Ridley Creek on a rainy day

Al and Kirk traversing the Nooksack River

Today eleven Senior Trailblazers gathered on a day projected to have a fair amount of rain and not be just wonderful hiking weather, so we opted not to follow the schedule and drive south to Baker Lake (around 70 miles one way) and instead repeated a hike we made three months ago: Ridley Creek to Mamaza Park. That day was hot and dry, but today it was cloudy, cool, with intermittent rain showers.

Fall colors with brightly colored rain gear

We started out without rain gear, but that changed pretty quickly, once we started to have a sprinkle or two. It was really pleasant in many ways, with the colors are all changing for the fall, the temperature just about perfect for hiking. We had to climb up and down four steep ravines on our way to Mazama Park, with the rain making it very muddy and slick. Although I managed to stay on my feet, some of my other hikers took a spill or two. But then, after almost three hours of hiking less than four miles, we reached Mazama Park Campground. And what did we find?

WWU freshmen on their initiation hike

The campground has a shelter (seen behind these guys), but it was filled to the brim with twelve Western Washington University (WWU) students about halfway through their freshman initiation, a three-day two-night backpacking trip. I took this picture and promised them I would put in on my Facebook page (I did). Why didn't things like this get offered when I was their age? It's simply wonderful to meet these young people and think about how much they're learning.

Lisa, me, Dave, Joy, Ann, Chris, Rich

Carol took this great picture of some of our group who went hiking on a day like today. We had our lunch and were getting ready to head back down the way we had come. When I think of us, most of us more than a half-century older than the previous group, I am not only thrilled, but glad to see the direction that we have taken as seniors. What will those young people be like when they are our age? I feel pretty good when I think of it.

Colors in the meadow (thanks to Carol)

By the time we had started our return trip, we realized that the rain was not going to let up, so we just hunkered down and kept going. Although it was only a seven-mile (or so) hike, we went UP and DOWN more than 2,500 feet of elevation. My knees are feeling every bit of it.

Middle Fork of the Nooksack River, what's left of it

And no one was more excited and happy than I was when I heard the rushing of the river, which marked nearly the end of our hike today. We crossed the river and made our way back to the parking lot, happy to be able to change our shoes, sit down, and enjoy a leisurely drive back home. It was amazing to be in light rain and mist, and then just a few miles from Bellingham, seeing that the sun came out! It was sunny and bright in town, but not where we were. We traveled into the High Country and had a great time but we spent it in a much more Pacific Northwest-ish sort of day. And it was lovely.
:-)