By the time you read this, I might be running my first leg of Hood to Coast, a 196-mile relay starting at Timberline Lodge and ending on the Oregon Coast. Or maybe I will already be through 13 miles and catching a few zzzs in a field before my final 4-mile leg. My three sections cover about 17 miles in 36 hours—doable but tiring. I’m not really sure what to expect other than Type 2 fun from my first experience passing a slap bracelet as a baton on the sides of highways.
I’ve spent weeks prepping, running morning miles even when I’ve felt exhausted and ordering glitter face freckles for pizzazz. My ankle is feeling much better, thank you very much. This week I picked up some liege waffles from TJs to share with my van. Last night, after wolfing down tacos with the team, I packed my gear, enclosing my three outfits, one for each leg, in a Ziploc bag, as recommended. But only after I photographed them Thursday morning:
When it’s all over, I will probably make a little recap video on Instagram about the event at the very least, or maybe I’ll have more to say here—or for a publication. Very grateful to my run buddy Savanna for inviting me to join her team <3
Other things of note from August: My parents visited for a week, and we hiked to waterfalls, grilled in the yard, caught Whitney at Topaz Farm, and I joined my mom for her first tattoos (hi mom, I hope it’s okay I told everyone you’re inked). Oh, and while they were here, my tennis team won playoffs and will head to sectionals next month!!!! I also ran in the Tillamook Forest with Arc’teryx and spent 48 hours with Mountain Hardwear, but I already told you about that.
Wish me healthy and strong ankles this weekend!
XO Amelia
Paid readers: I am purging my sticker collection. Lots from outdoor brands. If you want some, DM me your address and I’ll send you a mystery selection.
Looking ahead: Chapter 8 on wool is delayed because I’d like to do a bit more reporting on PNW textile history. Forgive me. But more wool stories are in the works, don’t worry. Eeeeeeeep I really want to tell you about everything that’s ahead but I will exercise restraint and keep it a surprise.
Latest Stories
Back in June, I sought your feedback about how hiking style has evolved. It helped inform my piece for Outside’s fall issue about hiking apparel’s style revolution. “The previously established hiker uniform—blocky boots, khaki nylon pants, pilling fleeces, and stiff rain shells, all in a riot of mismatched colors—simply doesn’t appeal” to the collective of young brands rewriting hiking’s style codes. Also in this issue, don’t miss Yoon Kim’s gorgeous essay about his grandmother running a flannel factory in postwar Seoul.
It was quite the month for print: In Portland Monthly’s fall edition, I had three stories that are now also online: A feature on the new urbanism town of Seabrook on Washington’s coast; and in a spread about DIYers, a profile of the gear repair business Mountain Soles, and a profile of the knitwear repair specialist behind Village Mending; plus my little status report on Waymo
What’s the deal with these holey running shirts? For Outside’s Run vertical, I talked to endurance and athletes about why we’re seeing so much mesh (and skin). I filmed a video in my messy gear shed that goes along with it.
Monthly Links
Reading: After countless recommendations, I am finally cracking open The Salt Stones: Seasons of a Shepherd’s Life by Helen Whybrow. Barely even 50 pages in, I’m already writing down lines like this one: “Sometimes it takes a fiction or a dream to fill the place in your heart that you didn’t even know was searching.”
Listening: Phoebe on repeat, duh
Watching: Ted Lasso, duh
Buying: Red polka dot socks, a tee from Beans Outdoor, red Havaianas on Depop, a skirt and shirt from Vein of Gold, and a polka dot bowl and crochet fish sponges
Making: On Saturday I finished the Uma Top by Friday Pattern Company in a navy wide ribbed knit jersey. Turning the skinny straps to the right side was the most tedious part, but I locked in and did it. Fit video here.
Eating: Lots of hard-boiled eggs, grilled chicken, jam on toast, and dark chocolate peanut butter cups to keep me satiated after 20-mile weeks. Also had a recent indulgent meal of steamy pita, creamy hummus, and tender souvlaki at Bluto’s.
September Mood
Oh wow, good luck and best wishes on the race!
what a cool piece for outside!!!