Kathryn Louise

January 7, 2023

January

9 – My friend HanaSara was in town from DC and we walked around Green Lake with pups
10 – Daryl and my 13th Anniversary!
14 – Two years at Taproot Theatre Company!
16-17 – Daryl and I ski camp at Blewett
19-27 – TTC tech weeks
28 – See How They Run at Taproot opens
I did Whole30 for the second time. I learned so much in 2021, I’m glad I took the opportunity to do it again.
Books read: Lost In The Never Woods by Aiden Thomas, I Love you But I’ve Chosen Darkness by Claire Vaye Watkins
Bag nights (sleeping bag nights; camping): 1

February

3 – Finished shawl that I started in April. I am not a fast knitter, but I’m really proud of how it turned out!
5 – Light Board Op sub for See How They Run
7 – Zoom with Emily (and baby Frankie) and Arina! I love them both so much and I’m always so thankful when we make the time to chat.
9 – LBO sub for See How They Run
12-13 – Ski camp at Blewett
16 – Daryl and I see See How They Run
21-25 – Midwinter Break Acting Studio Camp props designer
23-24 – Banff Mountain Film Festival at Benaroya Hall
- This was the first big event we went to since the start of COVID. I definitely almost had a panic attack at the start of the first night. I’m thankful for masks and vaccines and being able to feel air exchanges.
Books read: Hairpin Bridge by Taylor Adams
Bag nights: 1

March

11-16 – PLU tech week
13 – See Clare & Patrick were in town and we were able to visit one day while I was on break from tech at PLU, which is where Clare went to undergrad! I’m always so very happy when I get to see them.
15-24 – TTC tech weeks
17 – Pippin at Pacific Lutheran University opens (Lighting Designer)
- I’m really proud of the work I did on this show, but I also know there are lots of ways I can improve. I’m thankful I get to be a Theatre Magic Maker.
23 – Get permanent bottom retainer removed! My teeth are free of appliances for the first time since 1996!
25 – The Spitfire Grill at Taproot opens

April

- 4-6 – Acting Studio Showcase props designer
- 6 – Assistant Stage Manager sub for The Spitfire Grill
- 7 – Daryl, my parents, and I see The Spitfire Grill
- 10 – Daryl, Riley, and I hike at O.O. Denny County Park and Saint Edward State Park
- 11-15 – Spring Break Acting Studio Camp props designer
- 14 – Sound Board Op sub for The Spitfire Grill
  - I have been listening for “Lights GO” for close to 20 years now, so it was really, really weird to listen for “Sound GO” for the very first time ever!
- 17 – Ski with Mike, Johnny, Mickey, GrandPaw, and Riley at Blewett
- 23 – TTC Gala at Triple Door
- 25-4 – NHHS tech weeks
- 26 – Get Invisalign!
- Books read: Red Paint: The Ancestral Autobiography of a Coast Salish Punk by Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe

May

5 – Pippin at Nathan Hale High School opens (Lighting Designer)
- Yes, I designed lights for the same show twice this spring. I’m not sure if it was the best idea, but it was definitely a challenge!
7-8 – I5SAF Ski Weekend at Mt. Hood Meadows
- Can you believe the blower pow in that photo?! Whodathunk we’d get a powder day for the last day of the season?
11-19 – TTC tech weeks
18-20 – ASM sub
20 – The Nerd at Taproot opens
22 – Daryl and I go flying and see Doc, one of the last B-29 bombers
25-26 – ASM sub

June

4 – Daryl’s birthday! I make a delicious carrot cake to celebrate
9 – All Tharp at PNB
11 – Brandi Carlile at the Gorge! This is hands down the very best concert I have ever been to in my entire life. Wow.
15 – Whomp whomp, I test positive for COVID
26 – After 11 long days (most of which I felt completely fine), I finally test negative for COVID! Just in time for…
27 – My 35th Birthday!
- Yet again, I was going to have a birthday bbq, but alas.
Books read: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (I only wanted to reread books while down with COVID)
Bag nights: 1

