We're back from the Big Muddy. As usual it was tough but a lot of fun. In total we were out for 22 hours. I'll write more later but for now here is a link to the photos.

Leavenworth is to Washington as Frankenmuth is to Michigan. Both are cheesy "Bavarian-themed" towns full of gift shops, candy factories and enough gingerbread trim to decimate a small forest. One big difference- the mountains! In the 2+ years we've lived in Washington we never made it to the Cascade Loop. The trip was last minute so we didn't have any real plans. We went on a short hike but for the most part just relaxed and enjoyed our surroundings(and the sun). The hiking, biking and rafting looked awesome. We picked up a few maps on our way home and will plan a return trip very soon.

Click here for our photos.

Eric ran his first 5K last week!

We just finished up our overnight hike. Carol dropped us off near Taylor Mountain around 9:30 last night and we strolled (OK, limped) in around 6. After a little good-natured whining we sucked it up and made the best of our evening. This morning our feet were a little sore but after a shower and breakfast we felt pretty good. The rest of our day will be spent vegetating on the couch.

I think we look pretty good considering we just hiked 25 miles:

Last night Patrice, Jerry, Eric and I raced the Beast in Issaquah. We had a slight homefield advantage since much of the race was right in our backyard. The course was long and we finished in 3.5 hours. Can't wait for the next one.

Random stuff from the weekend:

Robin's new hairstyle:



Here's Daisy, just hanging around. And yes, she has a killer grip on my hand!



And congrats to Sarah, who placed 9th in last weekend's road race!