Unusual Thursday hike

Rainy Church Mountain

 Today ten Senior Trailblazers met at the Senior Center to start our trek into the High Country, Church Mountain to be exact. We haven't seen rain in weeks, but by the time we got to the trailhead, it was raining rather heavily. It was an interesting feeling to be wearing rain gear once again, and I was glad I had brought it all.

So green, so lush, so... wet

We really did think it would stop before long, and we started up the long slog to the meadows, going slowly and I for one was enjoying the rain and very cool weather. But when we were about halfway up to the meadows, one of our number started having real difficulty navigating the steep incline. We began to stop more frequently,  and when he suggested staying behind and letting the rest of us go ahead, our leader, Owen, said that we would all head back to the trailhead. Several people in our group had never been there before, so they get another chance later in the summer to experience the hike in its totality.

Heading back down

This is not a long hike, six miles in total, and I think we went somewhere more than three, with plenty of elevation gain and loss, but it's the first time ever that I've come down from this particular hike not feeling sore or worn out. It was still a real adventure, and I am very glad I decided to attempt it, and very glad I was not the one who was responsible for having to turn around. It was the right thing to do, and we are all now home and dry.

Interestingly, it didn't rain in Bellingham at all. The fierce sun greeted us once we left the mountains, and everywhere was dry. So, we got a nice forest bath and enjoyed each other's company. We ate lunch in the parking lot before heading home. You can never tell what you will be facing when you hike with the Senior Trailblazers. I'm glad that the person who had trouble breathing seemed to be fine once we began to descend.

Life is filled with surprises, but it's important to put yourself out there to see what emerges. I'm happy and finally dry!

:-)

Northern State Recreation Area

Outside the old cattle barn

Today, 21 Senior Trailblazers traveled from Bellingham to Sedro-Woolley, a short half-hour drive south, to visit the remnants of the Northern State Mental Hospital and the newly renovated Northern State Recreation Area on the site. Many of the old buildings are still standing, after many decades since it was abandoned as a mental hospital. It was built in the early 1940s to help with the overcrowding in the two extant hospitals of the day. From that link:

The state had the Northern State Mental Hospital built to ease the strain on the system. It quickly became the most crowded hospital in Washington state, with over 2000 patients by the 1950s. Although it was touted as one of the “good” mental institutions, where patients were treated with relative kindness, doctors at the asylum were known to perform horrifying experiments, including lobotomies and electroshock therapy.

We walked around the grounds, inspecting some of the buildings and imagining what it was like when it was in use. The buildings are often in amazingly good condition, after so many years of disuse.

It must have been well used

A lovely grove of trees

We walked through the cemetery, where the deceased were mostly cremated and put under small concrete markings with a number and sometimes initials of the person who died. There have been many people over the years who have tried to discover the identities of these remains.

A plaque to honor those buried here

We wandered through the remaining buildings and also went on some of the trails that have been added to the place, finding much beauty among the sorrowful remnants of the old hospital. We stopped for lunch in front of the abandoned buildings of the main hospital.

Sitting in the shade

For a place that has been vacant for so long, it is still in good condition and obviously upkeep continues. It's a lovely place to visit, even after all these years have passed. 

gtMaking our way back

The setting of this hospital could not have been more serene and hopefully some of the people housed here had decent lives. There are several books that have been written about the place, and I will find the time to look them up. It was an educational and exceptional day in many ways. I thank our leader, Barb, for bringing us there, and introducing me to a fascinating historical monument.

:-)

Solo walk today

Looking up

 Today, one of my usual hiking days, was spent going for a solo walk around Squalicum Harbor, instead of heading up to the High Country with the Senior Trailblazers. It's definitely a sign of my getting older that I had little to no desire to hike in the sunshine today. Both trips were to places with mostly full sun and no shade. This picture was taken on Tuesday, walking back down the logging road. Someone suggested looking up at the trees above us, and I stopped to take a snapshot of the overhead trees.

I feel a little bit sorry that I didn't actually want to go, but I didn't. It makes such a difference for me to have shade and a light breeze. I went for my walk down to the waterfront, and early today it was delightful. But as soon as I moved away from the water (and the breeze), it began to get uncomfortably warm. There was a time when I c\would just push through, but I fear those days are behind me now. That, and I couldn't actually see the point.

