achy muscles before driving back to Bellingham. My sore muscles and a couple of oddly swollen, painful mosquito bites were a small price paid for the gorgeous hike and an amazing night of sleep!

10 things i will miss in a month

I like lists! Again, in no particular order, 10 things I will miss next month when I get to Antarctica:

1. Fresh, soft Washington peaches, pears, and nectarines (or an abundance of fresh fruit availability in general).

2. The plush carpet at Uncle Jerry and Aunt Faye's house.

3. Rain.

4. My cell phone, wireless internet, and free online phone calls to mom and dad.

5. Vegetated hills and mountains.

6. Christmas with any family (not even Laura will be with me this year)!

7. My car.

8. Starbucks and real milk in my mochas (as opposed to dry milk).

9. Cooking for myself.

10. Night sky.

life in the northern town

I took a trip across the border today. I visited my "motherland." I went to British Columbia; Vancouver to be exact. Strangely, I received more questions going into Canada this time than I did coming back to the States. I still want to use my dual citizenship; but they keep track (and take a picture) of you and your car when you cross the border, so today, I continued my use of the US passport. I tried stopping at Peace Arch Park, but missed the turnoff for it. I was stuck in enough border traffic that I was able to take a couple pictures: The Peace Arch reads "Children of a Common Mother" on one side and "Brethren dwelling together in unity" on the other. I hope our countries continue to share such common ground.

I can see myself living in Vancouver someday. Despite the traffic, it's a gorgeous city (although, I did remember that, though the sun was shining on this particular day, there are plenty of rainy days as well). The city reminded me a bit of being in Sydney this spring; though, I don't feel as strongly about living in Australia! I spent a marvelous afternoon taking in sights, sounds, and smells of Stanley Park by bicycle, and then a couple hours of the early evening admiring the modern architecture of Coal Harbour on foot.

And, of course, I got a Vancouver Starbucks mug, too. My corporate discount works up there, so it was also the cheapest mug in my collection! The city-scapes have change styles now, recently. It's a bit disappointing, but things change, and I continue my collection with the new designs (previous sentence goes a lot deeper than the 20oz coffee mug).

Stanley Park is a huge park nearly entirely surrounded by harbour, lake, and waterway. There are unique sculptures throughout and totem poles to view, too. There are trails and roads for pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers, skateboarders, and roller bladers to get lost on and plenty of scenery to view of the city, mountains, hills, and beaches surrounding the shores of the park. Lots of late-summer plants were blooming; including this magnificent lily.

I'm really happy I took this fabulous-weather day away. I needed a break from the cell phone, the mess of organization, and Antarctica packing (27 days, and countind down) I've been doing. And, I still have another day off before I'm back to work on Saturday.

life's fair

I went to the Northwest Washington State Fair today. I used to go as a kid and had a fabulous time seeing the animals, eating fair food, and trying to ride the rides. This time I observed more, and watched my cousin's children excitedly stray towards the bright colors and fanciful rides.

We had a nice evening watching the scenes, smelling fair food, walking around a few barns and weaving between people. I enjoyed seeing the goats, sheep, pigs, cows, and horses

It's certainly a different level of involvement now than when I was younger. Back then I was scared to walk through the animal barns in case a cow or horse bucked their legs up, or I stepped in any sort of animal-doo. Then the fair was about the rides and the social drama that transpired there. Now, I look at the rides and think I must have been very taken by the colors and novelty of such attractions, or they weren't nearly so rustic and decrepit as they looked to me today (not to say they are not still a lot of fun). I took a ride on the classic ferris wheel. I had a fantastic evening out.

heading down

After a particularly poor night of sleep, due to a) wondering if a boulder would flatten the tent (see image of our camp in my last post), b) noisy high winds whipping at the unsecured rain fly, and c) wondering if we left the water bottles and ice axes out in wind and how far they had flown if we had, we "woke up" at 4am to begin the ascent further up the mountain. It didn't take long until we reach a snowy patch where we would have to strap on crampons and rope up. In light of knowing we would not make it to the top (besides our lack of sufficient water, we saw crevasses that were likely avoidable flanked by dangerous steep loose rock), we (un-unanimously) determined rather than spend the energy on continuing, we should start down.

Reaching our top height around 9300 feet, I pulled out a treat from Australia, Kangaroo Jerky. It's a hiking tradition in our family that we try and bring some exotic meat or food on our trips, so I was happy to hold onto this delicacy all summer! It tastes like jerky; only a slight variation on the old protein-packed favorite.

