A fine day for a local hike

Our hike started from Chuckanut Highway

Since the weather forecast was for plenty of rain in the High Country, as well as some around home, it just didn't make sense to drive for more than an hour in order to hike in the rain, which we could do just as well right here. So, nine Senior Trailblazers agreed to hike up Oyster Dome, one of our winter hikes, where we could turn around and go back easily if the weather didn't cooperate.

Rich and Chris

Al didn't join us today, as he had some workers coming to his house, so Chris was willing to be in the lead and let me ask her to slow down if I couldn't keep up. We began in the rain but it was very light, nothing to deter such determined hikers. This trail goes uphill all the way to Oyster Dome, more than a couple of thousand feet, so even though it was raining, we kept taking off more clothes to get comfortable.

Chris on Oyster Dome, no view

Once we reached the top, the cold wind and our wet gear meant it was time to pile all those clothes right back on. The trail has been completely renovated in the past couple of years, and boy does it make a difference. It was truly enjoyable, but since it was cold and still early, we decided to head over to Lily Lake and Samish Overlook. This increases the distance of the hike by several miles, but the weather didn't seem to be deteriorating, so off we went.

Lily Lake

We stopped for lunch at Lily Lake and saw a mother duck and her goslings on the lake, but they were too far away for a picture. We settled into the trees and had a very nice lunch before heading to Samish Overlook via Max's Shortcut.

Samish Flats at low tide

When we got to Samish Overlook, you can see that the rain had stopped and that there were some oyster farms visible in the low tide. That dark square in the middle, just to the left of center, is an oyster farm. This link will tell you how it's done. We discussed it and nobody knew for sure, but agreed it was something of interest to us.

Oysters start out as larvae, so small that they are invisible to the naked eye. In about a year, they can grow to 1 – 1-1/2 inches. They usually reach market size within 18 months to 2 years time.

Steve, Carol, Sylvia, Rich, Mike, Chris, Roger, Kirk, me in front of Mike

By the time we were ready to head back down to the highway, the weather had cleared so much that I asked for a picture. A passerby offered to take the picture so I could get in it, too, and this shows nine very happy hikers and a spectacular view of the Samish Bay behind us.

Map showing our hike

This map shows what we accomplished today. We started at the highway and proceeded up the red line until we met that light green line that shows the trail up to Oyster Dome. They we backtracked to the blue line and up to Lily Lake. We took Max's Shortcut to the big arrow, showing Samish Overlook. Then we headed back down the red line to the road and our cars.

Ghost plant

On the way down, we saw this outcropping of monotropa uniflora, also known as ghost plant, Indian pipe, or corpse plant. A very exotic and beautiful plant, I learned this from that link:

Unlike most plants, it is white and does not contain chlorophyll. Instead of generating energy from sunlight, it is parasitic, more specifically a myco-heterotroph. Its hosts are certain fungi that are mycorrhizal with trees, meaning it ultimately gets its energy from photosynthetic trees.

It was a real treat to see it! And with that, I conclude this post, having covered more than nine miles and more than 2,500 feet of elevation, with great company and a lot of satisfaction. This was a very special day and now I'm ready to relax into my easy chair.
:-)