2008.10.30. The Drowsy Chaperone at The 5th Ave Theatre. A comedy about listening to a silly musical of 1920's. Quite cleverly done. Quick stage sets. No intermission. Just shy of 2 hours. Not many catchy tunes. Still a lot of fun.

Erden Eruç presents his experience of planning and execution of the 312 day trip in sea (from California to Philippine), aided by various gadgets, and practically stayed connected. The new Guinness World Record for the longest time spent at sea for a solo rower. A couple of tips for a long journey in sea are: stay dry and keep out of salt!

2008.10.29. City of Music gathering at the Paramount Theatre. The orchestra level is void of chairs, apart from the back and side, more like a dance hall. Lots of speeches, including Greg Nickels. Some local bands, including Garfield High School, Vince Mira, New Faces. However, the acoustics is very bad. Got a bit bored and deaf. So left early for the preview of Pilchuck's annual glass auction.

2008.10.22. Henry IV at Seattle Shakespeare Company. Both part 1 and 2. Almost no stage set, apart from a couple of simple chairs and a table. 2 intermissions, almost 3.5 hrs long. Some passages are not clearly articulated. Fell asleep.

2008.10.26. Granite Mountain. Fabulous weather, color and view. Terrible wind and precarious close to the top. First mile is the Pratt Lake trail, easy. 2nd mile steeper. The 3rd mile is most enjoyable, where Mt Rainier raises its head with each step, and vibrantly colored huckleberry leaves and maples cover the entire slope. The last mile veers to the north side, muddy then icy, looking more like winter. But soon the northern peaks came into view. Lots of people and dogs. Almost no hiding spots. Highway noise!
Logistics: I-90 north of exit 47. 8 miles R/T. 1800 ft to 5629 ft.

2008.10.18-19. Enchantment Lakes. Aptly named. I'm thoroughly enchanted and almost as thoroughly exhausted. Should have stayed longer in this fairyland, if weather permitted.
The forecast of good weather and the lift of camping permit (required 6/15-10/15) drew a small hardy crowd to this strenuous yet rewarding hike. Quite a few did one-way hike and in a single day (~18 miles)! Here is a trail map of the Enchantment basin.

Day 1. Started at Snow Lake trail head at 8:45am. Lots of maples and half burnt evergreen trees on the slopes flank Icicle Creek. Quite colorful. By noon, reached Nada Lake. Fish in lake. Had lunch. Surrounding peaks become more menacing at Snow Lakes. The grassy lower lake and sandy upper lake is separated by a dam. The trail soon picks up slope and eventually becomes endless scramble towards the next cairn. At ~ mile 9, a waterfall tumbles from the sky - announcing the entrance to the Enchantment Lakes basin. At 4pm, Lake Vivian unveils the splendor of steep cliffs, blue water and golden larches. Set up tent at the southern tip of Leprechaun Lake at 4:30pm. Temperature drops quickly after 5 as the sun disappears soon after. Myriads of stars.

Day 2. Up at 7am. Watching Leprechaun Lake gradually lit up by the morning sun. Perfect reflection over newly formed ice. Headed to the upper basin shortly after 8am. One charming lake after another: Sprite, Perfection, Inspiration. Golden needles surround every rock in the stream and water edges. Strolling in this wonderland without a heavy backpack is an utmost delight. Perfection Lake is probably the largest. Its northern end, grassy and gentle, offers many camp sites, and the start of trails to Gnome Tarn and Prusik Pass.
The middle basin is open and rugged, many camp sites with great view of surrounding jagged peaks, but increasingly hard to find hiding spots. Trees give away to rocks as elevation gains. Cairns mark the trail. Lots of scramble. Tranquil Lake is mostly iced over. Colchuck (or Aasgard) Pass offers expansive views of distant mountains: Mount Baker, Twin Sisters, Eldorado Peak, and the glistening Colchuck Lake 2300 ft below, with half of the moon still hanging high.

Heading back from the pass at 11:15. Cooked lunch, packed tent around 1:40pm, reached Snow Lakes dam at 4:30pm. Colors of maples and fireweeds appeared more vibrant in dusk. Walked the last two hours in flash light. Back in car at ~8pm.

Logistics:

Snow Lake trailhead (1400 ft) -- Hwy2 west of Leavenworth, turn south on Icicle Creek Road for 4 miles. (2.3 hrs drive from Seattle). Nada Lake (4600 ft): ~5 miles, 1st camp site; the dam between the Snow Lakes (5420): ~6.5 miles; Lake Vivian (6785 ft): ~ 9 miles; Leprechaun (6875 ft): ~ 10 miles; Isolation (7700 ft): ~12 miles; Colchuck Pass (7840 ft): ~13 miles.

Colchuck/Aasgard trailhead (3400 ft) -- 8.5 miles on Icicle Creek Road, turn left on road No. 7601 for 4 miles. (2.7 hrs drive from Seattle).

2008.10.16. Seattle Repertory Theatre presents The Three Musketeers. Directed by Kyle Donnelly, playwright Ken Ludwig. Lots of sword fighting, fabulous costume. The stage is way too simple for a king's palace. Quite fun.

2008.10.12. Ingalls Lake #1930. Beautiful alpine lake set in the midst of boulders at the foot of Mt Stuart. Larch turning bright yellow around Ingalls pass.
9 miles RT, elevation gain 2600 feet. Shortly after trail head, take the right fork for Ingalls Way Trail #1930. At mile 2, take the left fork, zigzag for about 1 mile to Ingalls Pass. It stays relatively flat for awhile. Huckleberries, heathers and larch trees surrounded by rocky slopes, which seemingly coated with powder sugar. Great camping sites. Muddy and a bit slippery due to recent snow. In summer, wild flowers (especially shooting stars) are said to cover this area. After a slight descent, and then a short scramble up, reach the rocky shore of the beautiful icy Ingalls Lake.
On the way back, saw two fluffy goats on the wall on the opposite side of the valley (thanks to two fellow hikers' tip), and many deers with white butt in the farm lands along Teenaway Rd. A lot of hunters camped right by this road, one group caught a deer, hanging on a wooden frame.
Logistics: 2.5 hrs' drive from Seattle. I-90 exit 85 - Hwy 970 north. After crossing the Teanaway River, left on Teanaway Road. Veer right as it becomes the North Fork Teanaway Road. It becomes a gravel road (FR 9737) at the 29 Pines Campground. 10 miles to its end. (23 miles from Highway 970). Park at Esmeralda Basin Trail 1394.

2008.10.5. Croat Fest at Center House

2008.10.4. Gathering chanterelle. I only found 3. Terribly windy.

2008.10.5. Croatia Fest at Center House. Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra played some Mozart (Marriage of Figaro), Beethoven (symphony #1), Hayden, and a piece composed by one of their trumpeter with a Southern American favor. It also accompanied Bravo! Vancouver Chorale and Sno-King Chorale. Sno-King performed part of a cantata (sung in Croatian) written by one of the bass player in the orchestra (a very nice piece of work). I also saw some folk dance (boy, one woman can whistle) by Vela Luka Dance Ensemble and klapa singing by Dave and the Dalmatians.