A day at the alpaca farm (Paca Pride)

On Monday, I drove down the Mtn Loop Hwy about 15 or so miles to the Paca Pride Homestead to join in on a day of farm activity.  The weather was perfect and even a bit hot at times, and ended up working in shorts, mud boots, and a straw hat.

The work day began in the kitchen of their hacienda with a piece of homemade cinnamon bun (amazing!) I was under a spell from that point forward.  So off to the outdoors, first on the days agenda was acts of husbandry, cleaning up after the alpaca and llama droppings in their primary yards, as well as raking up scattered straw and hay from their bedding and troughs.  We then headed to the barn where I witnessed the rotation of the hydroponic barley fodder feed trays, they are harvested and initiated on a daily basis.  This stuff was wicked neat to see, feel and smell.  David did his research and came up with this alternate, not just as a money saver from having to buy quality hay and pellets but as an even more nutritious source of nutrients and fuel for his animals.

Next on the agenda was to provide some much needed dental grooming and dremel the lower incisors of two of the alpaca's (Cusco and Little Brown).  So while David patiently dremeled a significant portion of their overgrown teeth I aided in ensuring the alpacas stayed in place and saw nothing. Lets just say no one really enjoyed the smell of the grinding, but boy was everyone happy after they were done.  What great smiles on these guys, especially Cusco here...

Then came the mud/manure routine.  Their exists this narrow alley nicknamed "muck alley", and you can guess why.  It is a mixture of straw, manure, dirt and water are trampled upon over a period of a year.  We gathered wheel barrels full and scattered the rich soil in several pastures to assist in the revitalization of growing hearty grass for Summer feed.  I also learned the nutrient rich mixture is also ideal for spreading on red ferns and moss in efforts to extinguish the non nutritional plant.

The last chore of the day was to clean up plant beds with removal of grass patches in an effort to replant them elsewhere on the land to help fill washouts or areas of poor growth.  The guys at Paca Pride were kind enough to allow me to use one of the guess shower houses to clean up after a day of mud flinging and I can't say I've been in a more pressurized shower, I could have stayed for hours.  But simply having a hot shower was a true treat.  Thank you again David, Tim and Glenn for allowing me to invite myself to your amazing homestead and par-taking in all the fun.  I will surely be back!

By the way, if you haven't been to the Paca Pride Homestead do stop by on your way up the Mtn Loop Hwy, it's a perfect place for retreats for your family, groups, reunions. They have yurts of all sizes, tent platforms and facilities to cook and wash up are also available on site.  Do check out their store inside where many products, especially those wicked nice alpaca socks are sold, fresh eggs from their free range chickens.  We are so fortunate to have them in the valley and you will not be disappointed when you make your visit, lemme know I might even come down and meet you there! http://www.pacapride.com/

Easter Sunday

As I awakened Easter morning I poured myself a mellow cup of ginger tea since I was getting over a cold, and gazed out the cabin kitchen window to watch the sun peak over the tips of the Old Man in the Mountain.  I had kind of forgotten it was Easter since I hadn't colored any eggs or added any blossoming twigs to the kitchen table as I did when were young.  So after a slice or two of toast and honey I returned to the bed for a bit and just enjoyed watching the world come alive.  The birds were chirping up songs of excitement and the sound of hummingbirds buzzing in search of sweet nectar prompted me to place the feeder outside for their enjoyment.  The moles and shrews were out in places the snow had entirely melted and busily dug their tunnels and the stellar jays made their usual rants.  Perhaps in this photo you can see a bit of the hummingbird.

I visited with friends across the bridge for a coffee of morning brew and briefly chatted about the projects we were all immersed.  I then headed into town (Granite Falls) for a day of docent work at the local museum.  Even though it was a holiday we had a fairly good turn out which helped the day pass.

