Vermont

I just got back from spending a fantastic weekend in Vermont. My friend Matt lives in Burlington, and another friend, Jason, was visiting from Minneapolis. We had a great time.

The photos are here. Since I was in Burlington just last year, there's really only two things I took pictures of this time:
1. Our grueling but rewarding (and beautiful) hike up Mount Mansfield, at 4,393' the highest point in Vermont.
2. Our day trip to Montreal, about 90 minutes north of Burlington. I wasn't impressed with downtown Montreal but would be interested in visiting some of the other neighborhoods sometime.

Matt has written a lot about our weekend on his journal, and also put up his own pictures (he has some great shots).

Snow Lake

With all our traveling lately it had been quite a while since we were able to get out for a hike. Saturday was a beautiful fall day, so we took advantage.

We drove 45 minutes east of Seattle on I-90 to Snoqualmie Pass and parked at Alpental, one of the ski areas there. Our objective was a great picnicking spot overlooking a large alpine lake (Snow Lake). It was a good, steady climb without being overly strenuous.

The area near Snoqualmie Pass is at a relatively low elevation (probably why they put the highway there). It was chilly, but not high enough for there to be any snow yet. We topped out at only about 4,400', a full 2,000 vertical feet lower than where we usually start our hikes at Mt. Rainier.

Pictures here.

Autumn

It's been rainy and cloudy and distinctly fall-feeling in Seattle for the past week. Friday was cool but clearish, and I was working from home. As I walked to grab lunch at a neighborhood café I crested a small hill and was afforded a peek-a-boo view to the West. Hearteningly, the Olympic Mountains, which have been a menacing dark grey color all summer, are now covered in a glorious white blanket of fresh snow. Looking proper again, they shimmered in the sunlight.

I like summer and can't wait for winter, but autumn is my favorite time of year.