Whatcom Falls from Barkley

On the trail

Today marks the first day of our new Senior Trailblazers setup, with two hikes on Tuesdays and two on Thursdays, all of different degrees of difficulty and distance. Since today started with plenty of fog and little visibility, only two people decided to take the longer drive to Whistle Lake in Anacortes, while the rest of us (eighteen!) carpooled to the parking lot across the street from Barkley Village and began our fun five-mile-long+ excursion.

It was cloudy and a little foggy for most of the hike, but we had plenty of wide trails to walk along, giving us a chance to visit with many others, and eventually shed some of our warm gear. Even though it wasn't all that cold, it was quite damp and you can see that many of us were dressed for warmth. We hiked past Derby Pond on our way to the pavilion at Whatcom Falls Park, where we enjoyed a bit more socializing and a bite to eat.

A short visit to the pavilion

As you can see from this picture, even after quite a while outdoors, the fog had not lifted very much. But it was very pleasant, and I have to say that as a Pacific Northwesterner, it was nice not to have any rain today. Just fog. After a bit, we went on to gaze at the very full Whatcom Falls. I've seen this when it's barely a trickle, and when it's even more roaring than it was today.

An impressive sight

It was a little disappointing that we didn't have the brilliant blue sky we saw yesterday, but it didn't really matter. We had fun, got exercise, and some great camaraderie as well. And there's always next week.

On the bridge

That's our leader in the foreground, Cindy, who took us unfailingly along the path to give us a good workout, and many happy faces, showing that we had plenty of reasons to be happy that we decided to come out to play! We then returned to the cars via the way we had come, and made our way back to the Senior Center. Until next week, we'll be watching the weather and hoping for another good day.

:-)

British Columbia hike

Fort Langley hike starting point

Today seventeen Happy Wanderers set out from the Senior Center for an adventure to another country: Canada. We gathered in several cars, with the idea of driving across the border and to a very nice trail along the Fraser River which ends at the Fort Langley National Historic Site.  It was about 6 miles total with negligible elevation gain, with almost all of the walk on wide, flat, level park trails. The Fort Langley National Historic Site is a reconstruction of the old Hudson's Bay Company fort and trading post, the first British settlement in what is now British Columbia. 

Nice wide, easy trails

It was cold and foggy when we began our hike, but it was really pretty and easy hiking, other than the cold. We kept warm by continuing to move and not stopping much. John, our leader, helped us understand the significance of this area.

The site of the first trading post

The trading post was moved to another site, but this was the first place that the British built their trading post along the Fraser River. These days, you must pay a separate entrance fee to visit the present site, and John assured us it is well worth the price, but much too long for us to visit today.

Bog in the fog

We then visited the overlook showing the Langley bog, which wasn't much to look at, since we were looking at it through quite a bit of fog. It must be quite the sight when you can see all those wonderful critters.

Our first view of the mountains

As we left the bog behind, we got our first view of the wonderful mountains that had been hidden from us by the fog. From this point on, we had more sunshine and happy hiking as we made our way back to our starting point.

Walking alongside the river

We continued to hike along the river's edge, and as the fog lifted, we began finally to get warm enough to begin to take off gloves and hats. Once we got to the town of Fort Langley, and to where we had left half of our cars, the drivers made their way back to the starting point, where others of us were forced to enjoy a really nice repast. I had wild mushroom quiche and a fantastic hot soup. 

Don, me, Persis, and Bill

It was a really full and enjoyable day, with some of my favorite people. I am so happy to have discovered the Happy Wanderers segment of the Senior Trailblazers, and I continue to visit places that I previously didn't know anything about. And now I am home and ready to relax.

:-)

Oyster Dome and Lily Lake

Checking out our scheduled hike

 Today I went with the Happy Wanderers Senior Trailblazers group again, this time in a huge crowd of 18 of us! We carpooled up to Samish Overlook, which (as you can see from the picture) was devoid of any views due to overcast skies. It was cool, breezy, and quite comfortable for hiking.

On the trail

Our leader Barb took us from the Overlook onto the Pacific Northwest Trail, which leads upwards to the junction of Oyster Dome (one direction) or Lily Lake (the other). It was very pretty, and since the last time I was here with Melanie, I notice that the trail looks to be in much better condition. The entire hike was about 800 feet of elevation, all of it during this part of the day's exertions. Everyone stayed together, and we did have to stop and wait a few times for the slower hikers to catch up,

My favorite fern, the maidenhair

As we hiked, we all noticed how dry it is right now. The streams that we needed to cross are all dried up. The only moisture was in the mist that surrounded us, and once we got to Oyster Dome, it was thick enough to feel like actual rain.

