Thursday, April 10, 2014

Oyster Dome 2014

The hike starts up steeply from Chuckanut Drive
Wow. Just wow, for this beautiful, wonderful day. Eleven Senior Trailblazers headed up from Chuckanut Drive to visit Oyster Dome on a day predicted to be "partly cloudy." That's just what it was. As my first day back in Bellingham, I couldn't have been more pleased to be with my hiking buddies in 50-degree weather. After the heat of southern California, it felt like I was in natural air conditioning.
Al having lunch and contemplating the view
Although it was only 11:30, once we ascended the steep terrain, we stopped at Oyster Dome to have lunch and bask a bit in the sunshine. Last December we were in serious rain when we did this hike. It wasn't a lot of fun, as you can see here. But today, although there were a few clouds and when the sun disappeared it got quite cold, nobody was complaining. We had already accomplished the hard climb, and we knew that we would be taking a loop hike and not having to descend down the steep and rather treacherous trail that got us to the Dome.
Lunch at Oyster Dome
We spread out and enjoyed the sunshine for a half hour or so before heading to Lily Lake and Max's Shortcut. When we left the Dome, we were all bundled up and stayed that way while we traveled in the trees, with sunshine dappling the path now and then.
Soaking up the sunshine at Lily Lake
By the time we sat down at Lily Lake, we were just beginning to warm up in the sunshine. It was a nice respite as we watched the local drama going on. An eagle was perched up on the top of an old tree snag, looking for lunch.
Eagle at Lily Lake
Yes, there he is, surveying the lake below him. Some ducks were in the lake having a great time, and we all knew that the eagle was thinking about perhaps swooping down and capturing one. He might have done that after we left, but I didn't want to stick around to see it. We started down Max's Shortcut to Samish Overlook.
Skunk cabbage as it looks today
We saw lots of skunk cabbage on the way. We could also smell them, and we discussed how different the smell presents to different noses. I find it to be rather refreshing, Al thinks it smells rather sweet, and a few others think it's hard to detect. I smelled it before I saw it. It's definitely at the odiferous stage; there are so many of them coming up at once.
Trifecta of trillium
The other sign that spring is definitely here are the beautiful trillium flowers. I saw this group of three and smiled to realize that this is the sign of spring that I look for in the wilderness. They are so beautiful and delight me to no end. Three leaves, three petals, and three of them!
Samish Flats
Finally, we reached Samish Overlook, which also is accessible by car and overlooks Samish Flats. It was such a beautiful day, and a magnificent view, we stopped and spent another half hour just hanging out in the sun, the third time today we took the time to do that. We covered almost nine miles and climbed around 3,000 feet up and down, but everybody was happy and tired by the end of the hike. Who could ask for a better day? Not me! Aaaahhh....
:-)

20 comments:

  1. What a magical, beautiful, WONDERFUL day. Thank you for taking us along with you.

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  2. Nice to be out hiking again! Hope you enjoyed your skydiving week! We won't see trillium here for several weeks yet.

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  3. Good hike. Good weather. Good friends. I'd call that a great combination.

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  4. You always manage to have a good time no matter where you are. That's terrific! I love your photos.

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  5. ha. i am wondering about that smell...if i am to judge by the name....smiles...

    cool on getting to see the eagle....

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  6. love the sunshine in these pics! i know you all did, too. :) thanks for sharing the trilliums. miss them from my wisconsin youth.

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  7. Seriously? You sky jump all over and now you're hiking? I feel like such a slug.

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  8. Glad you had such a wonderful day "back home" after the skydiving. Looking forward to more hiking travelogues, and other stories of you having fun.

    Blessings and Bear hugs!

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  9. Mother Nature gave you some seriously great weather as a welcome home present. And to go with the sunshine you found flowers. It sounds like you all had a wonderful day.

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  10. That trifecta of Trillium is perfect! Looks like a great day! I am glad you are home safe and sound:)

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  11. Beautiful view. How lucky you are to have those experiences right in your backyard!

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  12. So, DJan, you just arrive back from your "Wizard Dive In The Skies" and "jump" right back into the high hills and mountains of rigorous hiking. You would be my best pal if you lived here, for we would walk many miles together. I also had a most delightful walk yesterday, except I did not climb mountains, small hills maybe and some steep ones. It was a beautiful day with brisk spring wind blowing and the birds were calling on the wind something fierce. Aah, I love the sound of hungry birds in the spring. They are emptying the feeders fast :) Our Geese arrived back from wintering out at the pond yesterday and they looked lean and hungry - approx 48 at last count. They are settling in for summer - I think they are happy to be home at the pond and medium brook they have taken seasonal residence in. Have a wonderful day :)

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  13. Love the cool names of the places you go to hike. That sunshine must have been so welcome and good to know the hike back is easier than the hike there. That is how I like to do it.

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  14. Oh, how glorious! Now I have to scoot back and quick see how your trip went. ;)

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  15. Wow, great post ... I almost feel as though I was on the hike with you.

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  16. I'm so glad the weather was welcoming as you made your first hike since your return. and it occurred to me that you like views from high places. :-)

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  17. Sounds like a fantastic day!
    I love it when our trillium start to bloom. Those early woodland flowers are my favorite.

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  18. You describe the hikes so well I feel I'm breathing that air with you.

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  19. Great hike and beautiful photos- thanks for taking us along!

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  20. Ooh I can definitely see Spring in your pictures. Glad you are back safely D-Jan.

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