Thursday, December 5, 2013

Frigid Blanchard Mountain

On the trail to Lily Lake
Do we look cold? Fifteen Senior Trailblazers showed up for a very chilly hike from the south side of Blanchard Mountain to Lily and Lizard Lakes, along with a stop at the North Butte lookout. The temperature today never rose above freezing, and the overcast sky when we started out meant that we were all a little worried about whether we would be able to stay warm.
Ice bouquet
All along the frosty trail, we saw this frozen ice that had extruded up from the ground, ice crystals giving us every indication of how cold it was. There were several places reminiscent of bouquets of flowers. We don't usually see this sort of thing, since we only had a few days last year when the temperature got as cold as we've had for several days now. With many more ahead.
Lily Lake
By the time we reached Lily Lake, the first of our stops, the sun was beginning to peek through the clouds. Although at this time of year the angle of the sun is quite low, there were a few spots where we began to cast a shadow. The lake is mostly frozen, but it doesn't extend very deep.
North Butte
By the time we had reached the high point of today's hike, North Butte, the sun was out! Although it wasn't very warm, there wasn't even a little bit of breeze, so we decided to go ahead and have lunch, even though it was just a little after 11:00am. Every other place we might choose to stop afterwards would be in the shade and very cold. We also enjoyed the view from this spot, looking out over Samish Bay.
The view
We weren't sure whether we would be able to navigate the rocks to get up this high, because ice and snow were everywhere that the sun didn't reach. But we managed; however, the return trip back down the steep rocks was a bit dicey. We took our time, and as soon as we left the warmth of the sun, it began to get really cold and uncomfortable. Several of us had the water in our hydration tubes freeze right up. Yes, it was that brisk!
Ten of the fifteen
The last part of the seven-mile-long hike was on a road, and at one point we had a nice view of Mt. Baker (right over Doug's head). Although the picture quality isn't perfect, I used my camera and never tried to use my cell phone because I would have had to remove my gloves, and I wasn't willing to do that! Other than the temperature, it was just a lovely day. After we returned to the cars, Amy pulled out three candles to place on her homemade cupcakes to celebrate the three December birthdays: me, Fred, and Carol. I learned that Carol was born on Christmas Eve, which explains her name.

All in all, it was a great day with wonderful friends. When I got home I learned that our TV had finally bit the dust, so I headed over to Best Buy for a replacement. Smart Guy is busy setting it up while I write this post. Although our old TV was only six years old, I was completely floored by the advancement in technology and the reduced cost! I guess you could say this has been a pretty darn good day after all.
:-)

21 comments:

  1. i have no doubt the new tv will be a welcome surprise. :)

    they're not kidding when they say 7/8 of the US is in deep freeze. coast to coast, it seems! glad you all made it thru the ice and precarious rocks today - and were rewarded with cupcakes! :)

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  2. wow...nice...it was well worth the hike to see the ice bouquet...that is awesome....we are to get an ice storm this weekend...not sure i am looking forward to that...

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  3. Brrrr.. you are a hearty group. Love those icy bouquets. Nature is just astounding.

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  4. Usually I keep very warm on a hike like this. It's when you stop that you can get cold in a hurry. I'm really fussy about my clothes. I can't wear any of the stuff you people are wearing. I just get soaked inside from perspiration. You look like a very vigorous group.

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  5. I've never seen an ice bouquet like that. Sounds like yet another great hike.

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  6. Love, love, love the ice bouquet. And the scenery. Thank you (again) for taking me along.

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  7. I'm sorry your TV bit the dust but excited for your new one.

    What an amazing hike you were on. You guys are really determined. The cold would surely have sent me back to a fireplace. And yet how wondrous to see that ice crystal bouquet. I would sure love to see one. Wow!

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  8. I love your smile DJan - it lights up your whole face. I would know you in a crowd of a thousand people by your smile and it is quite lovely. What a great day you had and such extraordinary views - ground and mountain top. I walked all the way to the hospital today to visit a friend, which covers approx 6 mi there and back. Good day to do it too as it was lovely out today. Cheers

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  9. Happy birthday, DJan. What a splendid way to celebrate after a cold hard hike. As for TVs, yes technology has really advanced. Now you can use the internet on your TV.

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  10. I want a new flat screen tv too...I don't know why, we have no cable anymore...go figure. LOL

    Beautiful scenes. And happy birthday to you three senior hikers!!!

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  11. Dear DJan, that seven-mile trek sounds so cold and impossible to me! I'm glad you all enjoyed it and I so enjoyed looking at those views of the lake and the mountains.

    I read your previous posting about the vertigo. When I first began reading, I found myself hoping against hope that the ER doctor wouldn't think it was Meniere's. I'm glad to learn that its only a sinus infection. That's bad enough, but Meniere's is nothing to sneeze about!

    By the way, have you ever read the Annie Dilliard novel that takes place in Bellingham? I don't remember the title, but I read the book years ago. Her writing always impresses me. Peace.

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  12. Well done you for persevering in that freezing cold. Love walking but I need to be warm. Stopping to eat must be quite a dilemma.

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  13. You are definitely a brave soul. Hiking sounds wonderful to me... but hiking in below freezing weather... not so much. We're in the mist of the Arctic blast;rain, sleet, and ice! Went from 80 to 27 and supposed to be 18 in the morning. Schools and businesses closed, power outages. Ours went out during the night, but had returned by morning.But many in the area still don't have electricity. I intend to stay inside by the fire. With luck, it won't last too long.

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  14. I have been reading about the cold (we're in Hawaii where it's 81 today), and I comment you all for your hike in such circumstances.

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  15. Love your pics of the frost and ice! And the happy guy with his arms spread in the cold! :)
    I hope you love your new TV and got a nice sized screen. Have a super weekend, my friend! :)

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  16. Hitting the trail tomorrow if I ever go to sleep, your photos have meade me wood-sick if there is such a thing :}}}}}}}

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  17. Brrr. Love the views and the ice bouquet but I'm cold now just thinking about your cold descent. You and your hiking buddies are awesome.

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  18. I love that snow bouquet!
    One thing I like about the cold weather is the amazing clear skies it produces sometimes. Great pics DJan. I am curious how some of the members of the trailblazers stayed warm with no hat. We lose so much of our body heat through our heads and on cold days that loss can make a huge difference.

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  19. Yes you do all look a bit cold D-Jan. Lovely pictures though. The ice bouquet is gorgeous. We had to get a new TV recently too and it's as complicated as a computer isn't it. In fact, it is a computer, LOL

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  20. Jan - info about the frost flowers we saw:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frost_flower

    https://www.google.com/search?q=frost+flower+images&client=firefox-a&hs=eOD&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=7TKlUvXcEcXboATKvYKoBw&ved=0CCwQsAQ&biw=1303&bih=720&dpr=0.9

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  21. Those are some beautiful ice bouquets! I am ready for December 21 to be here so we start to gain more light again:)

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