July

2-4 – Greaser-McDaniel Clan family weekend in Trout Lake!
6-14 – TTC tech weeks
12 – Finish a shawl I started in June. I added to the pattern and I’m really proud of both the patterning I did and the finished product!
15 – Black Coffee at Taproot opens (staring Michael Winters aka Taylor Doose from Gilmore Girls!)
16-17 – Hike at Thorp Mountain Lookout
21 – I went in for an orthodontist appointment and was surprised by getting my Invisalign off early!
23-24 – 10th Annual McIver Float! This year we brought Saville!
25 – Clare and Patrick were in town, so we went over for delicious Indian food on the deck of their AirBnb
26 – Friends Aria and Jordan from school came to visit another friend, Emily. I was hoping to go hiking with them, but schedules didn’t work out. We did picnic at Matthews Beach though!
27 – Before we completely melted in the heat, Daryl installed our fancy new AC!
31-1 – Explore and hike around Salmon La Sac
Books read: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Bag nights: 4

August

1 – Hike into Thorp Lake
5-6 – My parents are in town!
- 5 – Have parents over and cook them dinner
- 6 – Go to Mariners game (we won!) and Black Coffee with my parents
7 – Kind of last minute, Daryl and I decide to find a place to watch the Blue Angels perform at SeaFair. We lucked out with one of the last available parking spots and last available beach spots at a park on Mercy Island. I’ve never seen the Blue Angels perform before (though I did hear them practice for SeaFair about 12 years ago when I worked in the Mt. Baker neighborhood).
8 – Sneak Peak at Taproot
9 – One of my oldest internet friends Stacy (we met on LiveJournal when I was in high school!) was in town visiting with her girlfriend (now fiance!). She invited me and two of her friends to all get together and declared that the three of us MUST become friends.
10 – Daryl’s friend Jenny from MO was in town visiting. I had a really crappy day at work, but spent the entire evening laughing!
12 – Road Company rehearsal Stage Manager sub
19-5 – Daryl in Montana for Scapegoat
30-1 – Road Company previews (Props Designer)
Books read: Love & Saffron: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Love by Kim Fay, Fear Thy Neighbor by Fern Michaels, Jane of Hearts and Other Stories by Katharine Weber, Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

September

2 – I took my first ballet class since graduating. I definitely cried my way through plies.
10 – The Bolt Creek Fire starts about 40 miles from Seattle. The AQI hits 172 at house.
11 – Hamilton at Paramount with Ashleigh and Mady!
13-22 – TTC tech weeks
21 – Betsey rolls over 100,000 miles!
22 – Teton Gravity Research ski film at The Neptune
23 – A Night With The Russells at Taproot opens
25-26 – Airplane camping at Point Roberts. On our way there, we stopped at Lynden Airport, which is an air park (so folks have houses right next to the runway!). We borrowed bikes from the pilots lounge and rode to a steakhouse, where I had the best French Dip I’ve ever had.
29 – Carmina Burana at PNB. Oh my god, truly incredible.
Books read: The Artist Colony by Joanna FitzPatrick, Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson, Kitchen Yarns: Notes on Life, Love, and Food by Ann Hood
Bag nights: 1

October

2 – Day Of Goddess for Kelly & Calder’s wedding. I’ve thought about using my stage manager skills for weddings for a while and I’m so happy I got a chance to help make Kelly & Calder’s day wonderful.
3 – Bivalent booster!
8-10 – Astoria for Great Columbia Crossing. I’m so happy I got to walk across my very favorite bridge with my very favorite parents!
15 – Smoke returns, AQI 153
19-20 – Shadow SM in preparation for subbing later in the month
19 – AQI 289
20 – AQI 314
21 – IT RAINS!!!!!
23 – Squak Mountain Hike
25-27 – SM sub for A Night With The Russells
28 – Uncorked at Taproot
Books read: Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel

November

1 – Betsey gets new tires!
10 – This Season’s Canon at PNB. I could watch this entire program every day and feel very satisfied.
12-13 – Visit Will in Seiku. On Sunday we went out to Cape Flattery.
15-23 – TTC tech weeks
15-17 – Christmas Touring previews (Props Designer)
20 – Hike in Carkeek Park, see salmon spawning!
24-27 – Friendsgiving with Lizommy in Cottage Grove
- 26 – Hike Spencers Butte with Liz and Stella
25 – The Wickhams: Christmas At Pemberley at Taproot opens
29-30 – ASM sub for The Wickhams
Books read: A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde, A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Allen & Mike’s Really Cook Backcountry Ski Book by Allen O’Bannon

