Yes, a little late, but here is the synopsis of the trip to Seattle.
Lisa and I woke up early to catch the ferry across the Puget Sound to the Olympic Peninsula (pictures). She wanted to see the "lush NW forest", and Uncle Scott suggested the Olympics. We went up to Hurricane Ridge for a short hike, where we had a nice view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. From there, we continued on to the Hoh Rain Forest, where Lisa was very satisfied with the sights. We went westward to La Push and the Pacific Ocean. The town wasn't so nice, but the beach (and hike to it) was. We saw driftwood, rocky spires in the ocean, a "keyhole", and a banana slug. We passed by lots of logging areas, small towns (Port Angeles, Sequim), and took a late ferry back across the sound.
We went back to Seattle (pictures) to Pike Place Market again, but also to visit the Troll, and see some floating houses (Sleepless in Seattle). We spent another day around the house, but also went to XXX Root Beer for a car show.
I went on a backpacking trip across the NH Presidential Range, by staying at the AMC White Mtn. Huts.
Day 3: After waking early from the sounds of wind and snoring, I noticed a different world outside. The temperature had lowered, and the clouds and wind had increased. Autumn was arriving in the alpine zone, and I was part of the welcome party. Temperatures were in the 30s, winds in the 40s, and mileage to go near 8. I knew that the trail ahead was potentially dangerous, but by no means was it impassible.
I left Lakes Hut at 8am, and made good time as I approached treeline. The wind was a problem at times, as it blew fog and sleet over the ridge at me. I gingerly made my way down to Mizpah Hut in time for an 11am bowl of soup. After finishing that, I made my way out of the forest, passing weather-cautious hikers on their way to Mizpah and beyond.
Lisa's schedule changed at the last minute on Saturday morning. Turns out, it changed for the better.
After the hike, we explored Jim Thorpe (originally Mauch Chunk). This old Victorian city, set in the mountainous mining region, reminded me of places like Cripple Creek, Victor, and Harpers Ferry. It brought great comfort knowing that such a quaint place lies only an hour away. There are a few distinct sides to JT: the quieter residential section to the east of the Lehigh, with the historic tourist district on the west bank, with more residential areas further uphill.
Lisa and I met up with Joe T. for another NJAT section hike. We left my car (with coolers full of lunch) at the halfway point, and took Joe's car back to Wawayanda SP for the start. It took us a while to get there, but as Joe decreed, we were walking by 930. Before long, we came up to a horse and rider. The horse was as curious to see us as we were to see him on the intersecting trail. We crossed through more forests, ravines, and even some farm fields. The last stretch before lunch was through the wetlands around the Pochuck Creek. This was a birder's paradise, as we were accompanied by many birds, including red-winged black birds, yellow warblers, herons, and even a loon (I think).
Last weekend (and carrying over into tonight), I was strapped to the sewing machine. I felt like a Vietnamese kid in a sweatshop. Why was I doing this?
My other project included modifying my (knock-off) Camelbak pack. The compartments that came with it totalled somewhere near 200 cu in. I took that off the pack, leaving the reservoir sleeve, and I made another stuff sack, with grosgrain webbing for additional shock-cord capabilities. This increased the volume to well over 500 cu in. This is similar to the REI UL Flash. Not bad, I say, for my first projects.
Lisa and I went up to Weymouth to see Debbie and Andy. The ride took about 5 hours, but we made it. But we got there too late to stop by the liquor store for a 30-pack of Bud Light.
Andy and Debbie took us around to some local lighthouses and towns along the South Shore, or better yet, the "Irish Riviera". We saw Hull (and their wind turbines), Hingham, and Scituate. In Scituate, we all "threw a string" (engaged in a friendly competition of bowling of the candlepin type). Yes, the averages are all lower, but what do you expect when you're playing with smaller balls and thinner wood sticks?
After a breakfast of DD, while the girls did their morning rituals and constitutionals, Andy and I went for a walk on the pond. Yes I said on the pond. It was my first time walking on a frozen body of water. Why? Because I had fears of falling in - and rightfully so. It was a hair-raising experience hearing the ice settle a little when you're 200 feet from the shore. At the same time, it was neat to hear the waves of settlement propagate through the ice.
After the romantic walk, we left for Portland. We had lunch along the bay at $3 Dewey's, and walked along some shops too. We were running tight on time, so we high-tailed it to the Portland Headlight to take some winter pictures. We bolted from there to get back to Portland for the Pirates game. This was Lisa's first hockey game ever, and she liked it. It was nice to see sports in a small-town setting. The Pirates won, and I missed a chance at a free t-shirt while I was at the bathroom. On the way out, we were greeted with a snow squall, a nice touch indeed!
