Long time...

SO, its been quite a while since we've posted here. Not to say that we haven't been keeping ourselves busy,  just we forgot to write it down. Well here's some interesting news... I'm going to Thailand for about 5 weeks! Quite a few people were interested in keeping in contact with me while on this trip so I've created a blog just for the trip. You can find it here. I'll be updating it daily so make sure to check back.

Ape Cave Adventure!

We finally have gas money! Full post is coming.........promise.

Here's a preview of the action...

Part 1

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Part 2

This scrapbooking design customized with Smilebox

Adventureless :(

No gas money this week.... So it was a quiet weekend.

First Hike of the Season! 1/10/10

Thanks to Guy and Gina Butler, our hiking season has been extended to year-round by the amazing gift of snowshoes for Christmas!! Two weekends after getting the shoes, our wallets finally recovered enough from Christmas shock to get an oil change and enough gas to venture into the snowy parts of the Cascades. Our budget still tight, we decided closer would be better, so Jess picked a trail in Snoqualmi pass that would take us along the side of Mt. Margaret through Gold Creek basin. No recent trail reports were available for the creek bed, and the last entry said snow would be sparse at best. We didn't think there would be much of a change in trail conditions since the posting four days ago, so sights were set on the beautiful Mt. Catherine. The snowshoeing trail guide we got for Christmas said it is a perfect spot for both beginning and expert snowshoers. Jess printed topo maps of Mt. Catherine, Mt. Margaret and the surrounding area around the Snoqualmi ski area. We checked and refilled our pack, outfitted ourselves with snow clothes ( boots, pants, coats and the like ) and got ready for our maiden snowshoe the next day (we even went to bed before 3 a.m.).

After a quick stop at the store for some water and snacks we were on the road. We made it to the ski area by 1 p.m. and drove around for quite a while trying to follow the directions in the guide book to the Mt. Catherine trailhead only to find out the reason we were so lost was because the road we needed to take was closed. Plan B.....Mt. Margaret and the Gold Creek basin. We drove under the freeway to find the trailhead. We passed the packed Gold Creek Snowpark and continued about 2 miles down the road past a little bridge to the trailhead. There were quite a few cars but we were able to find a close parking spot.

Happy to be at a trailhead, we piled out of the car to stretch and get ready our hike. We put on our snowshoes and put the pack in the sled we bought for daisy (in case she gets tired). There were a lot of people leaving the trail, but not to many starting since it was 3:15 p.m. on a Sunday. Daisy had to stay on her leash for longer than she wanted because of all the potential distraction of other showshoers and their dogs. After the crowd on the trail thinned, we let Daisy off her leash and strapped her doggy-snow-booties on her feet. She hated them at first and we had a laugh watching her march around, not quite sure what to do with her feet. Pretty soon, she forgot they were there, and her excitement took over as she ran ahead in the snow....our fearless pack leader.

The Gold Creek basin trail was a flat walk most of the way, which was nice because of our inexperience with snowshoes. After a few miles of flat trail meandering through trees and private cabins, the trail turned up and started gaining elevation. We kept hiking up the trail until we came close to the end. Because of the time, we stopped short of the end at a clearing with a stunning view. There was fog that hung low over the trees, making the tops of the surrounding mountains invisible. We stopped here for pictures, a late lunch and rest. After feeding Daisy and enjoying some gourmet Ramen, we started back to the car. The sun was setting and by the time we got back to the flat part of the trail it was dark. We put on our headlamps and enjoyed the night hike through light snow flurries back to the car.

It was a great trip, and the snowshoes were amazing! Thanks Mr. and Mrs Butler!!

So it begins...

Jess, Daisy and I have decided to begin documenting our excursions into the wild.

We will post our plans and routes, ( along with our possible alternates ) pictures from the trail and details about the trip when we return.

These shall be forever known as: The Chronicles of Adventure Pack 2000