We began hiking down. Dawn appeared in the east and we saw a spectacular sunrise from dry, Eastern Oregon to the greener west. Portland saw low clouds in the morning which made for good contrast with the pale pink sky and blue-green trees underneath the mountain. The feeling of standing on the side of a mountain with God's great earth stretched out in front of you is quite amazing. He's created such a brilliant earth; especially as the sun shows it's face to liven up the world's atmosphere every morning!

Perhaps the most surprising and peculiar sight from our perch on the world was seeing the shadow of Mount Hood on the landscape below. At first, it appears to be another mountain in the distance, but at a closer look, the blue cast on the clouds below trace back to the formation we are standing on!

On our descent, my knee tightened up and gave me so much trouble that for a moment, I thought ski patrol was going to have to take me down the mountain in one of their red sleds. However, it held out until we reached the last ski lift down and made it to the car.

Stopping in Government Camp (a town down the mountain a few miles), we at a late breakfast together (I had huckleberry pancakes) before parting ways again. Matt and I switched off driving responsibilities all the way back up to Bellingham. Most of the trip I was not able to keep my eyes open for more than five minutes, I was so exhausted!

I am glad I made the effort to be on this trip. Even though I did not get the true (crampons and roping up) mountaineering experience, I had a fantastic time getting outside, seeing new territory for the summer, being with my family, witnessing God's creativity firsthand from an amazing lookout, and trying something challenging.

ascending mount hood

The last two days I spent with Mount Hood. My dad, brother, and uncle hoped to find this a favorable opportunity to arrive on the summit of this volcano, even though the climbing season is over. This peak in the Northern Oregon Cascades "rises 11,249 ft (3,429 meters) and is home to twelve glaciers. It is the highest mountain in Oregon and the fourth-highest in the Cascade Range. Mount Hood is considered the Oregon volcano most likely to erupt, though based on its history, an explosive eruption is unlikely. Still, the odds of an eruption in the next 30 years are estimated at between 3 and 7 percent, so the USGS characterizes it as "potentially active." The mountain is sometimes informally described as "dormant." (from Wikipedia)

We began our ascent around 2pm; just barely making the last chairlift to our starting point. This mountain is also boasts the only year-round ski area in North America. As backpackers we were only allowed to take the first lift and we hiked past snowboarders and skiers finishing their day on the slopes. After the slopes close, a rigorous and aggressive campaign begins to refurbish and rebuild the slopes for the next day.

Our hiking entailed a good deal of tromping through dirt and boulders. This is difficult, particularly in climbing boots, but we slowly inched our way up the side of the mountain.

My first inclination about the terrain we negotiated was how similar it is to McMurdo Station; plenty of volcanic rock and ash covered in places by snowfields and glaciers. The stunning part was watching the birds, small bugs and butterflies surround us; even so far above the tree line. We also saw sporadic alpine flowers along the way.

A few hours of upward movement brought us to our camp for the evening. We cooked a bit of food and boiled a bit of water, but lost a fuel bottle which set us back in terms of the water we would need the next day.

The winds picked up during the night and created a loud sleep environment. The temperature dropped below freezing, but I stayed plenty warm (even hot) during the night. Beneath us were lights from the ski resort and to the west, a glow of lights from Portland. The stars decorated the sky in amazing numbers!

creativity overload

I created a photo album with my most favorite pictures. It took me a few days to arrange them all and I hope the physical album turns out! I called it andrea on earth. Just another one of my creative projects to check off for the summer! I still have about 15 more to go!

daisy picking

In Antarctica, "daisy picking" is the task we did when we ran out of pertinent work to do for our department or found responsibility to clean up an area; picking up any non-native material to the continent wherever we saw it laying around. It's not too difficult to find since pretty much anything (wood, glass, plastic, fabric, metal, etc) but the snow, rock, and ash on the island is "non-native." Once, I discovered and recovered a 1/2 buried 3 foot fake Christmas tree (I actually had to wait until the ground thawed a bit in January before I could chip it out of the icy permafrost).

A week ago, I did some daisy picking of my own. These white flowers have been beautiful for a full week; long after my purple and white sweet peas and other petaled plants wilted. I think I'll have to enjoy some more daisy picking before I head super-south again!

while on my walk i found

Tonight I discovered the Sehome Arboretum only short way from my apartment. There are many hiking, biking, and trail running tracks there and I spent a 1/2 hour exploring a single path.

A few people have asked me what I'm doing next in life. I found the perfect self-photo op to capture the essence of my answer. I'll be another season in Antarctica (as long as I can get qualified on time) and I hope the rest is self explanatory:

goodbye spring!

