Wheres Mike Ayles?

Mt. Rainier

2005-10-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

Mt. Rainier towers at 14,410' above sea level. She's visible from Seattle on a clear day. Naturally I had to go there and drag Sue along for the ride. We were lucky enough to have a clear day (it's been gloomy for a few weeks now). The mountain is a magnificent sight and definitely worth a visit. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and completed the high skyline trail which climbed to around 7000', my new pb.

Vancouver

2005-10-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

Following an illustrious number of Telecan's, Sue and I headed off to Vancouver. We just about made it through customs, having watched four US citizens (who were apparently all married and all cousins, go figure the world is a twisted place)refused entry.

The first thing we noticed was the lack of crazy people in the city. Vancouver was instantly a hit with Sue. It's a lovely city, and we enjoyed taking in the sights, such as Stanley Park, Gas Town and Granville Island. Pictures to follow.

The Zoo Strikes Back

2005-10-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, it seems that 'The Zoo' is becoming a bit of a habit lately. Something about the place keeps drawing us back in. It was Eric's leaving do and what better way of celebrating that than beating him hands down at pool. Sorry Eric, you were hustled by a couple of English boys.

The night was special for two reasons: 1) It was Eric's last night, and 2) Mike (A.K.A. Mr. T) was out, drinking and it turns out that Mr. T is a bit of a ladies man. Hunting them down with all the vigor of someone who has missed a gym session. Good on you mate.

Cowboys in Them Tha Hills

2005-09-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

Jagged mountains, sweeping plains, cowboys in the distance and a gaseous unconscious Pat on the back seat. aaagh, life on the open road. Pat, Graham and I took in the delights of the Ingalls Lake Trail. It afforded us great views of Mount Rainier, and a crystal blue lake on which to gaze over for Lunch. One of the most picturesque trails to date.

High Ridge Trail

2005-09-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

This was a long hike. All 18 miles of the damn thing. Requiring us to be at the ferry by 6 in the morning which is neither civilised or fun on a Sunday. But spirits were high as we set off for what the guide book describes as the best trail in the Olympics.

The weather was fantastic and we were spoilt for inspiring views along the way. All polished off with some Mexican food. Another great day.

Return of the Zoo

2005-09-16T11:02:00.000-07:00

Mentioning beer at the wrong time on a Friday afternoon is always dangerous. As it proved this day. We frequented our new haunt "The Zoo" and it got messy; very messy.

The apres beer muchies kicked in and I found out much to my own disgust that no matter how hard you try you won't get served at a drive thru without a car.

A Last Supper

2005-09-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the rubbish weather we decided to host the mother of all dinner parties, and with two Yorkshire men in the party we had to have Roast beef and Yorkshire pud. The dinner was carried off with expert precision using a complex formula devised by Warren. It was so good that Mr. T was seen to actually consume food that didn't contain chicken or pasta!

The Zoo

2005-09-09T15:29:00.000-07:00

Walking around East lake was supposed to be a relaxing jaunt, something to wile away the time before we got an early night. Unfortunately we happened across what looked like a dive of a place called "The Zoo". Highlighted by the fact one of the locals asked "how the hell did you find this place"?

Undeterred we stayed for a game of pool, and a jug of beer. Only to find that the back of this bar opened out into a massive games hall. A kind of tardis illusion. Which contained the longest shuffle board known to man. Tricky to know where the end was, especially after a few. Needless to say, we stayed for a few more.... And we're going back!

The Mother of all Hills

2005-09-05T16:07:00.000-07:00

Due to the long weekend break for Labor day the hard core hikers decided to tackle something a bit more challenging. We moved our attention to the Olympic mountain ranges. Heart O'the Forest - Lake Angeles Trail the mother of all trails. A 12.9 mile, 6100ft beast of a trail.

We set off early at a brisk pace leaving pensioners in our wake. Only to find their fears were well grounded. It was one hell of a climb, but rewarding when we finally reached the top (Cardiac arrest avoided). They feed their goats on rocket fuel up here, either that or the blood lines have mixed with polar bears at one point......

Bumbershoot

2005-09-04T15:57:00.000-07:00

Bumbershoot is a music festival. As a seasoned Glastonbury goer, my expectations were high. The bands consisted of many unknowns, but we took in a selection including Talib Kweli, Damien Jurado, The Bastards of Jazz, and Iguales. A bit sterilised for my tastes the toilets were 'clean' and drinkers were herded into pens and kept away from the general public! Good music, good food and good times.

Denny Creek - Melakwa Lake

2005-09-03T15:24:00.000-07:00

Feeling rather active the whole English contingent of Teleca decided to go for a hike. We headed to the Mt.Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and attacked the Denny Creek trail. Not long into the hike the two extra hash browns (these things are god-damn big) that Pat had consumed started to take their toll. Nine miles, and various injuries later including Warren twisting his 'other' ankle we made it back to the car. All in all a good hike and a good intro to the scenery surrounding Seattle. Pictures to follow.

Rebel Without a Cause....

2005-09-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

I got close to American culture when Pat decided it would be "Awesome" to take a look at the James Dean movie "Rebel without a cause". It took place in an art house cinema, with the original script writer there for Q&A. We even clapped when the film finished. Awesome.

Q&A quickly degenerated into something from a Star Trek Convention, which brought on a sudden thirst for the local brew. Time for a quick getaway, me thinks!

The Mighty Mariners

2005-08-31T09:16:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to see my first Mariners baseball game against the great New York Yankee's. Plenty of weak 'domestic' beer and a chili dog were called for! Pat managed to wrestle the entire crowd for what was first believed to be free Beef Jerky, but later turned out to be a free T-Shirt.

The Mariners won, which is a rare event, we left the stadium with a spring in our step and stumbled across a live (surprising large) Jazz band and sat down to some good tunes, Nice. A good night was had by all.

Going Walkabout

2005-08-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

After a debauched night out with Warren at the local dive the Lava lounge (which is everything I expect an American bar to be), I spent the rest of the weekend wondering the streets of Seattle.
On one occasion I was shouted at by a mad homeless woman. It reminded me of Bath in a way, only she didn’t have the customary dog on a rope. The highlights included the famous “Pike Market”, where the local fishmongers will shout gibberish and throw fish at you. Pioneer square and the International district. All in all Seattle is a chilled, prosperous city and a good place to be.

The Eagle Has Landed

2005-08-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

After being interrogated, frisked and x-rayed I arrived in Seattle 9 1/2 hours later on what can only be described as the long haul version of an easyjet flight. First impressions of Seattle are good. The weather is warm, the city seems relaxed and the people nice.

I'm living with another Mike which is a little confusing, so in order to make life easier I've renamed him "Mr. T" due to his love for protein shakes and going down the gym. Nuff said.