Hoypus Hill, no Spit

Starting point at Cornet Bay

Today sixteen Senior Trailblazers met to drive together (well, in four cars) down to Cornet Bay on Whidbey Island, to begin our hike in the Hoypus Hill area. We've done this hike before, but I don't think we've ever had as many hikers for this adventure as we did today. And the weather forecast was less than stellar: we had the possibility of wind and rain, but we were in the rain shadow, with the wind coming from the right direction to hold off the rain for awhile.

The group waiting for some of us to catch up

The trail had some muddy spots, but generally it was an easy hike, although we did end up traveling almost nine miles and somewhere around a thousand feet up and down. It was not warm, but the comparatively mild temperatures kept us comfortable while we were hiking. We headed out towards Ala Spit, where we planned to have lunch. However, this is what greeted us:

Ala Spit is cut off by high tide

The wind was blowing a gale, and we couldn't possibly stop here to have lunch anyway, since there was no place to get out of the wind, and our usual spot on the Spit was inaccessible. We turned around to start back, but before we did, I took this shot of Doug, who is either playing around or in danger of being blown over by the wind.

Doug playing around

We walked back to a nice spot sheltered from the wind and sat down to enjoy a nice lunch. It was so lovely to pull out my hot soup in a Stanley thermos, which kept it nice and warm, so I could appreciate my lunch as well as the company.

Our lunch spot

After lunch, we headed back along the section of this state park that goes through a stand of Old Growth timber. We've been here before, but it never fails to inspire awe in me when I see the size of these old trees. They are ancient; the largest of them are no longer alive, but their magnificence is not diminished in the least.

Old growth and ferns

We were in no danger of seeing the sun today, but all we got from the skies were a few little tiny raindrops. As I sit here at the end of a wonderful day, I know how lucky I am to have been in the company of my peers in a beautiful part of the world. We will return here again, and I am already looking forward to it. Today was a fine way to spend my Thursday.

Trees, ferns, fine company

We never really know what we will encounter on these Thursdays, nobody has to sign up, it's just who shows up for the day, and we never know what the day will bring us. Rain or shine, it's an adventure. Once we returned to the cars and started our drive back to Bellingham, the raindrops began to hit the windshield. Another day when the weather gods smiled on us.
:-)