December

3 – Snow!
7-8 – Banff Mountain Film Fest at Benaroya with one of D’s coworkers. Saw a friend from the grotto there on night two.
10 – SheJumps Car Control Clinic!
11 – Ski Blewett and cut down Christmas tree
14 – Kula Holly Jolly Potty Party at Halcyon Brewing
18 – CommuniTEA Book Club zoom with Friday Afternoon and Clare
20 – Snow!
23 – Ice storm
24-26 – Astoria
- 25 – My Dad and I visit my Grandma at the care facility and then I make Christmas dinner. It’s very weird cooking in someone else’s kitchen, even if it’s the same one you first made boxed mac&cheese in!
28 – Hike in Hamilin Park
29 – Hike in Meadowdale Beach Park
30 – Hike in Discovery Park. The Wickhams is officially the first show since See How They Run in Jan/Feb to not have a COVID closure!
Books read: A Snake Falls To Earth by Darcie Little Badger

Books read: 22
Bag nights: 8
Taproot shows (Mainstage, Road Company, Acting Studio): 13
Performances I worked as SM, ASM, LBO, or SBO sub: 16
Outside shows: 2

●2021●2020●2019●2018●2017●2016●2015●2014●2013●2012●2011●2010●2009●

January 30, 2022

January

10 – 12th Anniversary <3

February

2 – First day of rehearsal for Daddy Long Legs! Definitely learned a lot about stage managing via Zoom – especially a musical.
7-8 – Daryl and I camp at the warming hut (with an incredible fire place), then Mike, Daryl, Riley, and I go backcountry skiing at Blewett Pass.
13 – Seattle got a beautiful blanket of snow. Daryl, Riley, and I went snow riding with Johnny and GrandPaw at Ravenna Park.
14 – Riding high on our snow stoke, we went urban skiing a second day at St. Edward State Park. Skied from the parking lot into Lake Washington! We end our Valentine’s Day watching Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Romeo et Juliette.
16 – I climb a ladder and focus an instrument at work!
22-26 – We record Daddy Long Legs. It felt so, so, so good to make theatre magic again!
27-28 – Daryl, Riley, and I ski and camp at Blewett Pass
We get 2 bag nights (sleeping bag night; camping)

March

9 – I visit the UM Stage Management class via Zoom. I really enjoy being an alum that is asked to speak to classes.
11 – Emily, Arina, and I spend a couple hours on Zoom together <3
12 – Daddy Long Legs opening night! Streaming openings are not quite the same as in person openings, but I’m so thankful we safely put on a show.
29 – Daryl, Mike, and I catch closing weekend at Mt. Baker. I can’t wait to ski there more next year!

April

- 2 – I got my first COVID-19 vaccination! I thought I was going to cry, but I was too giddy, I couldn’t stop smiling!
- 8 & 15 – Two nights of Blind Pilot live streaming from the Liberty Theatre
- 17 – I built a crate wall!
- 23 – 2nd dose!
- 24 – Taproot Theatre Company Gala! Virtual again this year, but we made it interactive with boxes of goodies that we hand delivered.

May

1-2 – Cascade Grotto Ape Cave Clean Up
8-12 – I was two weeks post-2nd dose just in time for Mother’s Day, so I drove home and surprised my Mama.
- 9 – My Dad and I hiked up to the Astoria Column, something we’ve never done together before. That night I watch PNB’s Coppelia, a ballet I have always loved, but I learned I’ve only ever seen the first act before!
- 10 – Mama and I meander our way from Astoria, down to Seaside, and then Cannon Beach. I’m always so thankful for time with her.
- 11 – I watch Bare Bait Dance’s Window Dressing. I’m thankful online streaming means I can watch my friends dance in Missoula from Astoria.
13 – We have some caver friends over for dinner. It feels good to slowly, safely start seeing people again.
16 – Daryl takes us flying up to Concrete and Bremerton. Such a beautiful day!
22 – We get the garden planted! Very excited about this year’s garden.
28-June 1 – Ski Diamond Peak
4 bag nights

June

2 – Daryl and I go to a Mariner’s game! We of course lost.
4 – My sweet love’s birthday!
12 – I design lights for Spectrum Dance Theater at the Seattle International Dance Festival!
14 – Clare and Patrick are in town to elope and we got to have them over for dinner. I of course made them a cake.
16 – After their wedding, we go out to dinner with Clare and Patrick to celebrate. I’m so happy we got to see them! I miss Clare lots.
17 – Kula Academy Whitewater Rafting trip!
19-20 – Cascade Grotto beginners trip to Lake Cave
- 20 – We meander our way home, stopping at the Johnston Ridge Observatory at Loowit.
23-30 – We almost melt in the heatdome.
- 24 – We see In The Heights at the movie theater.
- 26 – Picnic dinner at the lake.
- 27 – Daryl takes us flying in the morning. It is 107* by 4pm. I was going to have a birthday bbq, but the heat was just too, too much. We got one of the last air conditioned hotel rooms in the entire city for three nights.
1 bag night

