Burnout once again

Our small but mighty group today

One of the things that I have trouble wrapping my mind around is the amazing difference in size of our Senior Trailblazers Group #2. I was surrounded by almost twenty of us when I went with Group #3 on Tuesday (the Happy Wanderers), but today the group of "Relaxed" Senior Trailblazers was a total of five. I have to admit I prefer the smaller groups, and I decided to come on today's hike because Beth (on the left in the picture) was leading, and she always gives us a good workout. Today was no exception, as we went up the most difficult of the different ways to get to Burnout Overlook, but I was pleased that, although I did whine a little, I was able to manage it without too much trouble.

The Burnout Road

We hiked up the logging road to the clearcut area, that goes up and up and UP without much relenting, until we got to the crest, where we stopped for lunch. In my younger days, I hiked up this without much complaining, but I didn't expect that I would ever do it again. Today, we did, and much to my surprise, I did pretty well, although I was the slowest in the group. Beth finally put me in the lead so I could set the pace, which meant I went even faster, because I was afraid I would be holding up the others.

The view is a great payoff

We ascended upwards until we got to the really great view of Samish Bay, and where we would finally stop for lunch. The weather was supposed to bring us some rain, but it held off until we got back to the cars (yay!).

Beth and me

One of the reasons I wanted to come on today's hike is because Beth is an exceptional leader, and I wanted to support her efforts to give us a wonderful day in the wilderness. She is one of my latest fun hikers to discover, and because of her the group continues to excel.

Our lunch spot

I not only was very pleased to have made it to this spot, but I also enjoyed a treat given to us by John, who brought cookies and fig bars to share. I did my part to help lighten his load. 

Mt Baker and the Sisters

We stopped by the overlook to see if we could see any of the mountains, and sure enough, there they were, not exactly standing out in front of the grey skies, but still very beautiful and worth a picture. I have taken many a picture from this spot, but it's been a long time since I got there via this route.

Lovely trillium

And yes, there were a few trillium out for us to admire and enjoy. Not many (it's early yet), but they are definitely one of my favorite springtime delights. This one was downright perfect. We covered around nine miles and around 2,000 feet up and down. Once I got home the first thing I did was open a beer and draw a bath. After a short while, I can attest to the fact that even in my ninth decade, I am still able to accomplish such feats without complaining too much. It was pretty wonderful to be there, with such good friends! All I can say is "thank you" to all.

:-)