January:
Seems like we were still optimistic about ski season in mid-January. That was before the long winter dry spell.
February:
We took the AIARE Level 2 Avalanche 4-day course at Snoqualmie Pass. The level of instruction from Pro Mountain Guides was fantastic. Unfortunately the snow was fairly consolidated, except for an inch lens of glass that was about a meter down. Seems like we gave up on skiing shortly after that because conditions didn't improve.
March:
I started taking the Mountaineers climbing course early in the year. This is the rock climbing portion. Unfortunately we were in mountaineering boots, which is far less fun than rock climbing shoes. I wasn't able to finish the class due to a medical condition that thankfully isn't bothering me much any more but still isn't quite resolved. I got a lot out of the part of the class I took, which was mostly reinforcement of what I already knew. Going back to the beginning was very difficult for me psychologically because I just wanted to fill in some gaps. There's not a class for that.
April:
I don't have any pictures or any blog posts from April. I think for the most part I was laying low but probably riding my bike now and then and doing a few day hikes with a loaded pack trying to get back into shape.
May:
This is the only personal picture I have of Dallas Kloke, who died in a climbing accident in September. We were attempting the summit of Porcupine Peak, which is up near Rainy Pass on the North Cascade Highway. Dallas made the summit but the rest of our party did not due to the technical nature and the amount of time we had.
This picture was taken in Pemberton, BC on a mountain bike trail that Randy and I rode, actually the weekend before I attempted Porcupine Peak. What a difference in weather conditions a week makes! Randy and I were in shorts and T's on this trail.
June:
June was actually really fun! We went on a 5-day, 300-mile bike tour with 7 friends around the Wenatchee area.
Just before my birthday I climbed Mt. Baker (10,770' glaciated climb). The nearest rope team is the other half of our 6-person party (2 rope teams). The rope team you see in the distance was climbing too close to an ice wall and got blasted by snow/ice shrapnel when a chunk fell off and caused a small avalanche. They were fine but it probably woke them up. This was at sunrise close to the solstice so it might've been 5:00 a.m.
July:
July was really fun! We spent the last week camping and mountain biking. This is at Priest Lake, ID.
This picture of Randy was taken along the ridge of the Seven Summits Trail in Rossland, BC. The trail is over 20 miles long. The ride was tough but there were a lot of fun parts and the trail was in great shape.
August:
In August I took a Staycation for a week and did something different every day. This was Day 1: a kayak tour around Burroughs Island (Anacortes).
September:
Randy tricked me, er, talked me into riding Pyramid Mountain with him when my plans to visit Grandma were canceled at the last minute. Pyramid Mountain is the highest place in Washington you can get on a mountain bike (legally and is rideable) at about 8375'. There was a really tough steep section in the middle that used up my ambition. I made it to the summit on foot.
October:
Payback! I talked Randy into hiking up to Monogram Lake with me as a training hike. The trail is in good shape but the elevation gain is close to 5000' in about 5 miles. He was sore for about 4 days afterward. It's good to work ALL your muscles now and then.
November:
Fun gathering at Wild Ginger in Seattle!
Powder skiing at Mt. Rainier over Thanksgiving weekend!
December:
Randy skiing near Table Mountain (Mt. Baker area). Unfortunately I was not the photographer as I was nursing a sinus headache in the camper back at the parking lot. I did ski the previous day but the weather did not look like this! We will ski again before 2011. This was the day though!