On the way back, I stopped at the Senior Center (which isn't air conditioned) and walked into a very full scene, with people sitting and chatting in every corner, and I sat down for a few minutes before leaving. Nobody seemed to mind that it was hot and stuffy; all I wanted was a frosty drink and some place to rest. I wasn't feeling all that exuberant and tried to ignore my lower back, which felt painful for some reason. I would have taken a Tylenol, but I looked inside my pack and found nothing. I'll fix that before my next walk. I went somewhere around five miles, so the day was not a complete loss.

Most people love the summertime and the long hot days. But I am looking forward to the fall, when we will have some cloud cover and shorter days. "Someone" is becoming more sedentary as she ages, it seems. At least for the moment. 

:-)

Another Fragrance Lake visit

Leann with the tree roots

Today a large group of hiker (once again) set off for a trip into the wonderful wilderness, this time to start at the Lost Lake trailhead and head up to Fragrance Lake. Since there were so many of us, we split into two groups again, with both groups going up to the lake via the trail, and one of the groups making an out-and-back, returning on the trail, while the other group went up the same way but descended on the logging road, a bit longer but quicker, making a loop hike.

Some of my hiking companions

I went with the loop hikers, but although the other group left fifteen minutes before us, we kept running into them. It was an absolutely beautiful day, with temperatures in the low sixties (16°C) with a light breeze, making our uphill climb rather comfortable. I feel so incredibly lucky to have such lovely places to hike, near town, and with great company.

Our trail in light and shadow

We took a side trip up to the viewpoint, having to wait for the first group to leave, and the view was, as usual on days like today, just spectacular.

Looking out at Samish Bay

It's always a treat to see this view, especially a clear day like today. We saw our favorite San Juan islands and took a quick respite before heading back to the uphill climb to the lake.

Boardwalk to the other side of the lake

And just like that, we were at the lake and headed over to the far side, following the path of the previous group. We were almost at our lunch spot, when I saw this picture with Terry in the foreground and the lake reflection in the middle. It's not perfect, but it felt much the same for me as I followed the others.

Terry in profile, lake reflections

We finally found a nice place to have lunch and settled in for a nice break. It's more than a thousand feet of uphill climb to the lake, but once you get there, you know the way back is downhill.

Fragrance Lake, serene and lovely

This was my view as I ate my lunch and enjoyed listening to all the conversations going on around me. We had a perfect day, a perfect spot to enjoy our break, and a wonderful six-mile excursion with some good friends. We ambled back down the logging road and got back a few minutes before the others. It turned out to be a pretty much perfect day in the wilderness. I came home to a frosty cold beer and then some real food. Now I'm looking over at the shower...

:-)

Sauk reminiscences

Trailhead for Sauk Mountain

Today an unknown number of Senior Trailblazers drove the long distance to the Sauk Mountain trailhead. I didn't go, and probably am done hiking this lovely place, since the switchbacks are quite extensive, in full sun, and with my limited vision, I decided I didn't need to go there. So I went back into my old posts and found that I've gone up this trail six times already, the first time in 2009.

Those endless switchbacks

If you look carefully, you can see some hikers on the trail. What I remember most about this hike are the wonderful wildflowers and spectacular views, and these narrow and dusty switchbacks.

The wildflowers are abundant

Most people just hike straight to the high point and skip going down to Sauk Lake, but a couple of times we did go down to the lake. These hikers are on their way down.

Sauk Lake

I don't think today's hikers will go down to the lake. What I remember most about it is that there were lots of biting flies and mosquitos, and it wasn't worth going all the way down there, so I only went that one time. Three daring hikers stripped down and jumped in. Now that would have been pretty nice, I suspect.

The Skagit Valley below

There are so many beautiful things to see that I am sure the hikers today will come back with lots of adventures to share. I look forward to hearing them but am glad that I went instead on a short five-mile flat walk in relatively cool temperatures.

Peekaboo Mt. Baker

This was one of my favorite pictures, and it seems I took it many times, as I perused my old posts and saw it anew each time. And somehow I feel happy to have gone there, been one of the hikers, and happy to simply look back at it from my easy chair today. There are advantages to getting old!

