Thursday, April 22, 2010

Pine and Cedar Lakes

Today eighteen Senior Trailblazers set out to hike up to Pine and Cedar Lakes from the trailhead off Chuckanut Drive. When I mentioned it to some other friends, they said, "that starts out really steep, doesn't it?" Yes. Steep right from the parking lot. The weather was overcast when we began the hike,  but the forecast was for mostly sunny skies later in the day. As you can see from this picture, as we hiked up the steep trail, we were in a heavy mist and fog. (Click any picture to enlarge.) Our total distance was a little over 7 miles, and 2,500 feet of elevation. Most of the elevation gain is at the beginning.
By the time we reached Cedar Lake, the lake was made very mystical by the fog, but we didn't have much of a view at this time. The temperature was mild but the moisture in the air caused most of us to put on more clothes, at least gloves and a hat, before heading off to Pine Lake. After the uphill climb, I was more than a little damp from the exertion, and when we stopped I got cold.
Navigating the trail around Pine Lake was a little, well, different. The skunk cabbage was happily putting out its distinctive smell, and without the board trail, we wouldn't have been doing much hiking around the lake, since the water underneath those boards was pretty deep. The smell of the skunk cabbage is strong and heady, but it's really not unpleasant.
By the time we were approaching Pine Lake, shown above, the fog had begun to lift a little. These lakes look pretty much the same, and this view is just to show you that we really did get there, and thankfully nobody fell off the narrow boarded trail. As we headed back to the main trail, we decided to take a short excursion up to Raptor Ridge for lunch. Right about noon we arrived at the ridge, just as the sun broke through!
The ridge isn't very large, and we all pulled out our little inflatable seats and sat down to enjoy the company, the view, and our well-deserved lunches. It was so pleasant in the sun that some of us decided to relax a little bit before heading back down to the cars.
The trail we had trudged up in the fog was just beautiful on the way down, with the sun-dappled trees and bushes bringing smiles to everyone's faces. Another day in the Pacific Northwest with all my fellow Seniors: I am truly blessed, and then to come home to Smart Guy and share my adventures with him, and now with you. I could not think of anything more appropriate to do on Earth Day!
:-)

19 comments:

  1. Thanks for another lovely climb, and am not nearly as tired as you were when it was over.

    I wondered if Smart Guy accompanied you on these excursions.

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  2. Lovely pictures, as always. I particularly liked the misty view. It is hard to start the climb with such a steep incline, I'm sure. I think you all deserved your rest on the rock at the end of the trail.
    Blessings, Star

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  3. Very appropriate...to be surrounded by all that unspoiled beauty...benefits one both physically and mentally!
    ♥...Wanda

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  4. You would like my younger daughter. She loves to hike, too, sometimes alone, which I think is dangerous. Practically every week, there is a story in the local newspapers about some hiker being injured and stranded. In fact, today it was reported that a man from Utah died while hiking and his body had to be retrieved (this was in Hawaii).

    It's good that you are with a group of people!

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  5. Truly, a blissful Earth Day. I'm glad I got to go too, in a virtual way.

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  6. I just had so much fun catching up on your blog! I'm living vicariously through you when it comes to exercise :) I can't wait to get out hiking and jogging again, soon enough! And I think you and I read the same Wikipedia page on the Iceland volcano, that blurb about 25% of the population of Iceland dying from the eruption back in the 1700s is nuts. All the fluoride leaching out is making me nervous, glad I don't live downwind...enjoy that farmers market of yours! Ours doesn't start until July :(

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  7. What a wonderful way to spend Earth Day. Once again your photos are awesome. Skunk cabbage doesn't sound good...but they sure are pretty. Thanks for the recommend on the gym shoes...I'll be looking for them online since we don't have the store you purchased yours from nearby. Appreciate that you took the time to share that info with me. Thanks so much...Happy Earth Day DJan!

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  8. Love those first two photos, could've entered them into the photo contest too, ha.
    And those yellow flowers? Wonderful shot too!

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  9. The second shot is ethereal-it's stunning. I didn't do anything as appropriate as this. I'm not sure how well I'd have done on that narrow board! Thanks for taking us along:)

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  10. Oh, that is so beautiful...! Man (!!!) you must be in good shape. I used to love hiking on Vancouver Island, but sadly I have not done much lately.

    You know, this is weird, but I was thinking about skunk cabbage just the other day, thinking it has been a long time since I have seen any. Et voila! There is a picture of it on your blog. :-)

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  11. Your photos are gorgeous as always. The beauty there is endless.

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  12. Straight up? Steep? Dang, you are in good shape, DJan!!! The photos are great and the description of the walk is nice.

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  13. Perfect way to spend Earth Day!!! Hooray! I must especially applaud your courage...those board trails would probably give me reason enough to pause...These are once again fabulous photos...I think my favorite is the first one of the trees in the fog! So lovely and mysterious...You are an inspiration in so many, many ways! Love, Janine XO

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  14. They are all good photos but the top one or the first one is one of those that I would hang on the wall in a minute.

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  15. gorgeous!

    I'm worried that by the time my ankle is well enough to hit the trails, the scorching humid summer will be upon us... and I can't deal with humid heat! :s

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  16. What a wonder way to spend Earth Day. Beautiful photos DJan, the first one through the mist is incredible. I think my winning streak at Joan's is coming to an end. You have some real winners there.

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  17. Oh please...don't make me walk on that narrow wood trail! I can hike in the most muddy, rocky and slippery but not there!

    But DJ those pictures made me say WOW!!

    AL

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  18. Nice hike! I enjoyed your descriptions of the Skunk Cabbage..your photo is awesome! :)

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  19. This looked like so much fun and reminded me of the hiking group I use to be part of in the mid 1990's. We hiked the Daniel Boone Nat'l Forest, Red River Gorge area. I miss it. I recall eating the most delicious orange ever after hiking up a very steep "hill" (mountain). The inflatable seats really made me smile.

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