Visiting Woodland Park Zoo

Jean and I went to Woodland Park Zoo Monday, August 3. She normally works a night shift, so she had to get up early so we could see all the animals during business hours. The last time we went to the zoo was last year about this time.

When we got there, we saw a blue heron in the same enclosure with the Humboldt penguins. These large birds are native to Washington and my previous home in Montana, but it's neat to see them in a city environment too.

There were some differences between last year and this. A year ago they had elephants, but they aren't there any longer. As a matter of fact, only 11 days after we went last year, one of their elephants died. Last year we also saw cheetahs, but they weren't there this year.

While we visited the zoo, we saw what we couldn't see last year. We especially liked watching the Asian small-clawed otters and the new ring-tailed lemurs.

Asian small-clawed otters at Woodland Park Zoo

Ring-tailed lemurs at Woodland Park Zoo

It was a hot day so between looking at all the different animals, we had Icees. For dinner, Jean and I went to Jimmy Mac's Roadhouse.

Jean shows her red tongue after eating an Icee.

Camping at Diablo Lake

 

Since Adam was in town, we decided to go camping on my days off. Neither one of us knows that much about the Washington area, so we had to research a place to camp. I really liked the drive through North Cascades National Park when I dropped him off on the Pacific Crest Trail, so we finally decided to camp at Diablo Lake on July 5-6.

Driving to the lake, we first picked up some firewood along the way. Many cars were heading out of the park, presumably because it was Sunday night and they had to go back to work on Monday morning.

When we got to the lake, there were still several campers there. We chose a spot and set up camp. I made a one-match fire and Adam cooked steaks over the campfire. It had been awhile since I had a good steak, and was impressed by his culinary skills. He cooked them to perfection in the dark!

Adam made some amazing steaks during our camping trip.

The next day, we decided to hike on one of the nearby trails. Unfortunately there was a fire that prevented us from traveling along the Thunder Creek Trail very far. We instead to hike on Fourth of July Pass to the Panther Potholes. The trail only had peek-a-boo scenery as it was densely forested. We were able to see a sizable waterfall next to Colonial Peak. Fourth of July Pass campground is easy to ignore if you're not looking for signage. However, Panther Potholes are just beyond it and were a great place for us to turn around.

Adam poses in front of Thunder Creek.

A large waterfall near Colonial Peak is visible from Fourth of July Trail.

If you look closely, you'll see two people hiking over a log at Panther Potholes.

I pose at an overlook at Panther Potholes.

When we got back to Diablo Lake campground, we made some lunch and then drove back to Snohomish. I was surprised that for not hiking at all this summer, I wasn't sore the next day as I had expected, especially considering we hiked so far with a 2,400-foot elevation gain.

It was a great time for Adam and I to talk. We had such a great weekend. Adam had to leave the next day for Oregon, so I said my goodbyes to him Tuesday.

Picking Adam Up from the PCT

 

After being on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) for eight days, Adam asked if I could pick him up in Wenatchee, Washington. He had just completed all 118 miles of Section K of the PCT and decided that just doing a section here and there would be alright for his purpose. He had some great times out on the trail too.

After work on July 2, I drove in the night to Wenatchee and picked him up and then drove back home. I had to work on July 3, but I actually had Independence Day off and we'd be able to spend some time together over the weekend.

I had to work for the morning on Independence Day, but afterward, we went to Gas Works Park in Seattle. We knew that there were going to be a lot of people there, so we parked about a mile away from the park several hours before the fireworks would start. There were already a lot of people there by the time we got there. We got something to eat and hung out at the top of the hill overlooking the park until the fireworks began.

It was a great fireworks show, even though the music messed up.

Afterwards, we watched for a little while as people left the park. There were so many!

Once we decided to work through the crowd, we walked back to our car, but saw that traffic was going to be backed up for awhile. We walked to a nearby restaurant and had a late dinner. By the time we were finished, traffic was much more manageable.

We had a great night. I enjoy hanging out with Adam. I don't get to see him very often.

Dropping Adam Off at the PCT

Wayne and Adam at the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington along Route 20

Adam came from Pennsylvania to Washington state recently so he could hike on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Adam arrived in Everett on June 22. I picked him up and we were able to hang out for a few days. I haven't seen Adam since he visited me in Montana March 22-25, 2014. Jean, Bruce, and I were still in the process of unpacking, so while I was at work, he helped us out with the process.

It was great to be able to catch up with him. So much has happened in the past year. I was able to show him where I work, and what I do. He was able to buy a few last-minute supplies and get ready for his trip.

Adam was hoping to go on the entire trail, but was open to other possibilities.

On June 25, I got up early in the morning and drove him through North Cascades National Park on Washington State Route 20. It was such a beautiful drive that I decided that I needed to drive there later to really see what's there.

After fumbling around on the road a bit, we finally found where the PCT met Highway 20. (It wasn't clearly marked, so we were a little confused.) We said our goodbyes, and then I left Adam in the middle of nowhere without even a cell signal.

I figured that he'd be alright and that he'd enjoy his time on the trail. I considered it a great adventure.

Moving to Snohomish

Remember how I moved from Montana to Renton in April 2014? Well, I moved again! On June 2, Jean, Bruce, and I moved from Renton to Snohomish. We were in an apartment, and now we're in a condo.

I've started going to a new church also. Since New Life Church in Renton is a long drive each Sunday, I decided to look for a new church almost immediately. I visited a couple churches before I found one I liked: Gold Creek Community Church. I'm super happy with this church and am already making new friends there.

My commute to work is longer than it used to be, but it's still reasonable.

Outside my bedroom window, there is a walking trail. We have some wildlife in the area too. I've seen a rabbit, but once the bobcat was in the neighborhood, it "disappeared." Just a couple days ago I saw a hummingbird visit the fence by my bedroom window.

Occasionally I still have to drive to Renton because my things are still stored there. Believe it or not, it's cheaper for me to keep the storage unit there and drive to Renton once a month than it is for me to get a new storage unit in this area.

I continue to look forward to new adventures.