When Lauren and Jeff settled in Seattle, we started visiting in the winter for snow sports. Washington State is blessed with nearby mountains and plenty of precipitation. We went cross-country skiing and snowshoeing throughout the Cascade Range.
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| Wenatchee, WA, Feb. 2018 |
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| Lauren and Mona go off-trail |
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| Hilarity ensues |
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| Leavenworth, WA, Feb. 2019 |
This is also when I learned three scary words, "Follow us, Dad." That's how we found ourselves snowshoeing on a steep slope in the mountains deep in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Jeff and Lauren turned around and said, "We can't get down from here." I looked up the slope to tall overhanging cornices of snow hundreds of feet above us and then down as my snowshoes dislodged little snow balls that rolled down the slope of their own accord marking paths in the soft snow. A wave of adrenaline surged up my spine. "Holy snowflake, Batman, we wandered into an avalanche zone!"
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| Artist Point, Mt. Baker, Mar. 2020 |
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| Jeff and Lauren |
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| Mona |
After a couple of years of Lauren and Jeff graciously inviting us to Seattle for a weekend of winter fun, we learned they were also inviting Jeff's parents -- sometimes for the same destination the following weekend. That seemed crazy to us. How much fun would that second weekend be for Lauren and Jeff? Not much. "Invite Jeff's parents for the same weekend and we'll all go together," we suggested.
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| Stevens Pass, Mar. 2022 |
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| Which is the real Marty Doornbos? |
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| Or this is Marty Doornbos? |
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| Pat, Jeff, Lauren, Mona, Marty, Toni |
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| Snowshoeing Kendall Peak Lakes Trail, Feb. 2023 |
Travelling with in-laws could be a tricky business, but Marty and Toni ("Antoinette") proved to be marvelous travel companions -- friendly and easy to talk to. So now we meet them each year somewhere between Seattle and Montana for a weekend of snowshoeing. But in 2023 we had an added bonus. Instead of a second day of snowshoeing, we rented fat tire bikes.
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| Perfect fat tire conditions, Feb. 2023 |
Riding from the bike rental in Cle Elum, we headed west towards the Suncadia Resort. The snow conditions were ideal with a layer of fresh snow.
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| Hot chocolate at the Suncadia Lodge |
My first experience riding fat tire bikes on snow -- what a blast!
In 2024, it was so warm we rented mountain bikes. Marty and Toni opted to upgrade to e-bikes.
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| Leavenworth, Mar. 2024 |
It proved to be a very nice day for mountain biking. Marty let me try his e-mountain bike. I felt like a super hero climbing effortlessly through the forest.
The next day, we drove into the mountains with the plans of snowshoeing. It was wet and rainy all the way there and not looking too good.
Until suddenly, at the parking lot, it was high enough and cold enough that the rain turned to snow!
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| Leavenworth, Mar. 2024 |
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| Added new pin |
- State: Washington
- Date: 2023-02-28
- Route: Cle Elum to Suncadia Resort
- Distance: 10 miles
- Date: 2024-03-24
- Route: Leavenworth bike shop to fish hatchery to ski hill
- Distance: 10 miles
