Fun, although without sun

Gate at beginning of Fragrance Lake trail

Today my friend Melanie and I went to Fragrance Lake instead of the long drive south we intended, because somehow the weather turned out to be less than stellar. At first we expected rain, but that changed quickly, although there were low clouds and no sun, meaning that it made more sense to stay close to home. Maybe we can get that hike in next week, but for today, we chose an old favorite, Fragrance Lake.

Bellingham Bay from the viewpoint

We took a short side trip to the viewpoint of the bay, since we knew this would not be a long hike and wanted to add some distance. The clouds reminded me of the wings of doves, soft grey and really quite lovely.

Pretty Indian Pipe

We didn't see many flowers, but Melanie had seen this plant on her last trip up into the area. I told her I had heard it called "ghost pipe," and it's actually quite an amazing plant. I found this information on the internet:

Monotropa uniflora, also known as ghost plant (or ghost pipe), Indian pipe or corpse plant, is an herbaceous perennial plant native to temperate regions of Asia, North America and northern South America, but with large gaps between areas. The plant is sometimes completely waxy white, but often has black flecks or pale pink coloration.

The thing that makes it so interesting is that it contains no chlorophyll, instead getting its energy from photosynthetic trees. I also learned from that link (above) that it has medicinal properties, having been used as a medicine that inhibits anxiety. Here's a closeup of the flower:

Monotropa uniflora

Also while on our way to the lake, we saw numerous beautiful ancient cedar trees. I asked Mel to take a picture of this one with me in it, so you can see the size of this beautiful old tree.

Two ancient artifacts

And then we headed to Fragrance Lake. As you can see here, there was little breeze, and the cool air made it seem very unlike midsummer. Not that I was complaining.

Fragrance Lake

We watched a young man walk out on that limb, all the way to the end. Although he was careful not to slip, he took his cell phone out of his pocket and placed it out of harm's way, just in case he might be taking a quick dip in the water.

We went back along the service road instead of the trail, giving us a nice six-mile loop. By the time we reached the trailhead, we were both happy to have been out and about, and pleasantly tired. but not tired out. It was a lovely time outdoors, and I realize how important it is to my mental health to enjoy the forest and turn my attention to the natural world. Although lately my Thursday hikes are mostly nearby and easy, it doesn't make them any less important to maintaining my equilibrium during these trying times.
:-)