I finally made it out to Lake Tahoe last weekend for that hiking trail my coworker keeps talking about and wow the views were absolutely breathtaking. We started early around 6am to beat the crowds and had the trail mostly to ourselves for the first few hours. The wildflowers were in full bloom which made for some really beautiful photo opportunities along the way. I packed way too much food as usual but I'd rather have extra than run out halfway through. The elevation gain was no joke though my legs are still sore three days later. We stopped at this little clearing that overlooked the entire lake and just sat there for about forty minutes not saying much just taking it all in. Saw a family of deer on the way back down which felt like a magical way to end the hike. Definitely planning to make this a regular thing maybe once a month if I can manage the drive.

My friend brought along her camera and got some incredible shots of the sunrise hitting the water. The colors were unreal like something out of a painting. We packed sandwiches and ate them on a flat rock near the shore while the cool breeze kept us comfortable. I swear I could have stayed there all day. On the way back we stopped at a little café in town that served the best hot chocolate I've ever had. They used real melted chocolate not powder and topped it with homemade marshmallows. I'm already looking forward to the next trip.

I tried that sourdough recipe my sister sent me last week and the first attempt was a total disaster but the second one actually turned out pretty decent. The starter took way longer to activate than I expected almost ten days before it was bubbly enough to use. I think my kitchen was too cold so I moved it to the top of the fridge where it's warmer and that seemed to help. The dough was incredibly sticky during the first fold and I was sure I'd messed something up but I watched a few YouTube tutorials and realized that's totally normal. The crumb structure on the second loaf was actually really nice with those irregular air pockets that make it look artisanal. My neighbor stopped by while it was cooling and I sent her home with half a loaf. She texted me later saying it was the best bread she'd had in months which felt pretty great. I'm already planning to try a cheddar jalapeno variation next weekend.

I also discovered that using a kitchen scale instead of measuring cups makes a huge difference in consistency. The hydration level was much easier to control and the dough behaved so much better during shaping. I ordered a proper bread lame for scoring and that helped the loaf expand beautifully in the oven. The crust came out crispy and golden with a lovely crackle when I tapped it. I think I'm officially hooked on this hobby now.