Next-to-last hike of the year

What the trail looks like today

Today it was again just Melanie and me as we headed out to the Chanterelle trail, one of our favorite in-town hikes. When we were on this hike last month (November 18), we had a few obstacles to navigate, the biggest one was numerous trees that had blown over during a windstorm and crushed the bridge underneath. Just so you can appreciate the amount of work that the trail crew accomplished, here's a photo of what we had to surmount back then.

That's me peeking under the trees

You can see the crushed bridge just below me in this shot, compared to its state today. The bridge still needs to be rebuilt, but it's passable if you're careful. It was an easy and enjoyable trip today. Although it was supposed to rain today, fortunately the weather held off until sometime later: maybe tonight the rain will begin. 

Lake Whatcom peeking through the trees

We made it up to the viewpoint, where you have several lovely views of Lake Whatcom. As you can see from all the clouds, the weather was definitely unsettled. But so pretty, and as I have already said, no rain. It is 2.5 miles to this viewpoint, and the clouds only added to the beauty. 

More beautiful Lake Whatcom

Looking to the right, we gazed out over the lake and saw Bellingham in the distance in partial sunlight. We were also blessed not to have any wind, either. The temperature was only in the mid-thirties (34°F), but it was really pleasant while we were moving. We didn't stay at the top for long and then headed back down the trail.

Our delightful trail

This is one of my favorite spots on the Chanterelle trail. We are almost back to the beginning, as it's an out-and-back hike, and I needed to show you what a fine place Bellingham is to live in, with numerous hikes like this one. Depending on what the weather does between now and next week, we'll know whether it will be white and extremely cold, as is predicted, or whether it will be more like today: perfect in just about every way.

Yes, we have both snow and below-freezing temperatures on the horizon. But as today shows, those guys can be wrong. I'm hoping it won't be as bad as the forecasts are projecting. Every day it's changed a little, so I'm hoping for the best. In any event, I won't be doing much traveling between now and the end of the year. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve already! I do hope you are set for the holidays and will stay safe, warm, and surrounded with love.

We climbed 1,000 feet and covered just under five miles total. Mel headed off to join a friend for lunch, while I came home to get a nice lunch and sneak a couple of hugs from my newly shorn partner. He's already having to shave again to keep a good seal around his masks.

:-)