July

16-18 – Annual McIver Float on the Clackamas River
24 – My friend Anya and I hike to Talapus and Ollalie Lake – exactly one year after I did the same hike with our friends from school, Brooke and Emily!
2 bag night

August

4 – I discovered nectarine caprese and decide it’s the only thing I want to eat for the rest of the summer.
7 – My friend Matthew and I see Theatre22’s Alice In Wonderland at Volunteer Park.
12 – I chop off and color my hair. Red headed again!
17 – Arina and Jesus are in town for Brooke’s wedding. I’m so happy we had them over for dinner. Lots of puppy play, delicious food, and hugs. <3
28-31 – We drive, bike, and hike in to a caving area with our friend Will. I love being outside.
3 bag nights

September

3-5 – After a brief interruption, we return to the caving area for a couple more days.
7 – Everyone at work is officially back at full time hours! Last day of the Seattle Public Library Summer Book Bingo – I read 24 books over the summer!
11-12 – We record the Road Company shows to have as streaming options.
17 – Taproot Theatre Company Uncorked!
23-26 – Liz and Tommy visit!
- 24 – We played tourist to the Space Needle and Chihuly Gardens. Wow, I’ve never been to the Chihuly museum before – it’s incredible!
- 25 – We brave the crowds at Pike Place Market, manage to visit the Fremont Troll with no crowds, and then had an incredible dinner at The Shambles.
2 bag nights

October

1 – Riley’s 5th birthday!
4 – Daryl and I go flying
16-17 – Leaf Peeping at Blewett Pass
18 – We start rehearsals for Babette’s Feast!
29-Nov 1 – Cascade Grotto Halloween Cave-In down by Pahto
3 bag nights

November

3 – 600 days after we stopped tech rehearsals for Babette’s Feast in 2020, we pick back up where we left off!
12 – Babette’s Feast Opening Night! The first in-person opening night since January 2020!
14-17 – I go to Portland with my parents for my Mom’s surgery (she’s doing great!).

December

1 – Boosted!
3 – I visit the UM Freshman Seminar class via Zoom. I hope one day I’ll be able to visit in person.
5-6 – Daryl snagged us a last minute spot at Goldmyer Hot Springs. We were the only ones camping and had the place to ourselves!
9 – My friend Audrey and I see We’ve Battled Monsters Before at ArtsWest. So, so good!
15 – We have our work Christmas party/breakfast and then I treat myself to a little shopping spree at Nordstrom. I almost walked into a Ciara photoshoot three separate times.
16 – Daryl and I have a date night to The Shambles and then to see Babette’s Feast!
19 – Christmas tree hunting and skiing at Blewett Pass
21 – Chop my hair and get it colored again. I love being a red head again.
22 – We take Mike, Saville, and the kids out to see PNB’s The Nutcracker! I’m so happy we were all able to go.
24-27 – Astoria for Christmas (everyone rapid tested before we left Seattle)
- 26 – Astoria got a white Christmas, so we got to ski the Astoria Column! The Clatsop County Snow Riders Association meets again!
- 27 – We stop by Tammy’s and visit for a couple hours before slowly heading home on the very icy highway.
28 – Date night to The Nutcracker with some of the best seats we’ve ever had.
1 bag night

Total bag nights for the year: 18

●2020●2019●2018●2017●2016●2015●2014●2013●2012●2011●2010●2009●

January 12, 2021

January

9 – The day before my first student loan payment was due I was offered a full time position at Taproot Theatre!
10 – Our 11th anniversary <3
11-13 – Anniversary Weekend
- 11 – Daryl and I skied at Stevens Pass and then joined friends in Leavenworth
- 13 – We finally get home after a 28 hour drive
20 – My friend Sydoney was in town from Portland and we got lunch
24 – A full theatre day: my final Spectrum Dance Theatre Frye Museum show and opening night of Steel Magnolias at Taproot Theatre!
26 – Daryl takes us on a flight around Seattle
We get one bag night (sleeping bag night; camping)

