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| Al and Linda at the beginning of the hike |
Seven of us showed up on a rainy Thursday to drive down to Anacortes in order to trek to the top of Mt. Erie. Our beautiful weather disappeared, right in time for Thursday. The forecast said we would have intermittent showers early, changing to downright rain by afternoon, and they were right. The ACFL (Anacortes Community Forest Land) is filled with over twenty miles of trails, which we accessed from the road you see in that first picture.
We would have been lost without Al's map and GPS system, but the trails are well marked if you know where they will take you. From Heart Lake where we started our journey, we met dozens of trail junctions like this. The rain was light and hardly even a bother, since it was warm and we were traveling mostly uphill. We didn't see any other people on the trail, probably because of the rain.
The skunk cabbage is beginning to appear everywhere, and this one has already opened to show its stamen. When they are very numerous, they have a distinct odor that is strong but much more pleasant (to my nose, at least) than skunk. By midsummer they are huge plants.
Ward and Linda are standing on what is called the "Little Round Top," one of the landmarks on Al's map. The two of them are a little damp, but with proper rain gear it wasn't unpleasant at all. We decided, however, to skip the usual excursion to Sugarloaf, another mountain in the area, hoping we could get up and back before the REAL rain hit. We continued on the trail to the top of Mt. Erie.
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| Rita looking out over Campbell Lake |
Once we made it to the summit, we finally saw some other people, since you can either hike or drive there. Here you see Rita scoping out what view we had as we ate our lunch. In other years, we have had some spectacular views, as you can see Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker from here. Check out
our hike in 2011 for a view of Rainier. We didn't stay long today, since we began to get chilled once we stopped moving.
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| Amy and Burl |
This old cedar tree has a huge bump, or burl, on it that is caused by some form of stress. They can grow even bigger than this one, and I remember once seeing coffee tables made from slabs of burl, showing that they have a very unusual grain.
By the time we had reached the cars, we had covered six-and-a-half miles, with an elevation gain and loss of a little more than 1,800 feet. It was shorter than usual, but as we drove back to the Senior Center the rain started in earnest, so we felt we had made the right decision. All in all, it was a very successful day, with a bit of exercise with good friends in a very beautiful part of the country. Who could ask for more? I'm going to think of the rain as a bonus!
:-)
at least you are used to rain AND prepared/dressed for it. and glad you avoided the worst. :)
ReplyDeleteI think that's the first picture I've seen of a burl. Interesting.You've gained a lot of knowledge from these walks.
ReplyDeleteI wondered who Burl was when I first looked at the photo. Lol. You always seem to put a positive spin on your stories.
ReplyDeleteHusband the woodworker came over to look at the burl and said, "The goiter of the tree world."
ReplyDeleteHe loves to admire the grain of the wood inside those things.
am i the only one that sees a puffin face in the burl? smiles....cool..and glad you made it back to the car before the serious rain...we are getting snow tonight...5 inches....crazy
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got your walking/hiking in before the rain got heavy. It was a dark, wet afternoon, just right for throwing the Easter ham bones in a pot and making lima bean soup. It was a yummy dinner.
ReplyDeleteSuch wonderful places to hike in your area. Almost makes me want to go outside.
ReplyDeleteI've been enjoying the fresh humid air as I read this post.
ReplyDeleteWhen you got to the top, even with the rain/mist, it's lovely. Glad you enjoyed it with friends.
ReplyDeletexo jj
Despite the rain that shot of Lake Campbell is gorgeous. Spring is definitely on its way to your part of the world.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen skunk cabbage before - looks interesting.
ReplyDeleteAnd that shot of your hiking friend, Rita is a dandy!!
That is one nice burl..here in Minnesota the wood bowl turning guys use them to make beautiful bowls! Great hike and not a half bad view either!:)
ReplyDeleteRain WOULD be a bonus here. I have seen burls used to make bowls and coffee tables too, and they are often very, very beautiful. As was this hike - thank you. Skunk cabbage is new to me, and I loved seeing it in bloom - thanks again.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you had a nice hike despite the rain. Your photo of the burl reminds me of when we lived in Northern California we saw lots of items made from tree burls. The grain is fascinating.
ReplyDeleteWe had rain here today too. This evening a line of thundershowers moved through the area.
That's the biggest burl I've seen in some time. I have a friend that makes bowls n such out of them, so whenever we spot them in forest, I give him a call - really, there are lots of them in some very wet n very dry places - they do make very beautiful furniture and the hardest wood ever and difficult to work with, but last forever. Beautiful view from the top.
ReplyDeleteI have seen tables made from burls and the grain is awesome. I am so impressed how far you all hike especially since it is usually uphill which is my Kryptonite. You go girl.
ReplyDeleteYes, a puffin face! I see it... but I had to go back to look. So glad you had a good day despite the rain.
ReplyDeleteDear DJan, I just finished reading a mystery novel by Erin Hart, one of my favorite novelists. Her main characters are archeologists and forensic scientists. Her stories mostly take place in Ireland and through her I've learned about "bog people" whose bodies have been buried in Irish bogs for centuries. In her most recent book, one of the features are "oak galls." I thought those were burls, but when I just now looked up the difference between galls and burls I saw my mistake.
ReplyDeleteThe galls are called "oak apples" and they play a decisive role in the mystery. Peace.
I can smell the pine trees in that first picture!
ReplyDeleteIt continues to amaze me at the amount of rain you get in your area; I know that the Northwest is known for its rainfall, but I didn't know anyone who lived there (until I met you through blogging) to see it for myself.
ReplyDeleteThe skunk cabbage blossom is beautiful. I bet it was welcoming the rainfall!!
Beautiful shots of your hiking friends and the trail you all enjoyed hiking on Thursday.
Thank you so much for sharing the photos, Jan.
Have a lovely weekend.
Love,
Jackie
Here in Alicante if it rains everything gets cancelled! But you guys couldn't do that or you'd never go out! Still, I think you're all pretty valiant to head out knowing you're going to return pretty wet by the end of it! ;o)
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos! That burl was very impressive!!!
I just got in my first good hike of the year--which is to say, out of the city and uphill. (I walk many miles in the city all year.) And I think we only got about 2000 feet of elevation gain in, but (sniff) I could feel it the next day. I have to keep reminding myself that I was in even worse shape when I was twenty. Onward in 2013!
ReplyDeletePS It's hard to get real high in the mountains this time of year, until the snow melts.
There is a artist in our area who makes all kinds of fantastic things our of burls. Gnomes, tables, lamps etc. My spouse occasionally "drags" me along to artsy craftsy tours and secretly I love this guys work and also the glass blowers...:)
ReplyDeleteThat is a fabulous view from the top. I'm glad you must have excellent rain gear. I was wondering what the skunk cabbage must smell like. I've seen things made of burl wood and it's gorgeous.
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