For my last day of spring, I enjoyed a day off from work. In the morning, I tried out my brand new coffee press (I get a very nice discount at Starbucks, you know) and later, couldn't resist pulling out my old Krups Espresso machine to whip up a mocha! I highly recommend this brand of coffee appliance. It's been 10 years since I made this purchase and it is still turning out great hot beverages!

Last weekend, I moved into an apartment I'll be sharing with Emily (a recent college grad) for the summer. I have spent the last few days trying to unpack, reorganize, and then repack boxes I won't need this summer; a tedious, but necessary task.

I had called up some friends earlier in the week, and so Aaron and Elise, with little Eva, who invited me out to Birch Bay for a cookout on the beach in the evening. I enjoyed meeting some new people and getting to know Aaron and Elise better, too.

The weather couldn't have been lovelier and even on the water, the temperatures stayed pretty warm most of the evening. There's something heartwarming about roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over an open fire near dusk on a beach; watching the tide slowly ebb up the shore.

slug slime and spitbugs

It's another rainy day in Washington; complete with an early morning opening shift at work (beginning at 4:30a)! The rain tends to bring out the best beautiful ever-green scenery in Western Washington, but also gives some interesting creatures a place to inhabit. Two such creature I regretted sticking my fingers into while gardening were and slugs and spit bugs.

Little green or brown spit bugs sit on grasses or green plants and protect themselves by creating a nice frothy foam around their tiny bodies all the while sucking juices from the plant. I just read that they are also better jumpers than a flea!

The slug is nearly as messy to step on as dog doodoo. This harmless creature usually scares me every time it appears in front of my feet. They have a nice set of feelers out front and a pretty jelly-like substance. If you "salt" them, they will slime out, die and leave a puddle of sticky ooze behind. They also enjoy beer. So, if you pick up a heavy beer can on the side of the road out this direction, it's likely full of prisoned slugs.

In other news, I've been observing a lot of hills around the Bellingham area on my runs and bike rides. On Monday, my Ice friend, Elizabeth and I went on a bike ride for 30 miles, or so. Some of the hills were quite painful, but I made it full circuit with her. Inspired, by that success, I decided to run the entire length of the Woburn/Yew Street hill where I've been living. This turned out to be a 25 minute entirely upward accomplishment. I have yet to measure the distance, but I'd guess it is nearly 2 miles. That make the challenge of Scott Base Hill in Antarctica look like an ant hill.

Well, it looks like I got 4th place in the snapfish photo contest. I haven't been contacted about my prize (a gift certificate). It was a pretty poorly run contest for the most part; very confusing, and uninformative for the contestants! But, thanks for your support and votes!

ski-to-sea parade

This morning we packed up a lunch, lawn chairs, and too-few layers to watch the Ski to Sea Parade downtown Bellingham. The Ski to Sea race runs from the slopes of Mt. Baker to Bellingham Bay. It's "an 85 mile relay race of seven venues (cross country skiing, downhill skiing, running, biking, canoeing, mountain biking, and kayaking). I'm already formulating a crew in my head for a team in next year's competition!

The weather, not as warm as we anticipated for the parade, held off on sunshine until the parade was over. It didn't rain either.

We did have quite a lovely time watching the different groups move through; seeing the fire trucks, the horses, and high school bands. A local bank branch even served up hot dogs with chips and pop for anyone who was hungry. I watched plenty of people too; some in the parade who were tired and ready to finish the last few steps of their route, and others waltzed their children a 1/2 block down the street so they could be part of the festivities, too, or other families gathered around with blankets and a coolers on the sidewalks like we were.

photo contest

In all my spare time, I entered a little "Far, Far Away" photo contest with Snapfish and I'd appreciate your vote! If you could find the time to follow this link to snapfish's photo contest and give me a five star rating (make sure you click on the star furthest to the right) on my photo titled "antarctic adelies," I would certainly appreciate it! I know it's a big marketing gimmick by the photo company to advertise through people like me, but I thought it would be fun, anyway! And, I'm not opposed to you forwarding the link to all your friends for the added votes; in fact, I'd encourage it!

playing tourist in seattle

The weather outlook was positive on Sunday evening, so I arranged a stay with my friend, Susan, in Seattle on Monday night. I can't remember the last time I saw Susan. It must have been at least nine years ago. She was actually in my sister's class in high school, but we played a little volleyball together and have managed to keep in touch over the years. Between the two of us (especially Susan), we have covered a good portion of the world! I had a marvelous time catching up with her for a few brief hours. She is a wonderful and very beautiful person.

I spent the morning wandering around Seattle. I found the flagship R.E.I. store there and wandered for a bit before heading down to Pikes Place Market for a few hours. I wish I had more time to spend wandering through the eccentric shops, fruit stands, and fish vendors. The atmosphere is best described as "colorful."

