May 22, 2011 (Washington) – I’d never been to Washington before, and I’m trying to figure out why I haven’t come sooner! It’s absolutely beautiful here with rows upon rows of apple and pear trees growing in the valley next to the river, and the mountains towering in the background. And good thing it’s so scenic, because I’ve been doing a lot of traveling lately!

But you know what? It was, without a doubt, worth the trip to be there at Brian Gregg and Caitlin Compton’s wedding! I am so happy for them and the joy on their faces was totally infectious. It was definitely the prettiest wedding I’ve ever seen. We hiked a mile up into the mountains and they were married under an arch made of skis and flowers, on a lookout over the valley. And as they walked down the aisle, the sun came out. So beautiful!

I left Minnesota Saturday morning, and got to Seattle where I met up with Kay Wilson and her granddaughter. We had some time to kill before Scott Wilson’s plane landed, so we took the lightrail to downtown Seattle and went 520 ft into the air to the top of the space needle. The 360-degree view was amazing and we could see all the way to Mount Rainier!

Then I rode with the Wilson’s up to Winthrop, Washington, where I stayed in a trailer at Chad Gregg’s house (Brian’s identical twin brother). Chad lives in this super-cool yurt! I’d never seen one before and I think it would be pretty fun to live in. After the wedding, Eric Bjornsen and I rode down to Wenatchee with the Owen family, and got a ride to the airport the next morning with them. So clearly, there were a LOT of people that were amazing and generous in sharing their homes and cars and I couldn’t have gone to the wedding without their help – thanks guys!!!

So now it’s on to Bend, Oregon, where I’ll join up with the US Ski Team and other elite athletes for an on-snow training camp. I’ve never been to Bend before, but I’m pretty excited since I’ve only heard good things!