A really nice day on Hoypus Hill

Beautiful old growth tree surrounded by youngsters

Exactly half the number of Senior Trailblazers who showed up last week (that would be eight) met today to start our trip to Whidbey Island for our hike around Hoypus Hill. This is one of our usual winter hikes, and it's not all that hard to walk around the trails, but Al manages to make it long enough for a good workout. We walked almost ten miles and gained and lost around 1,200 feet of elevation, so I'm feeling pretty tired as I sit here writing this post.

Steve, Jacqueline, Carol, Kirk, Al, Roger, Diane

It was nice to see a couple of people I haven't seen lately, Jacqueline and Diane. We got started at the trailhead at Cornet Bay around 9:00 and the possible rain we might have expected never materialized. In fact, the weather just got nicer and nicer as the day went on. This maze of trails winds through lots of beautiful country, with signs keeping us well aware of just where we were.

Map of Goose Rock and Hoypus Hill

One of the nicest parts of this excursion is our journey through Old Growth forest. But it's only part of the enjoyment: when the weather is fine like it was today, with signs of spring everywhere, it's impossible not to be smiling and grateful for Bellingham's proximity to Whidbey Island. Last time we drove across the Deception Pass Bridge (when we went to Goose Rock) we couldn't see anything through the fog, but today it was clear. We usually have our lunch at Ala Spit, which is a short walk along roads, but today we got there and it was windy and cold.

You can't tell how windy it was, and cold besides

Usually, we hunker down under some driftwood and have lunch, but today Al realized that he had left his iPhone on a log when we stopped earlier, so instead of stopping here, we backtracked to the place where he left it before stopping for lunch.

Our lunch spot

And there it was! It had fallen off that log where they are sitting and was just waiting for him to return. It was actually a much nicer place for lunch, since it was sunny and the wind didn't reach us through the trees. After a leisurely and enjoyable stop, we started our return trip. This is my favorite part, because we walk through acres of Old Growth forests, with some of these old trees probably more than 700 years old. Think of it: back when the Crusades were happening, and the Byzantine empire was collapsing, some of these trees were just saplings.

Admiring the Old Growth trees

My biggest problem was keeping up with the others through this part of the forest, because the trees kept calling for me to pay attention to their magnificence. Many of them have fallen, and some, like the one in this picture, are leaning enough to make me wonder if one day we'll visit and find that they have blown down. But then again, they will probably outlast all of us!

The trail through the trees

It was truly a wonderful day, filled with lots of sunshine and good conversation. Although I was getting rather tired towards the end of the day, wishing I was already back in the comfy car with my boots off, it was not a day I would have wanted to miss. On the way back, I asked Al if he would allow me to take a picture of some of the daffodils that are in bloom in the Skagit Valley (which we must traverse on our way home). He agreed, and here's what we saw.

Rows and rows of daffodils in bloom

Although the month of April is when the Tulip Festival is held in these parts, everything is early because of the warmer than normal weather. And as you can see, the daffodils are just beautiful! In a few weeks I'll be heading back here to see the tulips, but for now I was thrilled to see these acres of golden flowers. Just simply gorgeous, don't you think? It was a great day, and now I'm ready to put my feet up and relax for the rest of the day.

:-)