Merry Christmas!

 

Another year has passed and it is the Christmas season once again.  Often, this is the only time that you hear from me.  I wish that I had more time to spend staying in touch, but I keep myself very busy between work, school, and volleyball.  I hope that you and your family have a happy holiday season and a great year in 1993.

 

My work is keeping me occupied.  I continue to engineer software solutions for SMTC manufacturing entity in Spokane.  In June, SMTC began to reorganize into larger groups to reduce the number of managers.  Because of this reorganization, I have had three bosses this year.  HP at Spokane is taking other cost cutting measures.  Some of these reduce the number of employees by placing people in certain job categories on an excess list.  These people have approximately a year to find another position within HP or they may choose to leave HP.  Luckily, this does not include me (or anyone with software skills) but it has caused many people on the site and their families much anxiety.  These changes have made for exciting times this year at HP. 

 

Since March, I have continued to look for other positions within HP outside of Spokane.  I am ready for something new.  I am particularly interested in the VanCouver Washington and Corvalis Oregon locations.  There is also a chance that I may be offered a job with HP in Melbourne Australia.  I will not know whether this is a possibility until May, but I am very excited.

 

I have restarted on my path to get a masters degree in computer science from Chico State in California.  I took one course this semester in Motif programming.  It was a fun course and I learned a lot about graphics programming.  I am enrolled in two classes next semester.  If I continue to take two classes each semester, I will complete my degree in about two years.  Taking classes while working full time is hard, but the sense of achievement is very satisfying.  The degree will also open other job opportunities.

 

I am still actively playing volleyball.  Typically, I play three to four times a week.  Most of my social life is centered around my friends from volleyball.  I play in two coed leagues and one men's league, and USVBA men's league starts in January.  I organized one of the coed teams and co-organize our men's teams.  The other coed team is organized by my friend Dave Danielson.  I am pleased to say that we are winning all three leagues.

 

You must be wondering about the picture at the top of the letter and the photo on my Christmas card.  This is a mere representation of the highlight of my year. 

 

While my mom and dad were living in Sequim, I visited them for a couple of weeks. In August, my dad and I backpacked 20 miles to the Blue Glacier near the top of Mt. Olympus located on the Washington State peninsula this August.  We packed nine days of food which we ate in six.  Fortunately, we were able to return within six days. 

 

I cannot adequately describe the experience of hiking through the Olympic Mountains and seeing the glaciers that live on top of Mount Olympus, but I will try to share the experience with you.  The trail started at the Hoh Ranger Station located in the Hoh National Park.  This is a temperate rain forest and was incredible.  Moss grows on everything.  Huge evergreen trees shade delicate ferns.  The first twelve miles we traveled through the rain forest following the Hoh River which is a beautiful fast flowing glacier fed river.  After that, the trail climbs  and we crossed the High Hoh Bridge 150 feet over the Hoh River.  The trail keeps climbing along the side of the mountains and the rain forest transitions into a temperate forest where it is much hotter and drier. 

 

In the temperate forest, we crossed many small streams which we used to replenish our drinking and cooking water.  During this part of the trip there were many spectacular views of the three snow covered peaks of Mount Olympus and the tree lined slopes of the surrounding peaks. 

 

After several miles through the forest we came to Elk Lake which is a small mountain lake.  We took an afternoon break here.  We bathed, swam, fished, and ate lunch all of which greatly rejuvenated us.  After lunch, we completed the last leg of the backpacking portion of the trip.

 

Several hours later we arrived at Glacier Meadows, the last campsite before Blue Glacier.  We set up camp for the night and left the next morning heading for the glacier with our day packs.  The picture shows me standing on the lateral moraine (glacial ruble along the side of the glacier) with the Center and East Peaks of Mount Olympus in the background.  This is only one of many spectacular views. 

 

Later we hiked to the bottom of Blue Glacier.  The air coming off the glacier was about 40 degrees here.  My dad and I climbed around the rubble in front of the glacier and I climbed down and drank the water melting off the glacier!

 

All in all, this was a spectacular trip.  It is impossible for me to completely share all that I saw and experienced.  I hope that with one photograph and some words I can convey part of the unique beauty of this experience.

 

I wish you and your family the best for the holidays!

 

 

TJ