Mt. Rainier Backcountry

Lenny: I've learned that people in the Pacific Northwest are really extreme.  Be really cautious when you agree to do recreational activities with people you meet here.


Being from Colorado, I took this with a grain of salt and agreed to go on a snowshoeing/skiing trip at Muir Snowfield at Mt. Rainier National Park for my first backcountry experience.  I was told the ski would be easy...like a green or blue, something that was within my ability level.   There were five of us total: four of us from the UW A&A Department (Esther, Logan, Ian and me) and Esther's friend, Alli.

The day started perfectly.  Blue skies, fresh snow, and warm sun on our faces.

Photo courtesy of Ian

The views were spectacular the entire way up.

As the morning progressed, the hike became steeper.  I became more tired, and had to take lots of breaks.

Esther and Logan are trekking champs

Alli and Ian

 As we got towards the top, the wind started to move in, and so did a looming storm.  We sought a shelter for a quick lunch.

Ian took this picture of me bringing up the rear in the blowing wind.  It makes me look about 100x more hardcore than I actually am.

The wind was annoying, but created a beautiful scape.

By the time we got to the top, the weather was souring....quickly!

Compare that shot to the one when we first started...they look like they were taken on completely different days.

Unfortunately, we couldn't make it to Muir before the weather chased us down, so we ended up taking quite a challenging route down.  It was so cold that I had trouble putting on my boot (Logan had to help push my leg into it), and my legs were wobbly from the hike up.  For my first turns of the season, it was not a wise choice to go backcountry...no matter how mellow it was.  I was fatigued, scared, and the weather was creating very, very flat lighting that was not conducive to getting down the mountain quickly.

You'll notice that I didn't post any pictures of us skiing down...and that would be because they didn't exist: we were focused on getting down in the whiteout safely and as fast as possible.

Those words of Lenny could not have rung truer.  Looking back, I have no regrets, and really enjoyed the trip...as terrifying as it was to "ski" down (it was more like falling interrupted with the occasional upright position).  I love how active everyone in UW A&A is, and I love their company and enthusiasm, but I'm definitely going to have to get in shape before I commit to another day trip like this!  If anything, it kicked my butt into gear to become a better skier and snowshoer.  Looks like I have the winter cut out for me...

Exploring Seattle, Rubber Side Down

It's too bad I had to get here on the tail end of summer.  I helped myself to a mountain biking guide for the Puget Sound area, and I'm definitely set on seeing it through.

The first week, I went to St. Edward's State Park--just me and my bike, Gemini.  Fear of new terrain, no company, and unfamiliar trail conditions made me weary to go exploring too far...but I still enjoyed the scenery.

The second time around, I recruited Chewie and Andrew to tag along with!  We had a lot of fun at Redmond Watershed Preserve.  Fast and flowy, this trail was cake and clear of obstacles.  I'd like to try something more challenging next time, but this was a great one!

Picking Up and Moving On

13 months after leaving Washington, I returned on a different mission.

This time, I'm here to stay ... for at least a while.  It's been a bit of a roller coaster, and I'm having a lot of fun adjusting.  This is a stage of life that most of my friends have already experienced when moving for undergrad, but something that is new to me.  I went to college and completed my MS in the same town that I grew up in -- I ran into old teachers at the farmer's market, watched the rise and fall of Crossroads Mall (and eventual mutation into 29th Street), and passed my preschool when going out to the bars of Pearl.

It was an emotional leave, but an exciting one.  Normally an extrovert, I felt exposed and scared my first few weeks here.  The judging had begun, and I was afraid of making a wrong move with my research, professors, homework, and peers.  Of course, I was making things out to be far more cutthroat than they actually were, and as I let my guard down, I started to enjoy myself more.  I love my department, my new friends, and the Seattle lifestyle.  I don't mind the rain or the winter darkness here, and I'm enjoying my first pair of real rain boots.

The fear that comes with the open-endedness of my degree still looms every once in a while, but it makes me think about the uncertainty that came with beginning my time at CU.  Very little of what I forecasted ended up coming true, and for the better.  The indefinite timeline of a PhD can be seen as a blessing and a curse...and based on my first two months here, I can't wait for the rest.

Guggenheim Hall - the Aero & Astro Eng Building at UW

View of downtown + Mt. Rainier from Kerry Park in Queen Anne

Mountain Biking on the Eastside during my first weeks here

Getting My Wings

The journey to complete my pilot's license was certainly a sprint to the finish.  No greater than one day before I was to drive out to Seattle, I passed my final checkride with McAir Aviation to become a pilot!

I had the chance to take passengers a week later, when I came back to CO for Sam and Erica's wedding. However, it was while I was in Seattle that I finally received the legitimate license for my wallet:

Crossing a goal off the list has never felt so good!

Sam and Erica's Wedding

In September, Sam and Erica got married!  They had a fantastic ceremony, and I am stoked to have Erica as my sister-in-law!

The ceremony was outdoors, and the weather was perfect.  I was the designated dog-handling bridesmaid, and we almost had a close call where Porter saw a duck in the lake...but one of Sam's generous and prepared friends literally threw us a bone for him to gnaw on.

I wish I had more pictures, but alas, I wasn't very good about having the camera.  The professional photos can be found here: http://kenwrightphotos.com/2010/ericasam/slideshow/index.html

Hooray!

It was only a few years ago that it was theirs :)

The family + cousins from Seattle, Chicago, and New Jersey!

Even Uncle Hari came out for the event.  He and dad did their PhDs together at CSU back in the day!

I can clean myself up and be presentable when I want to :)

Ladies 

Erica comes from a family of farmers.  The centerpieces were comprised of wheat from her family's farm!

It's official!

A beautiful wedding overall.  I'm so sad that I'm no longer a 30 min drive away from them...I miss them so much!

Colorado Sport Aviation Air Show

(Still determined to address the backlog of pictures I have from this summer...)

I went to my first airshow back in August.  It was the Rocky Mountain Air Show held by Colorado Sport Aviation, and was a ton of fun!  Lucky for me, it was at the airport I was completing my training out of, so I had the opportunity to see a lot of cool planes arrive and depart the days leading up to and following the show.  I even caught an F-18 leaving!

Aside from being blistering hot (I'm pretty sure the dewpoint/temp spread was something ridiculous like 20 deg C), I got to see some cool planes and neat aerobatic shows.

I was so lucky to do my training out of this airport.  The views are unparalleled out of KBJC!

Formation flying!

The MiG-17

The only way they would allow a car at an air show...if you strap a jet engine to it!

This airplane made me laugh, because it looks like its smiling. 

Me and the Osprey :)

Living out of a Suitcase

January: Chicago, IL
February: Columbia, MO
March: Canyonlands, UT
April: Stillwater, OK
May: Seattle, WA
June: Kihei, HI
July: Pittsburgh, PA
August: Fairbanks, AK
September: Pasadena, CA
October: Orlando, FL

planned....
November: Mt. Baker, WA
December: Boulder, CO

Can I squeeze in one more trip to Orlando to take another chance on seeing the shuttle?  Not sure at this point, but I can definitely tell you that I'm raking in the freq. flyer miles and getting my money's worth out of my travel gear...