So Accomplished

I found an apartment.  I like it.  I am excited to live in one place for more than six months.  However, the habit is so ingrained, I'm having trouble parting with my moving boxes.

I made my first major purchase for the apartment just before Thanksgiving.  Thanks to the wonder of Skype, Gil and I went on-line together and decided on a dresser.  Together.  I know.  This was big.

This was also my first Ikea purchase.  Other than the dresser pieces coming in three separate staggeringly heavy boxes, it was pretty slick.  I had to document the process.

(Please note there is no overhead light in the bedroom.  I had to use the closet and hallways lights, hence the dimmer pictures.)

Oh man, this was so exciting.  Three big boxes.

 Setting out the first pieces.

 Taking shape.

 This was easier than I thought it would be.

 Getting closer.

 Ready to flip and put the drawers in.

DONE!

I realize this was nothing like my one dear friend who went to the hardware store and got lumber and built her family a dining room table, but I really enjoyed the assembly process and am ready for my next Ikea furniture project.

Desert Hike

I miss the desert.  It has a beauty all its own.

I drove down to Las Vegas for Veteran's Day weekend and Gil and I went for a hike.  He drove us close to Hoover Dam, he pulled into this semi-secret parking area, and we were off.  The colors were grand, the geology exposed, the hike full of rock obstacles, and the company perfect.  The only thing I didn't like was the helicopter tours constantly flying overhead.  Ugh!  

 We hiked all the way to the Colorado River, below the dam.  We had lunch on the river.

 Looking up-river towards the dam.  You can't see it but you can see the new bridge.

 As we got closer to the river there were all sorts of hot springs and pools.  It was really pretty.

Although the west-side Sierra foothills in California are going to be our home for a while, I hope we will always be able to find a way to get back to the desert for visits.

October 29th

The days leading up to the end of October were cold and rainy.  When I started my new job at the beginning of October I had planned to visit Mariposa the last weekend of the month to see the children I worked with present their program at church.  The 28th was Nevada Day and Gil had the day off and he decided to come up for a visit.

We drove to Midpines in the rain.  We kept monitoring the weather closely and it looked like it would clear for a few hours Saturday morning.  Saturday dawned bright and clear and we decided to head into Yosemite one more time.

The sun rising over Yosemite Valley, Half Dome in the far distance, El Cap on the left, Bridalveil flowing on the right, and mist on the valley floor.  (I am homesick for this place...)

 We continued up the Glacier Point Rd which was closing later that afternoon in anticipation of the rain starting up again and this time bringing snow.  We hiked to Taft Point, a place neither of us had been before.  We had beautiful views of the valley.

Yosemite Falls in all its glory.

 El Capitan and the Merced River.  I wish I could say the reds are fall colors, but it's unfortunately dead trees from the drought.

 We spent quite a while up at the point.  I finally turned to Gil and asked if he was ready to go.  He wasn't.  He had other plans.  He took my hand, got down on one knee, and ask me to marry him.  I said, "Yes!"

We took a few more pictures.

 We headed back down to the valley and took more pictures.

Oh how I love this man.

Kate E. and Gil C.

coming Spring 2017

Who Is Gil?

I've gotten quite a few people asking me lately, "Who is Gil?"  I will attempt to answer that question.

Gil is strong.

 Gil is smart.

Gil is an excellent cook.

Gil can fix anything.

 Gil loves to surf, snorkel, SCUBA, and swim.

 Gil is kind.  (And he drives a truck.)

Gil is funny.  (He did these himself.)

Gil is many things, more than I have room for in my blog.

There is one more thing Gil is...

...my fiance.

Pate Revisited

 Do you remember back to the first of July when I posted about a hike I did for work down to a place called Pate Valley?  Do you remember how I talked about it being really hot, really exposed, and there being a lot of rattlesnakes?  Do you also remember I said I would never do that hike again?  Well... I did.  

My last hike of the season was back to Pate Valley.  It didn't seem so bad this time.  The weather was quite a bit cooler.  In fact, the temperature was 27* when Martina and I started our hike early the first morning.  We didn't see a single rattlesnake the entire trip.  We took our equipment down and camped in the valley for the night.  The river was quite a bit lower than our first visit.  Martina and I packed smarter this time, sharing a bear canister and tent, so our packs were lighter.  We'd had a whole season of hiking behind us and we were able to hike out two hours faster (two hours!!) than our first trip down to Pate.  Oh, and did I mention fall colors were starting to show?  Pate Valley is still one of my least favorite hikes, but at least I feel I'm leaving the park on better terms with that trail than I would have had I only hike it that one time.

Looking at the eastern end of Hetch Hetchy, looking very low.

 Some fall colors!

The week before my trip to Pate, I had my last trip up to Merced Lake to take down equipment.  Once I get up past Bunnell Cascade, the trail is one of my favorites in the park.  There were also some beautiful fall colors along the way.

 Not the best picture, but some lovely colors starting to show on the opposite shore of Merced Lake.

Miles

I've logged a lot of miles this summer.

I did a quick estimate and figure I hiked about 250 miles between the first of May and the end of September.  Not too shabby.  Most of those hikes were in long, 10+ mile days too.  I saw some beautiful places and enjoyed the Yosemite backcountry immensely.

I also logged a lot of miles on my car.  She rolled over to 200,000 miles Labor Day weekend as I made my way to the San Jose airport.  I wasn't able to get a photo of the 200,000 or the even better 200,002 (I love palandroms) because I was on the freeway, but pretty close.  She's been a good car and I'm hoping she will continue to be so for at least another seven years or so.

I start my fourth week in the new job tomorrow.  I've spent some time over the past few weeks getting acquainted with the forest and especially my district.  There are a lot more miles to explore out here.  I'm hoping to post pictures of my new home soon.  As always, fellow adventurers always welcome!

Fall Colors

I arrived in El Dorado County just in time for a spectacular display of fall colors.  The whole forest is full of reds, pinks, yellows, and oranges.  Absolutely stunning.

The house in the background is my temporary housing until I find a place to live.  Not bad.  This tree is right in front of the kitchen window.

There is so much more color to capture in my little neighborhood and up the canyon.  It is a beautiful place and I'm looking forward to exploring and getting to know this new area.