Pausing for a quick snack at Oyster Dome

For some, it was the first time they had ever made it to Oyster Dome, so it was a bit disappointing that they couldn't actually see the majesty of the view. Next time, perhaps they will have better luck. We decided to head back down to the junction and make our way to Lily Lake.

Lily Lake

You might be able to see a little bit of the clouds began to break up, just about the time we reached the lake. In the next few moments after I took this shot, we actually had some direction sunshine! We stopped and ate our lunch and basked in the warmth of the rays.

Chatting while we enjoyed lunch

Everyone was in a very good mood, and our efforts to make it to this spot were well worth it. This new group of hikers lives up to its name: definitely happy. This is the largest group I've ever shared the spot with, and I was feeling so grateful for the day, the exercise, and the company.

Ghost Pipe

Someone spied a patch of ghost pipe, which is an interesting plant, that I thought was a fungus, until I found this:

Ghost Pipe is in a group of plants known as a mycoheterotrophs, mycoheterotrophic plants are partially or entirely non-photosynthesizing  plants, that have a relationship with the mycorrhizal fungus and the mycorrhiza fungus have a symbiotic relationship with the trees where its roots attach.

 If you want to know more about this mysterious plant, you can read about it on this website, Every Leaf Speaks. It is considered sacred and has many healing properties. It was great to see it and leave it just as we found it.

Then we returned to Samish Overlook via Max's Shortcut and the Larry Reed trails, which led us through lots of forest as we enjoyed both sunshine and shadow on our way back.

Ina looking a lots of pink flowers

No, that is not me, but my new friend Ina. She is looking at both pretty pink fireweed and some pearly everlasting white flowers (behind her). We were beginning the final push back to the overlook, and I couldn't resist this picture of her as we crossed the road.

Samish Overlook again, this time with a view

And then we were back where we started this six-mile, 1,000-foot hike, feeling pretty good and looking forward to heading home and a nice shower (or, as in my case, a bath) after a good day's exercise. We all made it back safely, and most of us were pleasantly tired but not overly so, and ready to leave the view and our wonderful company after another great day in our beautiful PNW forest.

:-)

Foggy trail hike

Fog makes for misty beauty

Today Melanie and I decided to hike one of our favorites, the Chanterelle trail, since it was misting pretty heavily and wasn't all that warm. This way we could turn around at any time if we decided to. But we went all the way to the viewpoint.

When we started out, the misty rain had diminished considerably, giving us hope that we might be able to stay out in the elements a little longer. We started up the trail, with just a bit of fog at first, but that changed as we made our way upwards.

Our trail was mostly pretty dry

We also knew that most of the hiking trails today would be muddy, with this one having the best chance of offering up only small puddles, giving us the ability to navigate around them. We carried on a nice conversation the entire time, as we went up to the viewpoint, not knowing for sure what we would be able to see.

See all the rain droplets?

When we got to the viewpoint, I saw this sign, which would tell us what we might see. We've done this many times, and I almost always get a pretty good view of Lake Whatcom. Today, this is what we saw.

There's a lake down below

Although it was socked in, it was also not raining, but the fog was thick enough to plant a few droplets on our heads. Not enough to make us put on our rain gear, however. We walked a short distance down the logging road from here, just to make our distance a bit longer before returning back down the trail. We ended up covering 5.25 miles and 1,100 feet of elevation gain and loss. Enough to make us happy to be outdoors, but not enough to exert either one of us beyond our abilities.

Magnificent trees

As we began our descent, the fog lifted, for the most part, and we had a chance to enjoy these old trees. We are quite pleased that we stayed mostly dry and away from the puddles I know are filled with rainwater on some of the other trails we considered. Not to mention we were back to the car after just a few hours of hiking, feeling happy and filled with good company and Mel's oatmeal cookies. Another fine day.

:-)

Lily Lake Loop hike

Trail to Oyster Dome/Lily Lake

 Today, as become our habit, Melanie and I didn't join the other Senior Trailblazers as they made their way to Lost Lake (too long a hike for me at the moment, around ten miles) and instead drove to Blanchard Mountain to attempt a shorter hike. At the last minute, we decided to start from Samish Overlook rather than at our usual starting point at the Upper Trailhead. This would give us a chance to see a bit more variety than usual, as well as shorten it.

Me and downed timber

Mel took this shot of me as we passed by the place where we were unable to get through the last time we were because of a severe windstorm and lots of downed trees. Now it's been cleared off, and we were able to climb the trail until we came to the junction that would take us either to Oyster Dome or to the Lily/Lizard trail. Since by this time there was heavy fog, there would be no view from the Dome, so we sashayed over to Lily Lake.