February

16 – Daryl, Mike, Elsie, and I went bowling!
21-24 – East Coast Trip
- 21 – Daryl and I fly to Philadelphia and then drive to the AirBnb in New Jersey we shared with Arina and Jesus
- 22 – Emily and Frank’s wedding!
- 23 – Emily and Frank hosted brunch at their house, then D and I drove to Philly and got dinner with Lindsay
- 24 – Daryl showed me around “his” Philly (the hospital he was born at, his Grandparent’s house, and his first job) and then I showed him around “my” Philly (the UArts buildings, my first job, my apartments)
26 – First production meeting for Chicago at Nathan Hale High School (Lighting Designer)
29 – Closing night for Steel Magnolias

March

5-6 – Rippin Chix ski camp at Crystal Mountain. I coughed from my post-show crud and joked “don’t worry, it’s not COVID.”
6 – Daryl starts working from home. Spencer and his lady friend stay the night while in town for a baby shower. There’s never enough time to to visit!
8 – Our friend Tom from Missoula was in town. We finally walked around Green Lake!
13 – It is announced at work that we will start working from home
19 – PNB of course cancelled their performance of One Thousand Pieces, but thankfully the Unions allowed them to stream it. Oh my goodness, it is so incredible. I really hope they bring it back once we can be in person again.
29 – I got tired of not having a spice rack, so I made one! Officially the first “Quarantine Project”.

April

- 21 – My new LLBean Boots arrive!
- We were under Stay Home, Stay Healthy orders, so I basically just made a lot of food.

May

4 – The weekend before we were technically allowed to start adventuring again, we went backcountry skiing at Yodelin
6 – Daryl and Mike built us three garden boxes
9-10 – We camp and ski at Yodelin
13 – We watch PNB’s 2014 production of Giselle
30-June 1 – Camp and ski at Mt. Adams
Three bag nights

June

1 – On the drive back from Mt. Adams, I start rehearsal for our Zoom Cabaret. Running a rehearsal via Zoom on an iPad hotspotting your phone while driving up I5 is *not* recommended
4 – Daryl’s birthday!
13-14 – We flew to Portland and then leap-frogged out way home. We landed at seven airports – including doing a touch-and-go at Sea-Tac!
20 – Daryl wanted cheesecake for his birthday, so I bought a spring form and made my first cheesecake! It turned out perfectly!
21 – First Chinook Pass ski trip of the year
24 – We road our bikes to a disc golf course and played a round while drinking Cold Smoke. It felt very “Missoula”.
27 – My birthday!
27-28 – Camp and ski at Chinook Pass
Two bag nights

July

5 – Ski Artist’s Point at Mt. Baker
14 – Becky and I go hiking. We attempted Mt. Ellinor, but neither of us had enough water and I didn’t bring enough carbs and totally bonked. Still a great day!
18 – We go flying over the San Juan Islands for sunset
24 – Emily, Brooke, Ollie, Riley, and I hike to Ollallie Lake. Always so wonderful to see school friends, but hiking with masks on it not comfortable.
25 – I took a watercolor class with Kula Academy. So much fun!

August

9-10 – Daryl and I got to tag along with Mike and Fisher on Fish’s first backpacking trip!
19-23 – Daryl and I backpack in to Crater Lakes for a long weekend
Five bag nights

September

1-14 – Montana for Scapegoat. We kept an eye on the COVID numbers in the everyone’s counties before we left. They were all below 10% chance based on the GA Tech Event Risk Assessment tool. We decided we were okay with the risk. I didn’t really relax about it until the end of the September when I knew we got away with it.
- 3-4 – Hike in and set up camp
- 7 – Snow day! We woke up to graupel, which turned into snow. I think we got 6 inches!
- 11 – Daryl, Brian, Caitlin, Riley, and I hiked up to the plateau and spent the day looking for caves
- 12 – Hike out and drive to Helena (and into the smoke)
25 – We have three plum trees in our backyard and I didn’t want them to go to waste this year. I made a trio of plum treats to share with our triplex neighbors
29 – We took a sunrise flight to Whidbey Island for breakfast
12 bag nights

October

1 – Riley’s 4th birthday
5 – Mike moved out
15 – PNB Rep 1. Watching the ballet at home is fun, but I miss going out to the ballet.
19 – Dropped my ballot off! I love voting!
22 – Watch UM’s Dance Underground. I love seeing my friends dance.
30 – I visited the UM theatre major’s Freshman Seminar as guest speaker!
31-November 1 – We went on a Larch March and didn’t see any other people. I love having nature to ourselves.
One bag night

