Bear Creek Spire

My ring fit this morning, which can only mean one thing: I stayed at home this weekend.  A far cry from last weekend, after which my shoes, let alone my ring, wouldn’t fit til the end of the week.

Last weekend was a been-talking-about-this-trip-for-years kind of weekend.  So fun to finally get it done.  It being:

Bear Creek Spire!!

It was 4am to 10pm, 12 miles, and 1,500 climbing ft of pure high Sierra bliss.  And I fondly remembered it every time I had to use the handicapped rail to sit down on the toilet seat at work for the next week.  And I couldn’t wear a few pairs of my shoes.  Or my ring.  Or stand up without looking like an 85 year old.

Other perks of the trip included sliding down huge snowfields on my butt and then my pack frame sheet (after my behind froze).  The most incredible mosquitoes I’ve EVER seen (and I grew up in Virginia).  And beautiful, sweet smelling, flowers the whole way up.  Many of which I may or may not have talked to for most of the descent.  I confided in them that they were the only reason I did this*.

*this being a long, loose 45 degree sand and talus slope at 13,500ft.  Sometimes I like to refer to it as talus surfing, thinking maybe a fun name will make it more enjoyable at the time.

This weekend, we thought we were going to be tired (which I was until about Thursday) so we stayed home.  And we were B-O-R-E-D.  Saturday at 3pm found me with a clean refrigerator, organized pantry, and a month’s work of garden work done.  Doh.  Note to self: make plans even if we don’t “go” anywhere.

I did get the urge to bake and whipped up a half batch of Emily’s Vegan Bean Burgers.  Let’s just say I wished I had made a whole batch.  I’ve never had a black bean burger so had no idea what to expect but these blew every regular burger I’ve ever had out of the water!  They’re basically what I’ve always wanted meatloaf to taste like.  Only, it’s always got that who-knows-whats-in-there ground beef aspect.  I’ve been loving these burgers cold, covered in ketchup, on a bed of fresh baby spinach. I see lots more of these in my future!

The only change I made was adding real onion because I don’t have onion powder.  In the future I think I’ll stick with the real thing!

I also made a full batch of Angela’s Healthy Carrot Cake Power Scuffins.  And proceeded to inhale a handful.  I shaped them with my medium cookie scoop and enjoyed their small, perfectly round, size.  I always like eating a few small things instead of one big one!

Hope you’re having a great start to your week!

I would rather be here:

…with all my flower friends.