Thursday, April 26, 2012

Misty Blanchard Mountain

Today six of us hardy Senior Trailblazers set out in a wee bit of rain. We would have had a seventh person, but he's new and didn't realize that we don't allow dogs along on these hikes. He'll be back, though. The schedule said that today was to be "Mikey's choice" on Blanchard Mountain. He hikes all the trails on this mountain often and knows them well. His choice, however, was a 12.3-mile loop, and we agreed to go, IF the weather cleared up. It was only raining a little when we got to the trailhead, and we were hopeful.
The trail wasn't in the best shape, as it rained all last night, too. It kept trying to clear and the mist would stop, but just when we would take off our rain hoods, it would start up again. The plan was to hike up to the Lilly and Lizard Lake area and possibly take a side trip to North Butte or even Samish Overlook, if it looked like there might be a view. No such luck.
By the time we reached the lake, I saw that the skunk cabbage has grown quite a bit since we were here last. The odor is the reason for the name; every once in awhile we would get a whiff of... something rather organic and a little skunky. Apparently this is what attracts its pollinators. Here's a fascinating link about skunk cabbage, also called swamp lantern. You can also see the raindrops on the lake; it was raining at that time but not too much.
About noon, however, the rain picked up in intensity. Linda has just purchased herself a new raincoat made of the same magic quality as mine (eVent) and so far is happy with it. She got a chance to give it a good workout today. We decided to have lunch under the trees at Lilly Lake, and although it was still a bit drippy, nothing like the rain on the lake itself, as you can see from this picture.
If you enlarge it, you can see why we decided to cut our lunch time short and head back to the cars the most straightforward way possible. We were all getting cold and pretty wet, even with all our wonderful rain gear. We didn't talk much as we listened to the dripping of the rain on our hoods and made our way back down the trail to the cars. However, I did get one nice picture once the rain had let up a bit. It's very beautiful here, but all that green comes at a cost: plenty of precipitation.
By the time we returned to our vehicles, we had covered more than ten miles and climbed and descended around 1800 feet of elevation. We were all discussing our plans for the rest of the day, such as a hot bath, warm clothes, a nice cup of tea, or even a hot toddy if it was late enough in the day. I knew I wanted to get this post written so I could enjoy sitting down after a good day outdoors, even if it was a bit on the moist side. It always helps to have good friends to commiserate with, as well as sharing the joy.
:-)

29 comments:

  1. Magic stuff....but I like it fractionally dryer. :)

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  2. What a mess! You are such a trooper, and in it all you got some awesome photos.

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  3. you are trail warriors. :) now you can rest for the evening!

    that first photo is gorgeous. :)

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  4. Well, 10 miles is nothing to sneeze at. You hiked a lot today despite the drippy weather. I am glad you all were smart enough to know when to call it quits and head back to the cars.

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  5. What an awesome shot at the beginning of the post. You better frame that one.
    I Have enjoyed many a soggy hike. trails can be treacherous.

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  6. very cool...love the mist in the trees in that first shot...mmm and skunk cabbage...smiles...glad you had your gear...it pounded rain here today too..

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  7. Nothing stops you and your group.. that's wonderful. That first shot is absolutely stunning, DJan. It's a real keeper.

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  8. Love the first photo with the trees and the misty fog. But, oh, the next one with the mug bog didn't look so inviting!

    It seems very true that all the beautiful places in our drippy PNW are due to the bountiful rain. Gotta take the wet with the dry, don't we?

    Glad you had a good day hanging with friends and nature!

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  9. I loved reading this post...I could almost feel the raindrops. What beautiful images...LOVE nature! I don't know what skunk smells like but I presume it's pretty bad. lol

    I hope you enjoyed the rest of the day too. :)

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  10. That first photo is amazing. Every time I got my walking shoes on and headed out the door today it would start raining. I didn't have anyone to cheer me on so I headed back inside.

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  11. ..."dripping of the rain on our hoods." You paint word pictures that I feel and hear. Wonderful writing. The lead photo is a coffee table book photo for sure. Beautiful!!
    Glad that you had a good day and hope that you enjoyed the hot tea. Thank you for sharing your day with us through your blog. I look forward to each one you write.

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  12. Aw, the pungent scent of skunk cabbage is hard to forget once it has been experienced. Looks like your weather was just a tiny bit less wet than ours today. Your views might not have been that great but you still got some great shots DJan. I love your first photo of the mist in the trees.

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  13. Wow! What a walk! That first photo is so incredibly awesome. I really think the skunk cabbage is pretty. I've never been close enough to smell it.

    Thanks so much for visiting and commenting when I was away. My life is so crazy these days with finishing my blog posts, getting ready for my daughter's visit and working on the travel photo album for my mom. Sigh.... I should be back to normal by June. I hope.

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  14. That was so beautiful. As always, thank you so much for taking me on an excursion through a truly amazing part of the world.

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  15. Good on you for carrying on as long as you did. Despite the weather you took some amazing photos.

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  16. Looks like a great hike, even with the rain. That top photo is stunning and magical.

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  17. I did enlarge that photo of the lake and there was a downpour coming down. Wow, the fact that you walk 10 miles in the rain, I am sure some of those trails would be on the "slippy" side - and you captured great photos as well. I remember how small the skunk cabbage was on the other photo. Thanks DJan and have a warm day.

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  18. Very interesting pictures D-Jan. I've never seen or heard of skunk cabbage before! Swamp cabbage yes, skunk cabbage no. Quite an endurance test in all that rain, I imagine. Beautiful scenery though. I'm glad no-one slipped over.

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  19. Personally, I'll take rainfall in the mountains any ol' time. There is something about it...fresh air, cool breezes, and the raindrops hitting my face.

    What a beautiful set of images DJan...I especially liked the one with the creek/water runoff and the small tiny droplets hitting the water.


    Awesome image shares.

    Sorry, I'm so late getting around to visiting. Busy week for us here in Texas. Now, I'm playing catchup with y'all!!!

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  20. That first picture is magical! You can really see how the rain was coming down in most of your snapshots. I think I'm glad I don't know what skunk cabbage smells like, though. ;)

    Your jacket got a real workout. I hope it performed well. Yours and Linda's. :)

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  21. Lovely rainy photos! Those skunk cabbages are very pretty..I will pass on smelling them! You guys had a cold day, I hope you are warmed up by now:)

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  22. That first shot is awesome!!!

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  23. That top photo is wonderful! I love the rain, but muddy trails not so much. You are so dedicated and I am, as always, inspired by it. Now, to actually do something about it.:)

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  24. I am envious of your jaunts
    up and down the trails you go
    looking, hoping, and finding old haunts
    where violets used to grow.

    Wish I could walk with you.
    Now I got to price the eVent Jacket and see
    if it is something I might try on my walks
    from chair to pee before breakfast; we'll see.

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  25. The photo of the cathedral of trees is gorgeous.

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  26. whew!
    I'm tired just reading about this! lol

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  27. The bold adventurous hikers conquer another mountainside in less that ideal weather. Such elan! :)

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  28. Oh these are beautiful photos I love the wilderness and I would so love to be there sharing this awesome place with you. AWESOME photos. B

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  29. Even in the rain, you managed such impressive photographs and 10 miles of hiking... I am impressed!

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