Teddy Bear Cove

The sign before descending to the Cove

Today a huge number of hikers (22) went off to Teddy Bear Cove, with another ten or so who took the longer trip to Anacortes, to hike the Goose Rock trail. I went with the local group, the biggest group I've hiked with yet. We started out at the Fairhaven Park entrance and headed off via the Hundred Acre Woods trail to finally get to Teddy Bear Cove.

It was cold, especially starting out, well below freezing and a low overcast hanging overhead. (The other Tuesday group went off to better conditions, with more blue skies but still plenty cold.) We made our way along the trail, needing to cross a busy rail line (two fast trains went by while we were there) and finally to our destination, Teddy Bear Cove.

Once upon a time, this was a well-known nude beach, and you didn't show up there without being expected to strip and swim naked That's gone these days, but the subject came up several times. With below freezing weather, nobody was tempted. 

Teddy Bear Cove

We stopped here for a nice break before heading back via a loop trail. We saw a few ducks swimming in the water, but otherwise it was just us. Joe, our leader, climbed the bluff behind us to see if he could capture the large group of hikers.

Whole lotta hikers

I am in there somewhere, as I watched Joe climb up and yell for us to look up and smile. You can see we are all somewhat well dressed as it was still plenty cold. But I must say that today's hike managed to lift my spirits a great deal. I am now home, feeling better than ever for having been out and about, covering more than 5.5 miles and climbing and descending just under a thousand feet of elevation. 

I am finding these Tuesday group hikes to be a lot of fun, and even though they don't challenge me like the Thursday hikes do, they are well worth the effort to get there and put myself into the mix. Today was very well spent and also obviously well attended. I look forward to whatever next week's hike brings!

:-)

Chanterelle 2025

Viewpoint today

  

Now that we are well into the new year, our three Senior Trailblazers are making some big changes. First of all, we will have two separate groups made up from the Happy Wanderers group, which has grown too big. Last week we started the experiment, but because the weather wasn't wonderful, one group that headed to Anacortes was small (two). The other group, which had a nice five-mile hike from the parking lot across the street from Barkley Village to Whatcom Falls Park and back. You can read about it here.

Today we had one hike that I know very well, the first half of the Chanterelle trail. I have probably done this more than a dozen times in recent years, but this was the first time with such a large group. There were seventeen of us who made the trek up a thousand feet of elevation to this familiar spot. 

Joe took the photo

I didn't take many pictures, but the amazing clouds caused me to want to show them off. Our leader today, Bill, posed in front of them for me, as you can see here.

Bill, clouds, and tree

It was cold when we started out, but it didn't stay that way, as we worked our way up the mountainside to the overlook. We had a nice snack, since it wasn't actually lunchtime yet. We headed back down to our cars and were back to the Senior Center by noon! And we had a good workout, too. The pace was faster than I'm used to, but I managed all right, and other than not taking any pictures (which would have slowed me down), I hustled to keep up.

By the way, the other group went to Blaine and the Peace Arch Park and had fourteen hikers. They went about the same distance, but they didn't have any elevation to climb. I'm not sure who took the picture, but here's the other group, just for fun.

The Blaine Happy Wanderers

It didn't matter which group you went with today, since everyone was happy to have the great (if chilly) weather and the wonderful company. I look forward to more like this, please! And I'm glad to be home and well worked out, too. I should sleep well tonight once again.

:-)

Whatcom Falls from Barkley

On the trail

Today marks the first day of our new Senior Trailblazers setup, with two hikes on Tuesdays and two on Thursdays, all of different degrees of difficulty and distance. Since today started with plenty of fog and little visibility, only two people decided to take the longer drive to Whistle Lake in Anacortes, while the rest of us (eighteen!) carpooled to the parking lot across the street from Barkley Village and began our fun five-mile-long+ excursion.

It was cloudy and a little foggy for most of the hike, but we had plenty of wide trails to walk along, giving us a chance to visit with many others, and eventually shed some of our warm gear. Even though it wasn't all that cold, it was quite damp and you can see that many of us were dressed for warmth. We hiked past Derby Pond on our way to the pavilion at Whatcom Falls Park, where we enjoyed a bit more socializing and a bite to eat.

