Thursday, March 12, 2015

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.
:-)

19 comments:

  1. Sounds like an absolutely wonderful walk. I'd love to walk among some of those old growth trees! And those daffodils are amazing!

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  2. what a great view to end the hike! and i'd be lagging with you looking at the trees, too. :) glad al got his phone back and it worked well for all of you!

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  3. I love hiking through old growth forests! Nice photos, especially your first one and the one of the daffodils.

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  4. Love old growth forests and daffodils, what a perfect day!

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  5. Ooooh. Bliss. Love the old growth forest and those dancing daffodils are the icing on the cake. Thank you.

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  6. Nothing better than a spring hike. It's hard for me to feature vast fields of daffodils.

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  7. Oh, those daffodils!! What an extraordinary scene.
    Love those old trees, too.

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  8. The daffodils look spectacular, they are my favourite flower!

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  9. It was because of your post about your hike here last year that we stopped and discovered Coronet Bay for ourselves, and walked a little bit of the Hoypus Hill trail ti enjoy the old growth trees. Like you, I am drawn to big old trees.

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  10. Great photos, especially of the old growth trees and the daffodils. I understand why you were called to commune with the tall ones.

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  11. Oh no! The tulips need to hold off until we get there. Darn! Those daffodils look gorgeous!

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  12. I could walk among the daffodils very easily and soak up their beauty. Stunning Photo. I also love the "Olde Growth" in the forest. This sounds like a really nice trail with its winding paths. Happy Day DJan :)

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  13. The yellow daffodils in the field made me smile...so many of them. You have a great group of dedicated walkers.

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  14. Wow, some of those old-growth trees look even older than I am!

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  15. Those trees are magnificent! And you have fields of daffodils already--oh my!! What a beautiful day. :)

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  16. What a beautiful view of those yellow daffodils! I just love that photo, something I will never see in Hawaii.

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  17. It is hard to imagine growing things that old. Hope they have hundreds of more years left in the tank.
    Those daffodils are lovely. Ours are sprouting around here now. First sign of Spring along with the robins.

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  18. Those Daffs are beautiful especially a whole field of them ! I would have a hard time too, I would be stopping to admire all those trees....the forest looks so welcoming and calm:)

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  19. Oh, those daffodils!!!! How I miss daffodils loving in Southern California! They are one of my favorite signs Spring is here.

    Losing a phone in the woods-- one tree trunk looks like all the others to me. That phone woulda been history! Glad your guide found it.

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