Chanterelle Trail in the fall

Leaves, moss, rain

After last week's truncated hike (because of terrible air quality), this week we went across the parking lot to hike up the Chanterelle trail to the viewpoint in pristine air. We do this hike rather often, and today we wanted somewhere that we could turn around quickly, in case either the torrential rain forecast for later today came early, or in case the wind picked up too much. Fortunately for us, neither event kept us from making it to the viewpoint, a nice five-mile round trip.

Rickety bridge crossing

This hike has been a favorite for years, long before it had been renovated to be less steep with some nice switchbacks added to make it feel less arduous. We used to call this hike "Cub Creek," but these days it seems more friendly and winds its way through lovely forests. 

A few leaves remain still attached

I love to see the changes in this environment from season to season. We saw no flowers today, but lots of colorful leaves carpeting the trail. Many big-leaf maple leaves have fallen, and if today's windstorm materializes, most of them will be gone soon. It's a beautiful place to take in nature's magnificence. 

Lake Whatcom, Bellingham in sunshine

When we started out, we were fully dressed in our raingear, but since it didn't materialize as we continued our upward trek, we shed some of it, and watched the trees around us bounce and creak when the wind would pass through. It didn't stay windy, though, although we weren't anxious to extend the hike, in case the high winds got worrisome.

Mossy log and fallen leaves

We saw only a few other people who ventured out in what was supposed to be a very soggy and windy hike, but we were so fortunate to be spared the worst of it. I do expect later today it will be much more inhospitable. But for us, we managed a nice five-mile hike with about 1,200 feet of elevation, and it was just about perfect.

Me among the ferns

Melanie captured this picture of me, feeling happy to be outdoors in the forest, getting my steps in, and enjoying her company. When we finished our hike, it was just after noon, so we went out to eat again before heading to our respective homes. It was a fine day, and another time when the forecast was worse than what we expected. Another memorable hike!

:-)