Seattle

One of the advantages of traveling a bunch is you really appreciate home even if you're only there one week in four.  Seattle had some beautiful weather last week.  Sunny days and amazing sunsets - like this one from our balcony.

After savoring it, I headed to Poco Wineroom, right around the corner, to meet up with Sara to catch up and just hang out with some amazing wines and cool atmosphere.

I've also gotten time to cook in my own kitchen.  Last fall I bought a hind quarter of Zhi, a locally raised, grass fed, organic cow from Jubilee Farms in Carnation.  He's provided the main course at several dinner parties this week.  As delicious as beef daube was, my proudest culinary accomplishment was a bacon apple pie.

The crisp, savory bacon, sweet apples, and flaky crust work quite well together.

On Tuesday we read a trip report about an amazing powder day at Camp Muir.  On Wednesday the freezing level was down to 7000 feet.  So on Thursday Nate, Bailey, and I headed off to Mt Rainier in hopes that even more snow had fallen.

The skies were blue and the sun was out, which almost made up for the snow actually coming down as rain and crusting the powder.

 

We still got some turns in (Bailey's first backcountry snowboard trip)

Got peeks at peaks in the distance (Nate and Mt St Helens)

And generally had a great day in the mountains.

More shots from the day at Picasa.

Now I've headed off again, this time to Salt Lake City with my friend Robert.  The skies have been dumping the past two days with 20+ inches of new snow.  We've done a backcountry tour and a resort day so far.  Hopefully I'll remember to bring my camera on one of our other trips this week.