Remember when the concept of “hygge” took over the internet? I jumped on the bandwagon a couple of years ago, fully embracing the idea of cozy time: candles, blankets, oversized sweaters, a fireplace (only in my dreams- in my reality, we’ve occasionally cast the yule log on the ol’ TV). Sign me up.
But in a land not so far away, it’s possible to hygge all weekend long (I know it’s pronounced like this, but I prefer to say, “gettin’ hygge with it”, Will Smith-style). Eric and I took a little winter getaway to Suttle Lake, where it’s impossible to be anything but cozy.
With a bit of a lack of winter in Portland this year, we were really hoping for some snow at our mountain escape. We even brought snowshoes to walk around the lake, but all we really needed were rain boots. What we got was a bit of slush, followed by rain, steady 30 mph winds, and general stay-inside-by-the-fire-and-play-scrabble weather.
For an idea of just how windy, loud, and crazy it was outside, check out this (very professional) video I took. The part where there’s a sudden camera shift is when a really strong wind gust hit me from behind.
What’s kind of fun about the Suttle Lodge is that all of the guests hang out in the lobby. They have these giant bean-bag-looking chairs (that are actually incredibly comfortable and non-bean-bag-like), lots of little tables, a ton of board games, a bar, and an old-school record player that encouraged folks to kick back and hang out. As a general crowd-hater, I didn’t think I’d dig this, but it was actually pretty fun (although I can’t imagine how crowded it would be in the summer after seeing how many people were there on a gross winter weekend).
It wasn’t all rest and relaxation, thanks to my marathon training schedule. I had visions of running through the trails and mountain roads by the lake for my long run, but I was afraid a run through 30 mph winds would leave me in tears. Instead, I drove into Sisters and ran down an empty highway through the forest.
When we woke up on Sunday, it was like we were in a completely different place. Blue skies, no wind, calm water. I’m ready to move in.
Here’s hoping there are many more mountain getaways in our future!
-Ally
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