After a lunch at The Market with Susan, I took a trip across Lake Washington to my high school for a quick peak into the classrooms on campus and brief "hellos" to a few former teachers. I am astounded and impressed that so many familiar faces are still there. I know many of the teachers I had were dedicated to their students and to serving God in their place in my school.

I met up with Massie from Antarctica in Bellevue for an afternoon jaunt through a park. It is refreshing to have such new friends and new perspectives on life and I appreciate being able to keep in touch with a few people who have the same strange Antarctic experience!

I sat in a bit of 405 traffic before sitting in line for the Mukilteo ferry to Whidbey Island. This was a last minute decision. I wanted to walk on the ferry from Seattle today and take a round trip on Puget Sound, but I ran out of time, so instead, I detoured my trip back north to Bellingham on The Island. While waiting, I indulged in (and burnt my tongue on) Ivars famous clam chowder. I can't believe I hated the stuff growing up! It was the perfect supper with some fruit and veggies I picked up.

The ferry ride is a true Washington experience. It has always been a treat to take a trip; whether for a family outing, a volleyball tournament, or field trip. Once you and your car are in queue for the boat, you are free to roam around for awhile before the boat docks. Then they load all the cars and people on the ferry. I even was able to load my car on the second level of parking! The warm weather allowed for people to be outside and enjoy the view and fresh salty air before returning to their cars drive off the onto the island.

Although the trail at Edey's Landing that Susan recommended was closed, I did find Deception Pass quite amazing at sunset. I took the quick hike down to the shore just as the sun had a particularly nice glow on everything this evening. This stretch of the island helps me recall so many little icons that represent our trips to grandma's house: the ice cream shops, fruit stands, oil refinery, bridge, naval base, windmill hotel, Pass Lake, and on and on!

I probably should have stuck around to watch the sun completely dip below the waters of Puget Sound, but the temperature cooled off quite quickly and I went on my way.

It was such a gorgeous day to be outside and take in God's great creative works and catch up with his important people who are my friends. I am glad I made the trip!

hovander park and tennant lake

I suppose part of me returning to Washington is visiting the old stomping grounds of my childhood. This morning, I saw the rhododendrons (the Washington State flower) blossoming outside. After noting how clear the sky looked and remembering what a positive weather forecast we have for the next week, I decided to reminisce a bit more outdoors.

So, I visited Hovander Park and Tennant Lake. Hovander is a historical farm-turned-park with real roosters, goats, pigs, peacocks, and rabbits, lots of open spaces, old farm equipment, and historical buildings to check out. Tennant Lake is a boardwalk through a swamp and a frangrance garden and interpretive center are at the beginning of the trail as well. I loved tramping around the place like I was eight years old again. I must admit, though, my eight year old self would not have been there to see the spectacular view of Mount Baker on a clear day, which was what I hoped for most when I set out after lunch!

It didn't take long in these surroundings for me to remember the pungent smell of skunk cabbage, the disconcerting sight of slugs and gardner snakes, the feel of boards giving under my feet and sometimes forcing water between the cracks, or the sounds of those elementary school field trips.

On one of the corners of this boardwalk, I also recall fertilizing the wetland with the help of dad some 20+ years ago. Dad gave me an ultimatum of "hold it for an hour or go right here." He held my hands and I put my feet on the boards and we balance my little bare bum over the murky waters. If you want an illustration of trust, there you've got it! I must have had to pee pretty bad, because I remember being terrified of landing in the brown water. I'm sure there was some leaf substitute for toilet paper there, too.

They have a lookout tower by the lake and one also by the farm. The one by the lake was better when I was little, but built stronger and safer for these days of lawsuits. The field trippers still count the steps on the way up "38," "no, it's 56," "nuh-uh, it's 62," and finally "fifty million, guys." Well, kids, it's really 61 steps to the top.

cinnamon rolls

I hope this post doesn't make Laura too homesick at the South Pole, but I suppose it's a tribute to mom (and her baking).

This morning I woke up to the smell of cinnamon rolls. Mom made these growing up as a special treat and I can remember leaning over the table inspecting each one to find out which roll had the most topping on it (before my siblings snatched it up). They are delicious!

My mom is good at most things she sets her mind to. She loves to sew and quilt and be creative. She knows colors and can weave together shapes in fascinating ways. And, she donates much of this art to organizations that give quilts to kids. She's very intelligent and thinks things through before asserting her opinion. In the same way, she tends to pick up on things others (like myself) would overlook.

I'm sure I could get all gushy and stuff, but I'll leave it at that. It's been nice to spend a couple of weeks at home with mom and dad.