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I finally made it out to Mount Rainier last weekend and the trail conditions were surprisingly good for this time of year. The sky was clear and we could see the summit almost the entire way up. We started at the Paradise trailhead around 7am and the parking lot was already half full. The wildflowers are starting to bloom near the tree line which made for some great photo stops. We brought microspikes but only needed them for about a half mile section near the top where the snow has not melted yet. Total round trip was about 5 hours including a 30 minute break at the top for snacks and water. The temperature was perfect in the mid 60s with a light breeze. I would recommend going soon before the crowds get too heavy later in the summer. I also wanted to mention that we saw a family of deer near the waterfall about halfway up which was a nice surprise. The trail markers were clearly visible and the path was well maintained overall. We are already planning our next trip for later this month.

I tried that sourdough recipe you sent me last week and it turned out way better than I expected. The starter took about 8 days to become active enough and I was worried I had killed it at one point but it bounced back. The first loaf came out a little flat but the crust was perfectly crispy and the inside had a nice open crumb structure. I added some rosemary and sea salt on top which gave it a really nice savory flavor LRM2pRhYa9P. My family ate the entire loaf within an hour of it coming out of the oven. I am going to try a second batch this weekend with some added olives and maybe a bit of garlic powder. The fermentation process is actually really satisfying to watch day by day. I have been feeding the starter regularly and it is now doubling in size within about 6 hours which means it is really healthy and active. I think next time I will also experiment with a bit of whole wheat flour to see how it changes the texture.