In Seattle!!!

I landed in Seattle on Tuesday morning. Kate, Mollie's mom, picked me up at the airport. After settling in at her house, we shopped for groceries.  Then after  my nap, we chatted while Kate cooked a delicious meal with salmon and pasta salad.. It is incredibly relaxing being here, and it is nice to taper back my rigorous training routine and just rest for the big climb ahead.

On the deck of the ferry to Bainbridge Island


Kate lives in the Wedgewood neighborhood in northeast Seattle.  It is beautiful and quiet here.  I have no problem sleeping regardless of the time change.  Not sure if it is the gray sky or jet lag, but the result should be plenty of rest and energy when I arrive at Mt. Rainier tomorrow.

The view from Kate's back window

In the Wednesday morning Seattle Times there was a cautionary tale published, lest this adventure be taken for granted!



Don't worry folks, I will keep my ice ax with me at all times in case I need to "self arrest". 

on Wednesday, Kate had suggested an outing to Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride out into the Puget Sound.  I needed a relaxing walk after reading the paper, so after packing a lunch, I was off on the 71 bus to the Ferry Terminal in downtown Seattle and on the 12:15 ferry to Bainbridge Island.

Bainbridge is such a serene and picturesque place, and it is the home of Ed Viesturs, the first American mountaineer to climb all 8000 meter peaks!  If you ever go there, take a hike on the path along the shore and stop in town for a treat at the Blackbird Bakery near the corner of Madrone Lane and Winslow Way.  The Wildernest Outdoor Store is also a great place to buy gear and clothing, but I resisted buying this time, in spite of the friendly conversation about mountains with the proprietor.

Maybe Ed Viesturs lives here?

Wish I could have reached higher, these blackberries looked good!

My treat at the Blackbird Bakery, blackberry pie and tea

It was nearly 4:00 when I returned to downtown Seattle.  But, with so little time to explore the city, I decided to have a local microbrew in Pioneer Square.  Summer Solstice brewed by Freemont was my favorite. What to do next? A thousand ideas flew my way from the friendly folks I met at the bar. I resisted the idea to see the Yankees v Mariners game and settled on a Chinatown dinner before catching the 71 bus back to Kate's and calling it a night.

Today I spent the morning picking up the last of my equipment needs at REI's flagship store and writing this blog post.  Tomorrow Kate is driving me to Mt. Rainier.  I'll be staying at Whittaker's Bunkhouse.  The weather is not promising at this point.  Currently the winds are 40 mph and the temperature is in the mid 20s at Camp Muir.  Hope it changes, but if it does not, I should get some good experience in expeditionary skills training.  That in fact is the title of the RMI Program I will be in from Sept 18-23 Expedition Skills Seminar Camp Muir.  You can follow our team's progress at http://rmiguides.com/blog/