New Years Eve Hike

It was unseasonably warm this week! On New Years Eve we went up to Oregon Ridge Park for a hike, and then out to Mission Impossible 3. It was a really nice to be outside for a little bit. 

2400 Feet Straight Up

This will be the last post for a while, as this is the last stop with internet before we get to basecamp.

We should be back through in about 8 days. Or so.

Yesterday we climbed a straight 2,400 feet. Whoa.

We'll spend two nights at this elevation (yesterday and today) before moving up higher. Today to help aclimitize we climbed to 12,500. Without packs on it was manageable, but we've decided to drop some gear here and pick it back up on our way through.

It's beautiful. And so far the weather has really been on our side. It was in the 60's today, and cloudy. We were hoping to get our first view of Everest today, and we saw part of it for a split second as the clouds parted. But, no rain, so no complaints.

Here is where we've spent the last couple of days.

More pictures next week. :) We're off to the top of the world.

Ready

Guess whose bag didn't come.

Guess who is flying out to Lukla at six am?

Guess who got all. new. camping-gear.

Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas to Andrew.

Sigh.

If we waited any longer to fly out, we simply wouldn't make it. And the skies are clear. So off we go.

Hiking in the Shenandoah

Kat braved the drive with me, starting at 6:30. We would have been slighter earlier, but as I walked out of my house at 6:15, one of our friends from up the street was just walking home from work at Hopkins (note, this is 6:15 AM!) so I gave him a lift home. It was among the funnier moments of the day when I walked out of the house and saw him walking home. I looked at me and asked me what I was doing, while the better question was what was HE doing.
Our little band of hikers at the top of some cliffs that over look the waterfall. You can't actually see the waterfall very well, but it was a beautiful hike in. We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather, especially for the first weekend of November! Another successful Patkins adventure.

Phoenix

Just a few pictures from hiking earlier this month. I was really hoping the color would show through more, but the sun was setting and shade muted the color a lot. Claire and I had a really good time, though!