:-)

Nice walk around town

Looking toward Holly Street

Today the Happy Wanderers broke up into two groups, to keep the size smaller, and to give us Senior Trailblazers an option. Joe took eight people on the road from the Senior Center to Anacortes, to hike around Heart Lake. The other group, led by Barb, set out on foot from the Senior Center to Squalicum Harbor on the last projected day of our latest heat wave.

I split off from the group once we got back onto the bus routes, and I took a bus from Dupont Street to Birchwood Center, cutting off a couple of miles from the hike. By the time I did that, it was quite hot and I just needed to get out of the heat. The bus was delightfully air conditioned, and then I walked the half mile home in relative comfort. It was another great way to spend the morning, and now that it's early afternoon, my thoughts are trending toward that cold beer with my name on it. I still got around five miles on relatively flat ground.

:-)

When it started out, it was gloriously comfortable and a light breeze made it perfect, as we headed to the harbor, having lots of time to stop and look around at the scenery, We didn't hurry. When we passed through a bridge, we saw a family of raccoons looking for breakfast.

Checking us out as we peeked at him

I have had some unpleasant moments with these creatures, and I know they are omnivorous and very cunning as well. One ate a pet duck of mine years ago, and although I know this is nature's way, I was upset enough that I give these guys a wide berth. I have to admit this one is cute, though.

Seniors practicing tai chi

On the lawn at the Harbor, we saw a group practicing their tai chi moves. You can also see how dry it's been, since this expanse is usually quite green and lush. I did consider that it would be fun to take this practice up again.  Long ago I was quite proficient at it, but I only remember a few of the opening moves.

From here, we walked to a coffee shop and enjoyed a nice break, with some people ordering iced drinks and others, like me, simply quaffing down a bit of water. The heat has made it hard for me to eat and drink very much. It's important to drink lots of water when it's hot, so I try. But it continues to be a struggle.

Strenuous Fourth of July hike

Mary on today's hike

Today, one of our usual leaders, Barb, suggested an impromptu hike from the Lost Lake trailhead up to Burnout Point and back. Since the Senior Center was closed today, it wasn't official, but fourteen hikers showed up to take advantage of the possibility to get some exercise. I was one, even though I wasn't sure how I would handle around nine miles and lots of uphill on a warm sunny day.

Lookout view of Samish Bay and the islands

I'm not sure exactly how long it took us to get to this point, but I was constantly fighting to stay on the cool side and protecting myself from the sun. Although there were no clouds, it was challenging to find good footing when moving from partial shadow into full sun. I was glad for my new trekking poles, which worked great, and the help of my fellow hikers.

View of Mt Baker and the Sisters

From there, we walked another quarter mile to get to this other viewpoint, which offers a great view of Mt Baker and the Sisters. We stopped here for lunch. There was some shade, not much, but enough for those of us who needed to find a shady spot before pulling out our lunch.

Our "shade" as we ate and chatted

And then it was time to head down the road to return to our starting point. This is a wide loop hike, and the only thing I didn't really enjoy was walking on the gravel road as we made our way back to the trees. We also had some great views as we went.

Daisies, islands, and Samish Bay

I think this is my favorite picture from the day. Although I got lots of pictures of the abundant foxgloves in bloom, they didn't turn out nearly as lovely as what I saw with my own eyes. However, you can see from this picture what a beautiful place we walked through.

Today's hikers

We did find a passerby who was willing to take a picture of the group. Although the sun was shining brightly, I don't think the temperature reached much beyond 70°F (21°C). However, I was very happy with any shade we had on the logging road, since it allowed me to enjoy a slight breeze as well. 

Can you see the foxgloves?

Like I said, none of the pictures showed the beautiful proliferation of foxgloves, but they were there in pink, white, and lavender profusion. Once we got back down to the trees, we descended enough along the logging road, and then we were on our way back to our starting point, making a loop hike of around nine miles and more than 2,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. Quite a bit of loveliness indeed.

Once I got home, I immediately took a shower and changed into non-sweaty clothes, and pulled out my well-earned cold beer and quaffed it before getting some food. Now I am sitting here, not looking forward to all the loud noises to come from the fireworks displays my neighbors can't help but deliver. In any event, I should sleep well tonight! It was a really fine day, and I am happy to be able still to do stuff like this.

:-)