The Removal of Snow - Sat, 30 Mar 2013

The weather in the past week was not just above normal but brilliantly warm and sunny, please don't take this as a rare occasion up in here in Pacific N.W.  It in fact does happen, just normally not this early in the year.  To think a week ago we had our last dumping of 2ft of snow, and in all the warmth we've had all of that and then some melt away before our very eyes.  So this weekend was an ideal time to help out the process of snow removal.  Numerous sheds and chimney's collapsed this Winter and now the clean up efforts begin...  We spent part of the day clearing an 8-10ft deep collection of snow before one of our neighbors homes that haven't been up here since the New Year.  Unfortunately as the snow slid off roofs they piled up covered and leaned against windows, doors, and porches making it next to impossible to enter, and often they also backed up onto roof tops as their was no where else for the Winter mess to go.

Fortune for me I live on the North side of Silverton (The Heights) where we receive a far amount more sun and Spring seems to be welcoming us a bit sooner.  We're down to about 2-3ft of snow pack where as the folks across the bridge in lower Silverton still have a good 5-6ft, and seems 10-15F colder in the morning, but it's all spendid.

Another great method of snow removal is producing even more heat, so in this instance a bonfire was that helped out quite a bit.  A friend from the city came up to visit for the first time and his task was to keep feeding the fire.  We hung out into the wee hours of the night as the temperatures dropped back below freezing and the stars came out to light up the night sky.  Funny thing, we were able to spot a couple of planets but to the far East we could have sworn their was a strobing UFO of sorts, and for a while were skeptical if it were coming for us (perhaps too many S. Park episodes).

Woodshed Project - moving forward finally

Sunday, 24 March 2013:
For several weeks now I've been trying to continue work on a small but much needed wood shed, but haven't been so fortunate due mostly to inclimate weather.  I know you might be thinking, "is it wise to build a woodshed in the middle of Winter?"  And I would agree with you that the timing is a bit off.  But the sad state of wet wood has made it rather difficult to burn in the wood burning stove.  And since the stove is my only source of heat I thought it be wise to make the additional effort to dig out the 6'+ of snow, level a clay area of soil that has a small stream running under it, and build a platform that would house a 6'x8' shed.  Well after the most recent storm the progress continued this morning and all afternoon.  It is not entirely complete but the difference is certainly noticeable.  Who knows, perhaps another snow storm or two remains before the season is completely done with!

Spring Snowstorm - two more feet...

This past week on Thursday the 21st through Friday the 22nd we received another Arctic blast of cold and precip in the form of that wonderful white stuff.  I happened to be down in the city (Seattle) at the time, and joined my friend Linda who resided up on Snoqualmie Pass.  That evening first evening I hopped a ride with her up to her home but we were halted by Interstate 90 being shut down for hours due to a massive number of wrecks and stranded vehicles because of the heavy and blinding snow.  Finally after waiting in the car along the highway hour after hour the pass finally opened up just past 1130pm and we arrived just before 0100 in the morning.  Upon arriving we went right to work with shoveling an snow blowing for at least an hour or two then crashed for a few hours before having to wake and head back down the mountain.  I felt so bad for Linda having to return to work after such a short nights rest.  But she's such a trooper and tough cookie for living the life up in the mountains, at least she was smart enough to choose to live somewhere with power mobile service!

Once back in Seattle I repacked my items and did a little shopping for fruits and veggies at a local market then headed up the highway back to my mountain retreat.  The snow had stopped by mid morning and the sun returned to the area to give way to some incredible vistas of the landscape covered in Spring time snow.  After a few detours and arriving on the final leg of my drive home I turn on the infamous Mountain Loop Highway and drove my 22 miles to Silverton, stopping several times along the way just to take in the clear views of many peaks all the path that were beckoning to be admired; Pilchuck, Three Fingers, Dickerman, and many more..  I arrived and was perhaps a little unenthused about the snow I'd have to shovel to get up to the cabin but instead I visited with neighbors down the road for tea and stories of the sizable flakes that had fallen the day before.  What was great about this last dumping of snow was that it was mostly powder rather than heavy wet stuff.  It makes all the difference when your having to shovel for hours just to get to your front door which is up the mountain side a short bit.  I returned to shovel for several hours but enjoyed every minute of it and slept in the next morning to celebrate the newly arrived blanket of stillness...