November

6 – Watch Bare Bait Dance’s Kinetoscope Film Festival
7-8 – We fly to Orcas Island for the weekend. We hiked in to a beachside campground and had the whole thing to ourselves. The next morning we got brunch at Doe Bay resort, all by ourselves. Then we had a beautiful sunset flight home.
12 – PNB Rep 2
13 – Watch SDT Lyric Suite
26 – Even though it was just the two of us, I decided to go all out for Thanksgiving. I made my very first turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, dressing, rolls, and, of course, pie!
One bag night

December

5-6 – Snow camp and some four-wheel driving
12 – Christmas tree hunting
23 – We flew up to Snohomish and Monroe for a little morning flight
25 – Daryl, Mike, Riley, and I went skiing for Christmas at Yodelin. So-so snow, but so much fun!
27 – Sunset hike at Saint Edwards
One bag night

Total bag nights for the year: 26!

●2019●2018●2017●2016●2015●2014●2013●2012●2011●2010●2009●

January 17, 2020January 17, 2020

Adventures: Spacegoat 2019, pt 2

On Monday we gathered the last of our crew – Kai got to camp around 4am after driving from Ohio and Taylor and Steph met us at the trailhead. Daryl hiked in before everyone so he could meet the packers at camp, but he left Riley to hike in with me. The first group after Daryl was Mike, Bob, and Amy. The rest of us followed in a group – we met up from time to time along the hike, but we each hiked at our own pace.

We took a long lunch at the cabin, waiting for the last of the group to arrive before heading off again. 10 miles in, 3 to go!

The last trudge up the hill was a little miserable for me, but having Riley with me helped. I sang him songs and reminded myself to just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Eventually we made it to the top and I found my handsome love sitting atop a boulder.

The only tasks after arriving at camp was setting up. Daryl and I set up camp just above where we’ve camped in the past, in a cute little corner of trees.

Our mornings on the trip were always the same – slowly we all gathered in the middle of camp, made coffee and breakfast, and figured out plans for the day. Riley patrolled around, keeping us safe from all members of the group who left momentarily and then returned. He’s a very good guard deg, if not a little overly protective.

Adventures: Spacegoat 2019, pt 1

Every year I look forward to our summer trips to Montana for caving. Daryl has been caving in Scapegoat since the early 2000s and I started caving there in 2013. There is so much cave and so many projects and it is so much fun!

This year we had a group! (All my previous trips have been just two or three of us.) We had cavers from the Northern Rocky Mountain Grotto, the Cascade Grotto, and the Cleveland Grotto (he drove all the way from Ohio for the trip!)!

I tried a new food packing technique this year, where I packaged food into different days, with items like nuts, cheese, chocolate (things we snack on often and will have multiple days) getting moved from bag to bag as the week progressed.
It was a step in the right direction of food packing, but it’s definitely still a draft of a system. Every trip we take I make note of what we eat each day – this year I took it a step further and weighed each bulk item and then weighed them again when we got home. My goal is to one day pack exactly the right amount of food for a trip.

I ordered a brand new caving suit for this trip and I opted for a two piece – the Adventure Verticale Taka Jacket and Fornocal Pant. (My other suit is a cordura Meander suit.)
I’ll write a more thorough review once I’ve used it a couple more times, but here are my first impressions after a week of caving:
+ I love how long the jacket is (it covers my butt). I never once got a dreaded gap between jacket and pants.
– My seat harness often worked its way above the belt of my pants. Once I realized what was happening, I became more aware of making sure the belt was fully above my seat harness. It wasn’t as much of a problem after I started doing this, but I definitely had to readjust my pants after getting off rope.
+ Having a jacket and pants rather than a one piece made it much easier to get my layers set underneath.
+ Because the jacket is so long, I was able to open it almost all the way, take my arms out of it and put on/take off a fleece layer, then put the jacket back on without having to take my vertical gear off to readjust or tuck it back in.
– The suit is a ripstop like material and does not breathe. All my sweat stayed trapped on the suit. It wasn’t a huge problem, as I never got cold (it’s all about the base [layers]), but it did mean when I took my fleece off and just had a tshirt on, my arms got wet from the moisture trapped on the suit.

I’m excited to go on more trips soon so I can continue this list of pros and cons (and because I can’t wait to go caving again).