A short visit to the pavilion

As you can see from this picture, even after quite a while outdoors, the fog had not lifted very much. But it was very pleasant, and I have to say that as a Pacific Northwesterner, it was nice not to have any rain today. Just fog. After a bit, we went on to gaze at the very full Whatcom Falls. I've seen this when it's barely a trickle, and when it's even more roaring than it was today.

An impressive sight

It was a little disappointing that we didn't have the brilliant blue sky we saw yesterday, but it didn't really matter. We had fun, got exercise, and some great camaraderie as well. And there's always next week.

On the bridge

That's our leader in the foreground, Cindy, who took us unfailingly along the path to give us a good workout, and many happy faces, showing that we had plenty of reasons to be happy that we decided to come out to play! We then returned to the cars via the way we had come, and made our way back to the Senior Center. Until next week, we'll be watching the weather and hoping for another good day.

:-)

New Year's Eve delight

New hiker Belinda on Blanchard Mountain

erers, twenty of us, drove from the Senior Center to Blanchard Mountain, to enjoy a six-plus-mile hike from the Upper Trailhead to Samish Overlook and back. One of the reasons we had so many hikers was the incredible break in the weather! Although it rained on and off for most of the day yesterday, this lovely day broke clear and cold, with rain not projected to come back until this evening. Of course, this might mean some people won't ring in the new year outdoors, but then again, wonders never cease in this part of the world. It's possible we might see some auroras, if the sky is visible tonight, but the mild and dry weather we had today was just spectacular.

Emerging from the forest 

We walked the trailhead in two groups, to help keep everybody together, and took the trail toward Lily Lake until we got to the turnoff to Samish Overlook. We expected some mud on the trail, but it wasn't awful at all, and we had to keep taking off layers as the day progressed. It was perfect weather, not too cold, not too muddy, with lots and lots of sunshine.

Chatting at the Overlook

Once we got to Samish Overlook, we joined the other group for extended visiting and taking the chance for a snack before continuing back the way we came. After last week's slog, this couldn't have been more different. And the view from the Overlook is not to be missed. I took this picture of Belinda, showing off her amazing hair.

Looking out at Samish Bay

There were still low clouds in the bay, but it just added to the beauty. I know you have seen a few shots of me lately (on my other blog), but Don took this one of me and I am going to share it anyway. I was definitely in my happy place, feeling good about the hike and the weather and... well, just about everything.

Just the best day

On the way back, I hiked with the other group and had a chance to visit with some other dear friends on the final hike of the year. Starting next week, we will have two hikes to choose from on Tuesdays, to help keep the numbers manageable, with one longer and one less challenging. What could be better than to have more hikes?

Waterfall

I didn't have a chanced to take a picture of the waterfall on the way out, so I decided I'd better show you what it looks like today. I've seen it completely dry, and other times when there was even more water. We've had a lot of rain lately, but not any sort of record, I guess. 

I feel so incredibly fortunate to have had the chance to end the year with a very memorable hike. Here's to many more ahead in the coming year! Wishing everyone a very Happy, Safe, and Hopeful new year. 

:-)

Christmas Eve slog

Dark clouds look threatening

We started out at the Racine trailhead, thinking we would cross the Samish Bay Open Space and head towards Lake Padden and return. It was cloudy, but the seven of us started in dry conditions, and Barb (our leader and one who knows this area very well) commented that she had never seen the trail as muddy and wet as it was today. At least it's warm, and we could turn around if the weather deteriorated.

Before we had gone more than a couple miles, however, it began to sprinkle. We put on our rain gear, and before we went much further, it was becoming a definite downpour. We slogged on for another bit before deciding it was becoming much less fun than it had been just a short while ago.

Barb took us back via the trail she calls the "Hobbit Trail" because of all the twists and turns and giving us the feeling we might run into a hobbit around the next turn. She found this lovely little area before long.

A sign showing us Fairyopolis

A sweet little break in the trees led us to Fairyopolis, and inside there were lots of cute little gnomes and ornaments gracing the trees all around us. I did get a bit of a flavor of the area in the next picture. You do have to look carefully at all the little creatures tucked here and there.

A Christmas tree, fairies, and fun

While we were in the little haven, we were also spared from the direct rain, which was still continuing. Reluctantly we left, and at this point we decided to go ahead and return via a loop trail, and forget about getting to the lake. By this time, I was really drenched, even with good rain gear and (supposedly) waterproof shoes. Nope, I was feeling the water sloshing around inside my shoes, and the trail had become a river.

