The Big Four Ice Caves

Hey folks,

Seattle has settled into the rainy season, but before I submitted to the idea that my raincoat was a permanent accessory, I was fortunate enough to take a trip up into the mountains to explore the Big Four Ice Caves I had been hearing so much about.  I have to admit, the caves are totally worth the hype AND the warnings of danger! I didn't see any ice fall, but the piles of gleaming ice we navigated around made it rather blatant that the area had the potential to be as treacherous as it was beautiful.

3 Favorite Memories:

1) Meeting up with Amy who lives in the Seattle area but was originally from my hometown! It is always a nice surprise to have someone who has made the same type of transition as you reach out and ask to go adventuring. It was a wonderful experience and I hope we can explore more in the future!

2) The crazy weather. We had rain, fog, sun, clouds... you name it we experienced it while hiking up to and back from the caves! It made for gorgeous contrasts and added a bit of constant surprise to our adventure!

3) The caves themselves. This one might be a "well duh," but I've been on hikes where the end destination wasn't as awe inspiring as some of the views on the trail. The one mile hike to the caves is gorgeous, but the caves themselves are the true stars of this adventure!

Stay wild my friends,

AK

Self-Portraits in Seattle

Hello everyone,

I trust that this post finds you all as fine as a fiddle on this lovely autumn day! School is keeping me busy, but I did steal away a few minutes to snap a few self-portraits in my new apartment. Also, in honor of the changing seasons, I thought it would be nice to take a moment to consider what I love most about fall!

Fall loves:

-fall adventures where the leaves go crunch! crunch! crunch! under my feet

-cool mornings with warm afternoons

-pumpkin bread (I'm hoping to attempt to make my own soon!)

-carving pumpkins (baked pumpkin seeds are the best!)

-sweater weather :)

What about you? What are you looking forward to (or are already enjoying) this fall?

Ta-ta for now,

AK

I Can Hear the Bells...

Hello everyone,

MY BEST FRIEND GOT MARRIED THIS PAST WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm jazzed about it, can you tell? :)

Anne's wedding was absolutely beautiful- it was small enough that everyone felt included, but large enough that people could split off and connect without detracting from the other elements. The entire event was classy, from the wedding venue itself (art museums for the win!) to the dress (holy lace, and those buttons!!) to the reception area (natural light and open space with modern elements, count me in!). Most importantly, I think it succeeded in both being an enjoyable event for the bride/groom AND the guests. I had fun, I cried (but not during my speech!), and I laughed harder than I have in a long time. My friend Trevvor summed up the mood perfectly when he commented that he had "been to weddings where the bride and groom spent a half a million dollars, and (he) didn't have nearly as much fun at those weddings as (he) was having at Anne's."

Love you Anne!

-AK