When we visited Lizommy we picked a bunch of apples from their backyard. Since Liz has also been to Scapegoat, it seemed fitting to bake a pie with their apples for the Spacegoat Expedition!

We left for Missoula early Saturday morning (I believe we broke a record and were driving by 5:30am!). We stopped a couple times, but otherwise drove straight thru and made it just in time for our friends wedding! After the reception, everyone went downtown to see Leftover Salmon at the River City Roots Fest – including the bride and groom still in their wedding outfits. <3

The following morning we drove to Augusta and had lunch with Brian at the Buckhorn Bar (a must stop if you are in town), before heading to Benchmark to meet everyone at the campground.
A couple hours after we all got to camp, our packer stopped by and dropped off the panniers for us to pack up. Everyone put their personal gear being packed in in one pile and their group gear in another pile and then we Tetris’d together 70lb bags for the next couple of hours.

Adventures: Fisher Lake

The weekend before we left for our Montana adventures, we went on a “shakedown” backpacking trip to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness with our friend Johnny and his pup Grand Paw.

Thanks to the great Washington Trails Association website, we were able to find a hike that checked all the boxes: between 5 and 7 miles, dog friendly, and to either a mountain vista or a lake. With side trips to Ptarmigan Lakes and Mount Sawyer, this trip was everything we were looking for.

The parking area was pretty full when we got there, so we were a bit nervous about how full the camping would be at the lake, but then as we started hiking a group of about 15 people came off the trail. They told us there was plenty of camping at the lake – plus the big campsite they vacated that morning.

The hike in was a bit of a trudge at times, but aside from a couple chunks of straight up and places where you have to either go over and under (if you’re a medium mister) giant trees, it’s a easy hike.

After getting to Fisher Lake and setting up camp (at the large campsite the group told us about), we continued hiking on to Ptarmigan Lakes.

After getting to Lower Ptarmigan Lake, we crossed the scree field to continue on to Upper Ptarmigan Lake.

Johnny with Grand Paw and Riley at Upper Ptarmigan Lake

A SiliPint makes a great stand-in for a fire!

That night we had a “fire” and stargazed for a bit before heading to bed. Few things beat falling asleep in the woods with my favorite tent-mates.

When we woke up the next morning we went berry picking. I set a timer and we picked as many huckleberries and blueberries we could find (the huckleberries when into a pie with apples from Lizommy’s backyard!). The photo above is nearly a pound of hucks (Johnny was only picking blueberries) – picked in 30 minutes without walking more than 5 ft from our campsite!

My husband is a genius and put huckleberries in his oatmeal!

It was a gorgeous day, so after packing up camp we hiked back over to Lower Ptarmigan Lake to enjoy the water before heading back to the trailhead.

The puppers were very concerned every time Johnny and Daryl jumped into the lake, but never quite reached “Must Rescue!” level.

After getting back to camp and grabbing our gear, we hit the trail out. Since we were at Fisher Lake and had the opportunity to add a short jaunt to Sawyer Mountain, we of course did so – mainly so we could call this our “Nephew Hike” in honor of 2/5th of the cute kiddos that call us “Uncle D” and “Auntie Katt”.

The hike out once back to the main trail was a bit of a trudge thru the dark, but I felt great. I’ve been going to the gym semi- to fairly-regularly this year and this was the first hike I could really feel that.

Lessons learned from this trip: Snacks and Vitamin Water at the car should be standard – and if we have an extra freeze dried meal and are all starving before we drive away, take the 20 minutes to boil water and let it hydrate so you don’t have to drive nearly 2 hours to the closest fast food.

February 16, 2019August 4, 2019

Adventures: Ski-N The New Year – Blewett Pass

After a three year hiatus, Daryl and I revived our tradition of Ski-N The New Year™, this time with Daryl’s brother Mike.
(Previous Ski-N The New Year™ trips: Mt. Hood Meadows 2010, Mt. St. Helens 2011, Lost Trail 2012, Mt. St. Helens 2013 and 2014)

My beautiful new ski set up: DPS Zelda 106s, G3 Ion 12s (no brakes), Black Diamond Ascension skins, and Scott Celeste III ski boots (not shown)

We tossed around a lot of ideas for our NYE trip: Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Baker, Steven’s Pass. Unfortunately, the avalanche danger was really high and the snow was really unstable all over the Cascades, so we opted for much tamer terrain: Blewett Pass.