XC Ski - Mtn Loop Hwy, Silverton, WA

After much fun up North in Bellingham I returned to Silverton on Sunday evening with a new foot of freshy on ground, oh YEah!

So Monday the 18th felt more like a weekend to me.  I mostly read, slept, stoked the fire, and cleaned up and outside the cabin.  In the late afternoon I kicked myself in the butt and suited up for a XC ski up the hwy.  If I haven't shared before, the Mtn Loop Hwy is closed just one mile up (East) from Silverton.  With the massive amounts of snow we receive it is too much for the county to keep it all plowed, and that we're the last year around residents that need the service.  So a gate exists so that make the area also a Winter refuge for showshoe hikers, snowmobiles, xc skiing, and who ever else comes for a visit.  (By the way No trail pass is needed up here in the Winter only once the road is open again.)  So I headed out and up the highway past the Big Four Mtn and Ice Caves trail up to the Deer Creek parking area, for a good 12 mile round trip.  It felt great and once past all the messy snowmobile tracks  it was great to break fresh trails and just glide back on the return.

Yesterday, on Tuesday I did much the same only headed out just after noon so that I could get in a bit more distance.  I even came across a group of three that made it back quite a ways and seemed to be having the time of their lives.  I continued to venture further and further East and finally turned around just before Barlow Pass, for I was aware a storm was coming and the signs of the wind picking up hinted to me I'd better pickup some speed on the return.  I made good time with being out for about 4.5 hours with what I'm guessing was about 18 or so miles.  It was a much clearer day then the day previous and so from a distance you could witness an avalanche here and there and capture the ominous roar of the thunder as it crashed down the mountain side.  Not to worry being on the highway you are quite safe but have a great view of the Big Four Mtn and Hall Peak.

Hope to see you out here on the highway sometime soon!  And if you're about stop by the cabin for a hot cocoa, tea, or coffee I'd love to see you and always welcome visitors...

"Rock Trail" - WTA work party

Sunday, 17 March 2013 - After a camping at Larrabee State park on the West side slope of Mt Chuckanut over looking Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands, I woke to much of a surprise to the sun beaming in my box on wheels (Honda, Element).  If you haven't slept in an element you haven't slept properly in a car before.  A good nights rest after helping out at the Chuckanut 50k the day before.

So back on another Washington Trail Assoc. (WTA) work party.  This by far is already my favorite New trail of the year!  And even though we won't be done for several more months it is turning out to be quite the technical trail with a rough terrain and incredible up close views of the local geology.  On this day, a splendid day of St. Patrick's Day we wore our green hardhats and returned to chipping away rock, removing layers of duff (organic matter on the surface that acts as a sponge), cutting in switchbacks, and removing trees and that's just before noon!  So with an ideal morning of sun and warmth we hadn't felt in months we took a break for a midday lunch.  But just as we sat down cold air arrived and with it sleet and hail.  This continued through our lunch and into our afternoon work.  But the last hour it all changed once more and returned to the sunny and warm weather we were first welcomed to when the day first started out.  It was a tough and tiring day but above all it was great fun with like minded people.  At the end of our day we hiked out with all our tools and back to Arlen's truck (WTA bossman).  There he pulled out his traditional Hot apple cider, remaining donuts, fig newtons, and nutter butters so as to replenish us from an exhausting but rewarding day.  I have to mention I'm learning a fair amount of environmental engineering with learning to move large rocks/boulders with rock bars and pic-matics, it is a slow and tedious process but quite amazing.

Upon finishing up in Larrabee I was also bestowed my own WTA hardhat with my name and trail name, this is done once a person has achieved so many hours of volunteer time.  So I encourage you if you're a local to get involved if for no other reason than to give back to the trails we hike and be surrounded by enjoyable and hard working folks, or perhaps consider an annual gift to the WTA.  It is doing a great deal to help protect our trails, lookouts, and educate our communities and businesses.