Thursday, January 2, 2014

Pine and Cedar Lakes

Peggy, Meredith and Al
When I woke at midnight to the sound of rain drumming on the roof, and knowing that the forecast for today's Senior Trailblazers hike was for exactly that, rain, I was surprised that 14 of us gathered to hike up to Pine and Cedar Lakes this morning. This is one of our usual winter hikes, and it's known for the steep mile or so that begins the trail. We ascend 1,300 feet in a mile and a half! If you look at the link I've provided, you will see that the Whatcom County Parks and Recreation page rates this hike as "strenuous." We call it "moderate," but that's only because it's not very long.
Junction in the trail
After the first steep mile, you see a junction. In the old days, this upward trail was the only one there was, coming off the main trail. It was lengthened to make it a little less difficult for part of the climb. This just doesn't do justice to how UP that trail actually is. By the time we reached this point, the light rain hadn't bothered us much. Some people had even taken off raincoats because we were too hot! Then we reached Cedar Lake, and you can see in this picture that there are light raindrops on the lake. The colors were rather flat and uninteresting, but you get used to that around here in the winter.
Cedar Lake
However, it was time to fully gear up for the rain, as it was no longer possible to ignore it. Our rain gear is pretty colorful, giving a nice boost to the drab colors around us. You can see some of the hikers here, with Mikey in the back with his umbrella. All is well with the world when you can stay relatively dry in the rain.
Amy, Carol, Ann, Ward, Linda, Steve (red hat), Mikey
Nobody was having a difficult time with the weather, but we are hardy Pacific Northwesterners who know how to stay comfy with a little bit of precipitation. We have had many hikes that tested our mettle, but this was not one of them. We headed off to Pine Lake.
Boardwalk around Pine Lake
We thought it would be fun to see if we could get around this small lake, so we went off on the slick boardwalk that elevates the trail above a very wet, mucky area. You can also see that the boards are wet by this time, and I have to say this was not a very comfortable part of my day. A fall would have been very, um, wet. At this point it was getting close to lunchtime, but there didn't seem to be a good spot to stop that would shelter us from the rain. We decided to head back down to the cars and have lunch at the Senior Center.
Tree branches covered with moss
One thing about living in this part of the country, you see moss everywhere. Doug pointed out these rather otherworldly branches on this tree. The picture shows how they twist and turn and apparently will never see green from leaves again. I continue to derive great enjoyment from these hikes, and I hope that I will be able to continue to see scenes like this for a long time to come.

Our nice warm lunch at the Senior Center was a great way to end our time together. We covered somewhere around six miles or less, but ascended and descended 2,000 feet of elevation in that short distance. I can feel that I got a workout, but I was careful with my knee (firmly ensconced in a brace) and now feel little to no bad aftereffects from our exertion. A good day, indeed.
:-)

23 comments:

  1. you are hardy rain-hiking folk. :) those moss-covered branches are really cool. thanks for sharing your world with us.

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  2. wow the moss covered limbs look pretty cool...and ha you are all in purple and blue....smiles....we hiked 4 hours yesterday with all the cousins...all the kids were out by 730 haha

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  3. What determination. What fortitude. What a beautiful walk. Thank you for giving my lazy self the view of the beauty and the wonder. Now send us some of that rain. Please. Pretty please.

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  4. Yes, you north westerners have no problem with a little rain! We were always being told by McMinnville residents, when our daughter was there for college, "it doesn't rain that much around here. You should see Seattle!"

    We have had less than an inch of rain this season which means we are very dry and the farmers will be in big trouble come summer time.

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  5. Your photographs are always splendid for me to look at (pardon that preposition at the end of the sentence; just felt right...) :))
    I love to see the differing vegetation and landforms...and yours are certainly much different than mine.
    Lovely photographs.
    The boardwalk is lovely...even though it was wet and slippery, it made for a beautiful photo. Glad that no one slipped off and fell in at that area....wet, indeed.
    It is supposed to be 30 degrees here tonight. It has been in the 70's for so long that it seems as though it will be "unbearably" cold here. But...it will warm up in a couple of days.
    Hugs to you,
    J.

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  6. I love how vibrant the green moss is on the last picture. Looks like it was a great day!

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  7. All weather events are a challenge. I've walked all day in the rain . It could be all day in snow. For each you have to be prepared and know how to handle it.

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  8. Another interesting Pacific NW hike. Those mossy trees are amazing!

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  9. What a great day ... enjoyed all the pics ... a beautiful trail indeed. Looks like your 2014 is getting off to a good start. Thank you for your kind comments on my blog. I will be looking forward to your new posts as the year rolls along. Happy New Year and best wishes to you and yours. John

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  10. That's great, DJan. I am so glad you had a good time with your friends. You are such a sociable person as well as excellent hiker.

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  11. I do enjoy seeing all your mossy trees. Looks like the rain didn't dampen your spirits only your rain gear.

    Your rain will be arriving here anytime, we are going to have a wet night.

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  12. The rain held off here until this evening. I look forward to some sun breaks by tomorrow afternoon. I did get rain pants for Christmas, so I will be giving some rain walking a go before the month is out, I'm sure.

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  13. I saw no drab in your photos..but green and rain so it must be above 32 degrees. How wonderful! Those moss covered branches are beautiful:)

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  14. You guys have the best sort of fun. You see tons of gorgeous scenery and get healthy exercise as well. I need to move to Seattle. It's too hot to hike over here, often with too many mosquitoes. I love your colorful rain gear. I'm sorry I bought a plain black one now. It's raining over here right now too.

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  15. I once read, "there is no bad weather, only being improperly dressed." You all are a testament to that and certainly know how to dress for the occasion.
    I guess they mean" strenuous" for the novice. You all are seasoned pros. I'd have been sucking air.

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  16. We have a another nasty snowstorm keeping us in today, except for the paw paw breaks in the yard, everyone is indoors. The dog does not go out on er own, I go with her on leash when the snow is this thick coming down and blowing a gale.
    You are the hardiest westerner I know - keep it up n keep that brace on DJan - I had to wear one for years when I was a kid. Cheers n have a wonderful day. I am curling up on the couch in front of big window and read n watch storm. lol

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  17. I like the boardwalk concept over mucky areas but then I also like dry feet. And continue to remain envious of your never ending ability to find companionship and so many fascinating places to hike. With a bike spill last summer, some other health issues, the loss of Baron etc. I haven't been hiking since June. This upcoming spring WILL be different and I intend to obtain a Labrador Retriever for a hiking companion....:)

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  18. that moss on the branches is very pretty!! But the wooden, wet bridge has 'stay off Anni slippery when wet' alert!!

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  19. Beautiful! That applies to the scenery, the rain gear, and the people, along with your cheerful spirit. Thanks for another day-brightening post, DJan.

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  20. Seems like a lovely walk with plenty to see (from my armchair)D-Jan. Like you, I am used to lots of rain and moss. It's really pretty, isn't it. Larry remarked only yesterday, as we walked through Harpenden, how 'Amazing that everything over here is covered in moss!' Enjoy your rest.

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  21. The weather doesn't matter as long as you have the right clothes as all your group seem to have. Like the idea of a warm meal at the end of the walk.

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  22. DJan, I agree that you North westerners are a hardy bunch!

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  23. Today, as I catch up on some blog reading - I am in awe of all the open (un-frozen) water I see in other parts of the world.
    Months to go before we see it ourselves.
    This looks like a great way to kick off a New Year. (I love the moss the very most.)

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