Foggy scene

This is not a long or difficult hike, but it wasn't nothing, either. We climbed and descended more than 1,000 feet of elevation in almost five miles, and at times the fog was so thick that it fell from the trees like raindrops. And it wasn't warm, either.

Turnoff to Lily Lake

Finally we made it to the trail that would take us to Lily Lake, and we enjoyed our relative isolation, as we only came across a few fellow hikers on the trail. It was a lovely destination spot for our short hike.

Lily Lake through the fog

When we first arrived at the lake, it was completely socked in and we could see very little. But as we had decided to stop for a snack, I was able to catch this scene during a very short window through the fog. Before long it was fogged in again.

Forest denizen

Once we started back, returning along Max's Shortcut, giving us a loop rather than an out-and-back return, we saw this completely moss-covered critter, which looked to us a bit like an alien come down to Earth to visit. If you look closely, you can see his ears, shoulders, and stick-like arms. 

Samish Overlook, our start and finish

And then we got back to Samish Overlook where we started out in complete fog and a sharp wind, to discover that the fog had begun to lift and the wind had quieted, making us very content to have had such a nice time on the trails, enjoying the scenery and fine company. Just the two of us. We climbed into her wonderful car and she turned on the seat warmer for my back, and we congratulated ourselves for having made such a good choice for the day. 

Not to mention that I am feeling great and happy to be working my way towards more challenging hikes, thanks to Melanie!

:-)

Lower Salal trail loop

Foggy morning

Melanie and I decided to hike an old favorite of ours, the Lower Salal trail, returning down the Hemlock trail, making for a really nice 5.4-mile loop, with 1,200 feet of elevation gain and loss. Slowly but surely, I'm recovering from that pesky back injury. Although the distance isn't a problem, this was the first time I've tried to navigate that much elevation.

Trees shrouded in dense fog

We drove to the trailhead in the fog and noted that it was projected to lift sometime around 11:00, but it only begin to clear around almost noon. It didn't really matter, since we knew the trail well and were able to enjoy being outdoors and have fog instead of rain for a change. It was thick enough, however, to make me wear my raincoat for warmth much longer than I would have otherwise.

Tree covered in moss

There was no shortage of beautiful green moss to admire, on trees and rocks and turning what would otherwise be simple brown to myriad shades of green. We didn't see many mushrooms, a few here and there, but occasionally we did find some real beauties.

Turkey tail mushroom

I remember learning that this particular kind of fungus has medicinal properties, so I had to look it up and share (from Healthline): 

While there is an abundance of mushrooms with medicinal properties, one of the most well-known is Trametes versicolor, also known as Coriolus versicolor. Commonly called turkey tail due to its striking colors, Trametes versicolor has been used around the world for centuries to treat various conditions. Perhaps the most impressive quality of the turkey tail mushroom is its ability to enhance the health of your immune system.

Apparently it is often used to treat certain cancers. In any event, it sure is delightful to see in its natural state. As we hiked along, we approached a place Mel has called the "under-over spot," and we discovered that one of the logs has fallen.Now I guess it has changed to the "under-slip sideways" spot.

The changing forest floor

If you look to the right of the big heavily rooted tree, you can see a log lying on its side next to the round rock. That is the log that has fallen, and I suspect that next time we come here, it will be moved to the side or will have been cut into pieces. It falls right across the trail at the moment. We slipped sideways to get around it, but some enterprising (and probably younger) hikers had just walked across the top of it. 

A favorite stand of trees

Little by little, the fog began to lift, and as we made our way back to the trailhead via the Hemlock trail, we enjoyed the return even more than the beginning of the day. We also had to navigate another change in the trail.

Trail damage

We saw this when we started out, and not knowing the condition of the trail, we of course had to take a look. At one point the water must have gone all the way across the trail, but now it's just a bit of a nuisance to cross it, no problem if you have waterproof footgear, which we did. But it looks as if the waterfall must have grown quite large and uprooted several trees in its wake.

Waterfall today

Just a few feet away from that sign is what's left of the waterfall today, with lots of downed trees and some water across the trail, but nothing much otherwise. I think the trail crews have quite a lot to accomplish in the area, so I look forward to seeing what the area might look like in the near future. It was fun to be out in the woods today, checking out what's the same and what's changed, and to feel pretty good after our workout. I hope the other Senior Trailblazers had as much fun on Blanchard Mountain as we did in the Chuckanuts!

