Rock Trail to Raptor Ridge

Great views of cool rocks along this new trail

Although we hiked the new Rock Trail back in February (read about it here), today nine Senior Trailblazers started at a different place and had a different destination. We drove to Gates Overlook and hiked down the steep but short Rock Trail to join a connector trail that would eventually take us to Raptor Ridge. For some, it was their first time on this fine new trail, which gives some incredible views of amazing rocks.

Al explaining how these holes are formed

These remarkable holes actually extend sometimes quite deeply into the side of the rock, caused by erosion: one little hole just keeps expanding, sometimes quite deeply, into the sandstone part of the rock face. The Bellingham Herald published a nice article about the Rock Trail dedication last month.

Using Sue's headlamp to look inside

Some of these holes penetrate so deeply into the vertical rock that we realized a person could climb into one (if that person was willing and able, that is). We had fun looking around inside them but then returned to the business at hand: getting down the trail to find the trail that would get us over to Raptor Ridge. The weather forecast was for rain in the afternoon, but by this point we were actually getting warm and needed to shed some layers.

Rita shedding some clothes, everybody else getting ready to

The temperature was actually very nice, bordering on perfect hiking weather. By the time we reached Raptor Ridge, which is often windy and rather unpleasant, we had some sun breaks and just a very light breeze. We stopped to have a quick snack. Al realized he had a signal, so he pulled out his cellphone, looking to find out how close the rain was approaching our location.

Searching for weather information

Since he couldn't get an image that would tell the tale, others began pulling out cellphones to see what they could find out. Even with all the phones and different coverage packages, we were unable to find out how much time we had before the rain would hit. We knew it was coming, though. You could feel it in the air.

A gnome? No, it's Mikey

We made our way back to the Rock Trail, knowing we would have a fairly strenuous hike up the stairs we had descended earlier. However, we still needed to have our lunch, so we stopped along the trail and enjoyed the greenery and continued nice weather while Mike explored this cave. It extended quite far inside, he said, but gets narrower. I had to snap this picture before we headed back up the trail.

Climbing the stairs back to the cars

One drawback to this trail is that you start off descending these stairs, more than a hundred of them, and when you return you must trudge upwards at the end of the hike. Most of our hikes involve the uphill at the beginning, but this one is the opposite. We covered more than eight-and-a-half miles and 1,600 feet up and down, but the weather held until we got almost back to the cars. Then the rain started, and as we drove home it came down heavily. We lucked out, yet again!

It was a very good day. I would much rather hike in cool and overcast conditions than in the heat of last week's adventure. But the best part, as always, are the good conversations with friends I've known now for half a decade. I hope I will be able to continue with my exploration of the Pacific Northwest outdoors for a long, long time.
:-)