Upcoming Stuff…

I’m pretty excited about some stuff that’s planned in the not-so-distant future.  This is the Peak 2 Peak Gondola in Whistler-Blackcomb (site of the 2010 Winter Olympics). Just to strike a little terror into you, the length of the gondola is 4.4km (2.73 miles); 3.024km (1.88 miles) of which is unsupported. Yup 1.88 miles between towers, traveling 436m (1427’) over the ground at its highest point. And I just found out that there are some gondola cars w/ GLASS BOTTOMS!! This puppy can move 2050 people an hour (one way), crossing its distance in an astonishing 11 minutes at 7.5m/sec., with gondolas leaving the station every 49 seconds (not 50, but 49!). There is the potential for a LOT of people on both of the peaks!

And I’m gonna ride it tomorrow! Rich’s cool cousins from the Bay Area are in Whistler & we’re gonna get together w/ them tomorrow for a gondola ride & a picnic. Fun times. Would have missed it if I was working… Forecast is for rain in the morning, but it’s clearing a bit in the afternoon in Whistler. I’m not sure if I’m glad or sad that we might not see anything from the gondola, if you know what I mean…

Oh man, I hope I don’t totally freak…

At the end of the month, we’re going back to Redmond for some family stuff w/ Rich’s family. Then it’s down to Mt. Rainier (above) for three nights! I haven’t been there in years, & I’m so excited to return, leaner, stronger, fitter, to tackle some butt-kicking, high-altitude trails! Since we’ll be there two full days (unlike when we were in Cannon Beach for just one full day), we’ll be able to spend a day in Paradise (yes, it’s really called that) or Ohanapecosh (yes, it’s really called *that* LOL) & a day in Sunrise. We might even get up early enough for Sunrise at Sunrise, but I haven’t told Rich that, yet. I did that several (!) years ago, & it was amazing to watch the morning alpenglow blush the Mountain. (That was in the days of film, so I don’t have a picture handy, but there is a similar picture on the Sunrise link, above.)

Oh, I just saw that the road between Paradise & Ohanapecosh might still be closed in late July due to flood repairs. There is an alternate way around, but it will take longer. Oh well. I did Sunrise at Sunrise from Yakima. This has gotta be closer!

I just made our reservations today at the Mounthaven Resort. Super nice mom-n-pop campground/cabin place 1/2 mile from the Nisqually Entrance (southwest) to the park. I mean, after dealing w/ these folks, they’re the kind that you just wanna hug when you 1st meet them face-to-face. And, they assured me there hasn’t been a mouse sighting in years! We’ll be staying in the “Birch” Cabin. Probably no internet (that’s what we thought about Tahoe, too), but I’ll post the blogs when we find a signal.

Other than being super excited at our next trip in a couple of wks, I’m also very proud of the new banner I made for the blog. I love that picture Rich took of me at Cathedral Lake at Tahoe. I just had to write something today to show off my handiwork, LOL.

Look fwd to hearing about the Peak 2 Peak tomorrow (or the next day)!!

(ps, Cindy, no drop shadows on the pix today b/c I imported them from the net. If I took the time to save them to my pictures, & then uploaded them from there I could have used the drop shadow, but I was lazy & saved a step or 2, LOL)