Since Daryl and Mike planned on skipulk-ing gear in, we of course decided to go big with food. I prepped bibimbap (my favorite camping meal) (though admittedly it does take too many steps to really be an efficient camping meal) for dinner and veggies for a morning scramble.
One major upside to moving 19 times is my ability to tetris a lot of things into not a lot of space – all of our food fit into The Boss, including ice packs!

We got to the Sno-Park around 2:30pm and snagged the very last spot in the lot (lots of families sledding and snow mobilers). After spending a record short amount of time at the 4Runner, we got on our skis and started heading up hill.

We skied up the road for about an hour before popping into the woods and finding a campsite on a saddle in the woods. After dropping our stuff at camp, we skinned up to the lower of the two summits for sunset.

When we got back to camp, the guys started collecting firewood (Riley helped) while I stomped down the snow for our tent. After camp was set and the fire started, I got down to [the] business of dranking vodka and making dinner.

I’m so glad I sold my old car and bought these new skis

The conditions were definitely not ideal for skiing, so we didn’t do any touring in the morning like we had hoped.
After packing up camp and navigating how to get the sleds back down to the road on the icy, crunchy snow we got into our skis and started heading back to the car. We skied the road the whole way down, passing two groups on snow shoes heading up.

As the year turned from 2018 to 2019 I declared my intention for the year: more adventures. There’s a lot of other things I want for the year, but they pretty much all circle back to More Adventures.

Today’s adventure took place on land stolen from the Yakama and Wenatchi.

June 29, 2018June 29, 2018

Papoose Cave – June 9-11, 2018

At the beginning of June we went on a multi-grotto caving trip to Papoose in Idaho. There were 19 cavers from 6 different grottos in attendance! (Cascade Grotto, Gem State Grotto, Northern Rocky Mountain Grotto, Oregon Grotto, Silver Sage Grotto, and Detroit Urban Grotto)

A couple days before we left for Idaho I came down with a cold. I was feeling a lot better, but not 100%, so I elected to not go caving on Saturday. Riley and I stayed at camp with Larry and Rob. During the day while everyone else was in the cave we had all the weather – rain, sunshine, hail, and snow. We added to the kitchen tarpology to provide a covered place near the fire.

Such a conundrum – would I really rather be drinking a Great Burn beer when I have Fort George 3-Way? Hmm.

After everyone left on Monday, we went on a de-rigging mission. Riley wanted to come too!

This is the most water anyone has seen at the entrance of this cave. Last time we were here, the entrance was completely dry.

Waiting while Daryl de-rigged the second drop.

After getting back to camp, we changed clothes and then started our way home (we broke down camp completely before heading into the cave – slowly we’re figuring out how to be more efficient!). We stopped for lunch and a beer at the Rants & Raves taphouse in Riggins, then hit the road.

Riley is very rarely completely exhausted after a trip, so it’s easy to see when it’s been a great trip for him! Everyone at camp loved him and he got almost everyone to throw a stick for him at least once. There were so many smells and trees to pee on! Plus, he got to sleep in the tent with us, which means puppy cuddles all night long!

May 25, 2018May 25, 2018

North Cascades Recon – May 12-13, 2018

This weekend we visited a new National Park – North Cascades National Park. I love collecting new sign photos. This is our first with Riley!

Our Crosstrek was at the dealership for two weeks and I got some fancy loaner cars. First I had a 2017 Impreza Sport hatchback, then I had a 2018 Impreza Sport sedan. Then I called and told them if my car wasn’t ready by Friday I was going to need a higher clearance vehicle so we could go camping. With zero hesitation they handed me the keys to a 2018 Crosstrek! Thanks, Carter Subaru!

Before we left I prepped all the ingrediants for a HelloFresh meal. Hello Fresh? More like Hello Camping Bibimbap!

Camping with Riley is great because he can cuddle in bed with us!

Left over bibimbap with a fried egg for breakfast. YUM!

They opened the North Cascades Highway on Friday and on Saturday we drove to Washington Pass and camped just behind the road closed sign. There were three other parties camped here, as well as a couple of photographers who walked down to the observation point to camp. We just upgraded our backpacking tent to a Big Agnes Copper Spur and this was our first trip out. It’s the perfect size for the three of us! And only 3lbs!

I really love that my favorite summer time activity is skiing.

After touring around in the woods we meandered our way through the park on the way home. Colonial Peak and Pyramid Peak in the background above Diablo Lake.