Harvest

The typical "Saturday" was lost the moment I started to work for NOLS. My time off was never on a routine schedule but rather days between marketing events or courses. Today I reclaimed my Saturday and it felt fantastic.

This morning I went on a 33-mile bike ride around the perimeter of Bainbridge Island. The weather was spectacular and the smells from the surrounding forest made me feel as though I was miles from another soul. My ride followed the route for a local race held every February, the Chilly Hilly. This race has kicked off cycling season in the Northwest for the past 40 years with 2,675 feet of climbing. I already have my sights set on this race and if it sounds like something you would enjoy, come on out! I'd lie if I said I wasn't brainstorming possible custom jersey designs and a team name today...

During my ride I passed countless blackberry patches bordering the road. And so, after finishing up and taking a quick shower, I grabbed a large bowl and set off to harvest. I'd never picked blackberries before and with a multitude of scratches on my legs, I definitely learned some things in the process. In all, I harvested a five quart bowl of delicious, sweet morsels. Most of those are in the process of being frozen while I made sure to keep a pint of fresh ones as an immediate reward for my labors.

Finally, I finished off a great day with a great dinner. A baked potato covered in broccoli, red and green peppers, onions, mushrooms, and of course, ranch dressing. Delicious!

As IslandWood approaches, so does my excitement in becoming a weekend warrior. How much can you actually cram into a two-day time period? We will see.

Riley

Sigur Rós

Exposure to new experiences is unexplainable. It keeps you on your toes, makes you question, and provides a perspective not normally held.

Last night, Jack and I went to see Icelandic band Sigur Rós at Seattle's Paramount Theatre. I'm not ashamed to say that I'd never really listened to the band and honestly wouldn't have gone out of my way to see them perform. However, if offered a ticket to see live music, count me in.

The show started off a little slow. I found myself on the fence as to whether I was really enjoying what I was hearing. But, after the first two to three songs the show absolutely took off. It was spectacular. With eleven musicians on stage, it was difficult to choose who to watch. It was truly breathtaking.

The musical niche this group fills is one which I honestly cannot easily explain. It's different. My recommendation? Give is an open-minded listen and see for yourself. I would recommend one of the following songs:

- Hafsól ("Ocean Sun")
- Hoppípolla ("Puddle Jumping")
- Saeglópur ("Lost At Sea")

Photographs as the lighting changed.







Would I go see Sigur Rós play again? Indubitably!

Here's to spontaneity!

Riley

The Road To Recovery

Recovery after an injury is never a fun process to endure. It's frustrating, draining, and always seems to take longer than predicted. For me, the injury I sustained in the Waddington Range will not be a rapid recovery. I don't make this statement pessimistically, I make it based on the fact that it is exactly what my physical therapist told and proved to me yesterday.

Following a discussion about how we needed to turn off the muscles that have been locked since July 7th, I laid on the ground and let out the grunts of an Olympic Clean Jerk contender while trying to perform a simple roll from one side of my body to the other. As the physical therapist smiled down, it donned on me that I have a long road ahead. Fortunately, that road is already trending upwards and having the ability to exercise again is something for which I am incredibly grateful.

At the moment I've been cleared to walk, hike (without weight), swim, run (in a pool), and road bike. By far the most comfortable of these is road biking. It allows my spine to sit in a position opposite my injury. The relief this provides is unbelievable and as such, I've been spending a lot of time aboard my Cannondale. With each ride my body feels better and I become more and more excited about cycling in general. This past weekend only affirmed my building exuberance.

On Friday afternoon, Caitlin's brother, Jack, and I threw our stuff into the truck and headed for the Methow Valley. If you're unfamiliar, it's an area just east of the North Cascade Mountain Range. Sitting in a rain shadow, its weather is much more arid than coastal Washington. If you've ever wondered where Washington Apples come from, it's the Methow. I can't even begin to imagine how many orchards exist in the area. The drive is spectacular and late that evening we met up with one of Jack's friends and were fortunate enough to stay on an absolutely gorgeous piece of property his family owns on the bank of the Methow River.

We spent our time near the communities of Twisp, Winthrop, and Mazama. All three are quite small and each is unique in its own right. Twisp is at the confluence of two rivers and is host to a number of amazing shops and restaurants. Winthrop is western themed and as such the entire town is architecturally western. And Mazama, population 230, is a town you could literally blink and miss. My recommendation if you're ever in the area... Don't blink.


A hand painted map detailing the area decorates a downtown Winthrop establishment.

Saturday morning brought blue skies. After a quick breakfast, we set out from Mazama for Washington Pass, a 20-mile climb with 3,500 feet of elevation gain. The ride up was amazing. Traffic was light and drivers were generally courteous. The ride down? The ride down took a quarter of the time it took to climb to the top. You do the math on the how-amazing-was-that-fun-o-meter.


Jack and I atop the pass.

It feels great to be exercising regularly again. And, while my recovery may be a slow one, it could have been much worse and at least I can recover doing the things I love.

For anyone reading this, go outside. Right now. Leave whatever device you're reading this on, walk outside, and take a deep breath. You won't regret it.

Riley