Yeah I finally got around to trying that hiking trail you mentioned last month. The views from the top were absolutely worth the steep climb in the first mile. I went early on Saturday around 7am and had the whole trail to myself for the first hour. The wildflowers were just starting to bloom near the ridge line which was a nice surprise. I packed way too much water as usual but better safe than sorry when you are out there alone. The trail markers were pretty clear once you got past the initial fork near the creek crossing. I saw a few deer about halfway up just standing there watching me pass without any fear at all. Next time I might bring a proper camera since my phone photos did not really capture how green everything was after the recent rain. If you want to go again sometime this month I would be down for a repeat trip. Maybe we could try the longer loop this time since I know what to expect now and can pace myself better. Let me know what works for your schedule.

So I finally attempted that sourdough recipe you sent me last week. The starter took longer to get active than I expected but once it got going it was really rewarding to watch it bubble up. I baked my first loaf yesterday and while the shape came out a bit flat the crust was perfectly crispy and the inside had those nice airy pockets you look for in good bread. I think I might have overproofed it slightly but honestly it still tastes great with butter and a pinch of salt. My kitchen still smells like a bakery this morning which is not a bad problem to have at all. I am going to try again this weekend with a slightly different hydration ratio to see if I can get a taller rise and maybe a more open crumb. Let me know if you have any tips for shaping it before the final proof because I think I was too gentle with it. Also your suggestion about using a Dutch oven made a huge difference for keeping the steam in during the first twenty minutes. I picked up a bench scraper last night which should help with handling the dough more confidently next time.