Our Cheap Fragrance hike

Fragrance Lake trail today

Melanie and I went back to one of our local favorites today, one which I like to call (tongue-in-cheek) our Cheap Fragrance hike. We parked at the Larrabee Park trailhead and hiked up the lovely Fragrance Lake trail (as you can see above) to the Two Dollar trail on the other side of the lake. That's why it's "cheap": we hike far enough to make it to the Two Dollar, then back up to our usual lunch spot. I have no idea where that name came from. 

View of Samish Bay from the Viewpoint

Also, as usual, we made the side trip up to the Viewpoint and admired the view, along with the clouds. We had a 30% chance of rain, but other than a few sprinkles on the drive there, we were mostly in sunshine by the middle of the day.

Me at the Viewpoint

Mel took this picture of me at the Viewpoint. I debated over whether to include it, since I see my new vest adds at least ten pounds to my middle. But what the heck, I've got to face the music sometime, right? It's almost the same view as the previous picture, except for that strange lady in the center trying to look casual.

Fragrance Lake

By the time we made it to the lake, we had more sun than clouds, and the temperature was ideal, except for a cool breeze every now and then. Mel pulled out some homemade cookies from her pack, and I happily munched down two of them. They are gluten free and were simply delicious.

A tree covered with mushrooms

We saw lots and lots of trees and logs covered with mushrooms, some of which have been identified as oyster mushrooms and perfectly safe to eat. One woman on a bike had stopped to pick some and told us she loves these and harvests them whenever they appear. Mel and I said we would buy ours from the store, since we also know there are plenty of poisonous ones that an unsuspecting person might ingest.

Maidenhair ferns

We also saw plenty of my favorite fern, the maidenhair, along the side of the road. They thrive in wet areas, and our entire Pacific Northwest must be sprouting them, it's been so damp lately. I love them, in any case.

The waterfall

We also passed by the waterfall that looks different every time we see it. By midsummer it will be dried up, or just a trickle, but for now it's looking quite beautiful and full. It's only a mile or so from the end of our day's journey, so it was quite lovely to end our day with the roar of rushing water.

We ended up hiking almost seven miles with a gain and loss of around 1,700 feet. For that much exercise, I am feeling quite well and extremely pleased that my knees seem happy and our day's excursions have only caused me to feel great and not hurting anywhere. Plus the company was excellent!

:-)