A TRIP TO THE MOUNTAIN

Bob needed to go up to the Summit at Snoqualmie (snow-qual-me) to get his picture taken for his season ski pass.  So he waited until today, so I could ride along.  It was so pretty up there, with the snow beginning to cover the mountain top, the trees and of course the ski slopes.   I think I posted an entry similiar to this last year  about this same time, as we have made this trip before.   It's weird to think that a mere 70 miles from my house the snow is already coming down and soon the season will open.  Last year he skied over 30 times up there, plus he went to Lake Tahoe and skied with his cousins who live in Carson City, Nevada.  I'm not a skier and it's too late to start now, so I stay home where it's warm and cozy.  I might make one trip up there again towards the end of the season for him to ski a few hours, while I sit in the restuarant drinking coffee and reading my book.   Today it was nice up there, a lot of families up there with the kids...making snowmen, tubing and having snowball fights.  One of the favorite ski areas (Crystal Mountain) is opening this coming Wednesday but Bob figures it will be several weeks before Snoqualmie opens. He prefers Snoqualmie as it's not quite as far as Crystal. 

After we got his ski pass squared away, we headed back down the mountain.  I had heard that Snoqualmie Falls was really thundering with water what with all the rain we've been having.  We went thru the little town of North Bend and then into Snoqualmie and parked in the parking lot to walk over and see the falls.   There are  always hundreds of people there, from every country in the world.  You hear every language there is being spoken as you walk over to the viewing area.  The falls were truly awesome today.....so much water...the mist was rising hundreds of feet up and falling on us as we made out way to the viewing area.   There's a resort there, the lovely Salish Lodge.  It very expensive to eat there and to stay there, so I've never been able to do that.  Today there was evidence of a wedding taking place in one of their many banquet rooms.  

After leaving the falls, we stopped at the shopping outlet mall in North Bend.  I went into the Sock Store (imagine a store that just sells socks)  and got some socks to wear with jeans & slacks and then I visitied The Paper Factory.  I love that store, they have lots of neat stuff and of course at this time of the year everything is for Christmas.  After that it was back on the freeway, headed home.  We did go by the Puyallup River and have a look.  We had heard that it flooded in some areas, where we were today, it was still in it's banks but running fast and high.  The weather guy says another storm is due to hit us in the next 24 hours.  It was nice to have a reprive today and be able to go up to the pass and not worry about having a problem driving.

The next entry will be a video I took at Snoqualmie Falls.  I hope you enjoy it.  There's really no way to capture it's majesty...you have to be there in person. 

Until next time,  Linda