Neel's crazy life

 Winter Hike / Snowshoe We started planning this for 2 reasons, seeing part of the Enchantments without permits during off season, and hopefully seeing no crowds during Covid. My friend and I arrived at Bridge Creek Campground on Saturday night around 8pm, there was one vehicle parked at the closed campground, hence we parked on a flat spot that was cleared by a snow plough. I must admit sleeping in an SUV is nice :) We started at 5.24am on Sunday, temperature around 25F, it was cold! To get to 8 mile trailhead was about 3 miles and just over 1200feet of elevation on the road.The road was snow packed but icy in spots, hence we put on microspikes, we also carried snowshoes. We reached the 8 mile trailhead at 6.50am, still dark, but early light was visible, we had some water, and a quick snack, and continued on the 8 mile lake trail with microspikes. The trail was easy follow with recent bootpack. Around 8am we saw some sun rays light up clouds over the enchantments, we took some pic...

So I love to do this hike, Teneriffe is my favorite mountain hike off 90, maybe I just like being alone for most of the hike, no granted with Covid19 this hike has become more popular.   If you like long walks in the forest with the company of squirrels and rabbits, then the full trip to Mt Teneriffe is for you. https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/mount-teneriffe This is a long hike, at 13 miles, and around 4000 feet elevation gain, you have to pace yourself, and be prepared for no views until after 3 to 4 miles, when you finally start seeing some clearing. I started at 8am on Saturday, very low fog / mist with light fine drizzle, once past the junction of the Falls trail, the forest starts to thicken, with the day being a little dark, and low fog in front of me, all I could hear was a few faint animal sounds in the distance, and my foot steps. It was clearly wet, but not cold.  I think some fall colors are signifying the season change. As you hike up you'll pass two waterfall...

As you can see, I am finally going through my pictures from back in the day :) I have not left my apartment in 12 days...due to Covid19. Anyways, back to this hike. Driving up to Paradise is such a treat! Beautiful forest roads, and as you get higher, you get these views of Mt Rainier in all her glory. Starting from the Paradise visitor center, the staircase is covered with snow, people are putting on snow shoes, micro-spikes, or skis. Today is one of those days where the sky is blue, with streaks of white, now the weather here changes rapidly! As we hike up, within 0.5 miles, we get an amazing view! My hiking partner and I keep going, I eventually get to Panorama Point, put my backpack down and just admire the view! I have always thought the toilet sign is a joke, as it points to the sky! lol My hiking partner is arriving..whoo hoo.. And then we meet this guy! Saying goodbye to our friend, may cause his heart to melt..lol We continued to...

Ingredients Brioche Buns Lettuce Onions Potatoes Fresh chives Swiss cheese(slices) Mayo Buffalo Hot sauce Ground Beef 1/2 pound Chives Smoked Paprika 2 strips of bacon Sour Cream Oregano Rosemary Olive oil Method Bacon Fry 2 strips of bacon till lightly crisp Remove some of the fat and fry patty Patty: Combine ground beef with 1 teaspoon paprika, finely chopped onions, and salt to taste. Add finely chopped chives, 1 teaspoon olive oil. Mix well, cover a leave in fridge for an hour Saute a few onions in the same oil Wedges: Cut a potatoe into 8 wedges Cook for 10-20min until 50% done Remove from water and set aside In a small bowl mix 1/4cup plain flour 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon rosemary 1/4 teaspoon salt add water and mix until no lumps and mixture flows easily Sauce: 1 tablespoon mayo 2 teaspoons hot sauce mix well Final combo: Toast brioche bun for 2 min Add mustard Place lettuce, tomatoe and onion...