:-)

Fragrance Lake loop hike

 

Our group today (I took the picture)

We are limited to groups of five in our hikes, and this was today's group. Dave and Joy Church (right) are a married couple, so they might actually count as one instead of two, but we decided it was important to stay within the Covid boundaries. Terry and Melanie and I made up the rest. We masked up when we saw any other people on the trail, kept our distance from one another, and set out from the Lost Lake trailhead to hike up to Fragrance Lake to start our hike.

A beautiful old cedar tree

There are so many really magnificent trees on the two-mile trail to Fragrance Lake, and today this one caught my eye. We also had many fern forests to enjoy as we made our way up to the lake.

Fragrance Lake

It was another one of those days when the lake was smooth as glass, with the reflection of the trees almost exactly the same as the trees themselves. You could probably turn this photo upside down and not know for sure which side is really up. The bare branch in the foreground gives it away, though. 

The Two Dollar trail

Then we went over to the Two Dollar trail to head back down to the service road. This is one of my favorite trails, and no I don't know how it got its name: it's 1.7 miles from its start to the lake. Maybe Two Dollar sounds a little better than One Point Seven?

Melanie took this one

Before we started down the trail, Melanie took this of us changing our gear to be more comfortable. For some reason it got a little colder on this side of the lake. I am putting my jacket back on before hiking any further. 

A little fog

As we started our descent, the fog moved in and gave me a bit of a chill. I was glad I had put on my coat again, but as we kept going, we warmed up considerably. We ran into three other Senior Trailblazers while on the hike (they went much further than we did) and were almost back to their cars. We, however, had to hike another couple of miles on the service road and the Interurban trail to get back to the parking lot and our cars. By the time we finished, we had gone somewhere around seven miles and around 1,100 feet up and down.

I didn't enjoy the road part very much, because the surface is harder on my knees and hips, which apparently noticed that I recently had a birthday and am expected to get more decrepit as I age. However, once we got to the cars, Melanie slipped me some ibuprofen and turned on the seat warmer for the ride back. By the time we reached our homes, I was feeling fit as a fiddlehead fern. It was another wonderful day in the forest without any of the wet stuff (well, the fog was a little damp), but you know what I mean! 

:-)

Staying indoors mostly

Heron fishing expedition

 On Saturday, Melanie and I braved the unhealthy air for a quick walk along Bellingham Bay, thinking that the air might be a bit less hazardous because of the fresh western air coming off the bay. It didn't bother either of us, no stinging eyes or scratchy throats, so hopefully we didn't make ourselves at too much risk. It was a good thing we went when we did, though, as the air deteriorated more during the day.

Yesterday, it was bad enough that we didn't even open the windows for sleeping. After reading that the best thing you can do when the air quality is that bad is to stay inside, keep the windows closed, and use a HEPA filter on your air conditioner. Well, since we don't have any such thing, we hunkered down and woke to learn that the air this morning is somewhat better. South of us, down in Seattle, it's worse than we have here, so it might change here, too. There are many uncontrolled fires burning all across Oregon. It's all very scary.

What to do with myself? I didn't want to watch the news because it tends to depress me, so I looked on Netflix for an uplifting movie. There were so many choices that I grew a little overwhelmed, and then I saw a movie that I watched before, after having enjoyed the novel so much: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Set in the UK after World War II, it tells the story of the occupation of the isle of Guernsey during the war and its aftermath. I know it doesn't sound very uplifting, but believe me, it is. It not only has a happy ending, but the story is compelling and filled with heroes and heroines. After I finished watching it, my mood had dramatically improved, and I went to bed feeling quite contented.

And now here I am on Monday morning after having made a quick trip to the coffee shop to hang out with my two pals John and Gene, and now I'm going to browse Netflix and see if I can come up with another winner.

P.S. I am now using the new Blogger interface with little problem. Either I got better, or it did. Are other users having any problems?

:-)

Saturday walk by myself

A carpet of leaves

This morning, Lily had to work, and I wasn't all that excited about the long drive out to the north shore of Lake Whatcom to walk with the ladies, so instead I walked to Fairhaven along Boulevard Park. It was foggy and quite lovely, and as you can see from the carpet of leaves, our deciduous trees are well advanced in their shedding activities.

Kayaks emerging from the fog

As I walked along Bayview Drive to Taylor Dock, which takes me from downtown Bellingham into Fairhaven, the fog began to lift, and I saw these kayakers and could hear them talking to one another. Just a few minutes earlier, they would not have been visible. The fog is long gone and the sun is shining merrily at the moment.

We had a lovely day on Thursday, after a full day of rain on Wednesday, and then another day of rain yesterday with sunshine today. It's that time of year in the Pacific Northwest, and I'm loving it. I'm sure the ladies had a nice walk without me, but my own walk was serene, quiet, and restorative. It's all good.
:-)