Thursday, March 18, 2010

Galbraith lollipop

Thirteen Trailblazers set out for Galbraith Mountain this morning, the weather clear, crisp and cold: 0 degrees on the thermometer (but that is Celsius: it was 32 degrees Fahrenheit). Cold enough for me to snap this frosty plant at the beginning of our hike (click to enlarge). We did a "lollipop" route: the first few miles were repeated on the way back, but at the top we made a loop, covering right around ten miles in sunshine and in shadow. As we gained elevation, I saw the fog in the lower reaches over the bay had begun to lift. I always love pictures that show different layers.
We had a "new" hiker join us today, Ruth. She was a regular for years and years with this group, but apparently she has not been coming since her husband passed away a few years back. I took a look at her when she got out of the car and wondered if she would be at the back of the group, since she's just a few months away from her eightieth birthday. Well! Marjan is one of our strongest hikers at 73, and she and Ruth set the pace, far too fast for me to keep up, so I hung back in the middle of the pack and watched them from afar. That's Ruth on the right, Marjan on the left.
Galbraith Mountain is one of our regular winter hikes, and we either go up the north side from town or, as we did today, up from Lake Padden on the south side. Both hikes can be made shorter or longer, depending on our leader, since the mountain is criss-crossed with trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. We started up a trail called "Whoopsie Woodle" (apparently letting us know there would be some up and some down) and traversed "Keystone" and "Wonderland" during the day. Without Pat, our leader, knowing these trails so well, it would be very easy to lose your way.
At our lunch spot we had great views of Bellingham Bay, with Lake Padden in the lower left of this picture. The reforested places such as this will one day lose these beautiful views, but for today, I was so happy to capture this to share with you. The sky for most of the day was clear, but whenever a small cloud covered the sun, you were reminded of how cold it really was.
This lunchtime view shows Lake Whatcom in the foreground, Bellingham in the middle, and the Canadian mountains in the distance. While we were hiking, we chatted about our various activities as we got enough exercise to help us all feel virtuous, and basically had a wonderful day playing in the glorious sunshine with some peachy-dandy friends.
:-)

10 comments:

  1. What a beautiful trail. I love the pictures with the layers. And I'm amazed at the ages of the people in your group. Here in Illinois we really don't have these types of views that would inspire me to hike...instead I just got off the phone with my sister who was letting me know what walking route she would be taking tonight in case someone was to harm her. Last week they found the remains of a 63 yr old gentleman. I realize these things could happen anywhere, and it shouldn't keep us from getting out. But if you are walking alone out here we need to watch ourselves. I've often thought of moving out of state, but would miss my family. Nice that you have a group of wonderful people to share such a rewarding experience.
    xo

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  2. The layers in your photos are outstanding. Your group of hikers would put many younger people to shame. You set an example to follow. We need more people like you to remind us to keep busy and active.

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  3. Fabulous, wonderful vista views! Your group is amazing!

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  4. Your group is amazing, I agree! I would love to still be able to hike 10 miles in the mountains. I'm not sure what my limit is, but I'm sure it's under 10 miles! Mr. Arthur-I-Tis is not my friend.

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  5. Here I sit feeling virtuous for walking the dog one mile...I think 10 miles would have me comatose! I can say, though, that my walk didn't have those gorgeous views. I particularly like the first and the last.

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  6. What can I say lady, you amaze me! Sounds like it was a wonderful day.

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  7. The photo of Bellingham Bay is beautiful!

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  8. What a beautiful hike. At least I walked around Lake Harriet yesterday.

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  9. Hi DJan, What a beautiful view..I love the layers that you photographed too..awesome! Your group is an inspiration. Thanks for sharing your beautiful hike:)

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  10. You and your fellow hikers are an amazing group of individuals. Looking at Ruth and Marjan I can just imagine the stories they could tell.

    The views are fantastic, I love the layered look as well. Great photos DJan.

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