I didn't take many pictures, for obvious reasons, but Barb used her "Relive" app to take some good shots. I snagged this from the batch she sent around to us. She is behind the camera, but you might be able to tell how wet all the rest of us were. Or maybe not.

Are we having fun yet?

We kept up a good pace as we headed back to the cars, but the really interesting part of the adventure was that it stopped raining (leaving plenty of rain behind) and then we saw bits of blue sky that became full sunlight! By the time we returned to the trailhead, it was a different universe. We had covered around four miles by the time we finished, and started on our journeys back to civilization and warm, dry homes.

It was an adventure, and a lot more interesting to write about from my perch at home. At least I kept upright, once again, and in retrospect, I almost had fun! I am not in any hurry to go back there when it's raining like it was, though. But I'll be back, for sure!

 Merry Christmas!

:-)

Pretty but dark and gloomy

Our small group today

This was the smallest Happy Wanderers group of hikers I've experienced so far. This group is usually quite large, well over twenty, but today nobody wanted to venture out in the projected weather. We are expecting to have well over two inches of rain, and before too long, even some wind. I am not in this picture, so it surprises me to see eight people and a dog! Then I remember we ran into a couple of fellow hikers who were being accompanied by their furry companions and probably why they were already out and about.

Friend John on the bridge

We didn't have any canine companions, but it was our regular hiking day, so our leader Joe took us to Whatcom Falls park where we walked around five miles. At first it wasn't raining, but it wasn't long before sprinkles joined us. The water in Whatcom Falls was pretty impressive.

Whatcom Falls today

I didn't take many pictures in the gloomy atmosphere, but it was a very nice easy walk, except for the short section where I couldn't find my footing. It was a rather deep muddy place, and I needed the help of several people to keep from hurtling face-first into the the mud. Fortunately I managed to stay upright. Otherwise, it was an uneventful hike in a familiar place.

Ferns and water

I watched Barb angle her cellphone over the bridge, and when I checked out what she saw, it was this rather interesting juxtaposition of ferns and fast-moving water. I know you wouldn't be able to tell what it was unless I told you, so there you go. 

And then we headed back to the Senior Center and I went inside to see what the place looks like with lots of people getting ready to have lunch. I briefly considered staying myself, but since the rain was still rather light, I figured I should probably walk to the bus and get myself home.

And it's raining quite hard out there at the moment, but the wind hasn't made itself known, but it's coming. I rather like being inside when its frightful out there!

:-)

Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve

Today's leader, Joe

Joe is a regular leader on our Happy Wanderers hike, and today he brought fourteen of us to the Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve, a lovely 4,400-acre area on the west side of Lake Whatcom. He has several versions of today's hike, but this one is his shorter version, which took us about five miles up and down 1,100 feet of elevation. His much longer version, with additions at the beginning and end, covers more territory and is on his list for the near future. I hope to be on it. I sure enjoyed today's adventure, but I was not really ready for a long hike, just a good one that would give me a reasonable workout, and this just fit the bill.

Some Happy Wanderers

It was quite cold when we started out, well below freezing, and it took quite a bit of time before I felt really warm, but once we started upwards, I got warm quickly. Although it was at least a few miles before I could take off my gloves, I did finally feel exhilarated by the cold and not uncomfortable at all. We had little to no wind and kept seeing signs of hair ice, the thin strands of ice protruding from dead branches along the trail. I've written about it before, but I didn't see any that were worth removing my gloves from my cold hands.

Viewpoint and Mt Baker

We ascended to this point, where we got to see a little bit of Mt Baker along the horizon, and in a few places we saw low-lying fog that came and went for most of the day.

The viewpoint bench and time for a snack

We had climbed enough so that most of us could remove some clothing and pull out a bit of lunch. After a short break, we descended on a different trail that we went up, which is a bit steeper (but it was mostly downhill).

These signs were placed at all the junctions

It was truly a lovely way to spend our Tuesday Happy Wanderers hike, and we were all feeing pretty good by the time we returned to the starting point. We covered right around five miles, maybe a touch more, and 1,200 feet. It made for a wonderful way to get exercise with my fellow seniors. I look forward to the longer version next time.

:-)