Flowers!

One of my clients just sent me a big bouquet of flowers! :)

WTA Day

Liz and I volunteered with the Washington Trails Association to clear a trail in the Snoqualmie National Forest. We started off the day clearing the start of the trailhead as you coule barely tell a trail started there. Luckily, we had purchased "Joy of Gardening" gloves from Fred Meyer the day before and we ready with the clippers to clear down some weeds and major over-grown plant life. After that, we started rebuilding a wall that had fallen with rocks. And when I say rocks, I mean boulders. It took us over 2 hours to esablish 6 rocks.\

Liz helped by being the brains of the rocks and I was the muscle. But she did help out as I was rolling the rocks down the riverbed by grunting and claiming "that looks heavy!". It was good fun.

At the end of the day in our sweet helmets.

Joy of Gardening gloves

NOT the rock wall we built

At lunch, fighting off knats and mosquitoes. The gloves were a great source of amusement throughout the day.

Packed lunch by the river

Volunteering

Tomorrow, Liz and I are volunteering for the first time with the Washington Trails Association. We have signed up to help clean up a hiking trail about 2 hours from Seattle. We wear hard hats and work gloves...this is going to be fun!

Wonderful Blog

My friend recently stumbled across this amazing blog. Please enjoy.

Social Media

Hiking Vernal Falls - Yosemite Day 4

We hiked to the top of Vernal Falls and the base of Nevada Falls. After hiking up the mountain, you then climbed 600 steps that were flattened rocks, slippery from years of use and mist from the waterfall and lined with a sheer cliff to the roaring river below.

Awesome.

Vernal Falls in the distance

Dad doing good on the climb up

Sean on the rock steps, see the incline?

Rainbow from about halfway up the hike

Another pretty rainbow caused by the mist, at this point, we were soaking wet from the "mist"

Top of Vernal Falls, this is what you go through before you reach...

...this! Vernal Falls!

Falls, river, rocks and rainbow

Hmm, fake smile #1.

(Please note the soaking wetness, Jena had a hood, I did not)

Kinda fake smile #2. I think its time for more Mom-packed lunches and snacks

So pretty

Up to the base of Nevada Falls we stopped to take a dip in the stream

Just kidding! I mean, I am a good swimmer but I am pretty sure that the 54 degree river would win.

Nevada Falls!

Jena, Sean, Nevada Falls

Rafting the Merced River - Yosemite Day 3

While we didn't want to wear the wetsuits at first, at that first soaking wave, we were glad we did!

Despite how awesome all of these pictures are, I think Jena is the bread-winner with the action shot of picking her butt in the wetsuit.

The Martin/Thompson clan loves Whitewater Excitement!

The "men" in their sweet wetsuits and even more awesome hats.

Yosemite Falls and Yosemite Valley - Day 2

Yosemite Falls

Upper and lower Yosemite Falls

Mom & Dad at lower Yosemite Falls

Krissy and I standing on a slippery rock at lower Yosemite Falls

Upper and lower Yosemite Falls, Krissy, Mom and Sydney

Half Dome - goal is to hike it next year!

Merced River, a much calmer section than what we rafted down.

Taking a walk by the river

Stopping to have PB and honey sandwiches (its nice having Mom pack your lunch again!)

Perfect weather

Yosemite Valley and Glacier Point - Day 2

Yosemite Valley

thunder clouds rolling in

Amazing rocks shaped by the glaciers

Bridal Veil Falls

Half Dome in the distance

Glacier Point

Beautiful meadows on the valley floor

Nevada Falls and Vernal Falls

Krissy and I at the top of Glacier Point with Nevada and Vernal Falls in the back

Upper and lower Yosemite Falls