Late summer is getting hot

Today's projected heat in our area

I saw this graphic on my New York Times page, which shows the temperatures in my area, north to British Columbia, and south to Oregon. All that dark red stuff is on the east side of the Cascades, which always gets much hotter than over here on the western side, where the ocean breezes moderate our weather much of the time. (We live almost right under the "77" near the border.) When I walked to the bus this morning, it was actually cool enough for a jacket, but by the time John dropped me off at the Cornwall garden to start my journey home, it felt almost, well, warm.

I have a pretty full life, at least for an old retired person, and the only day during the week that I don't have an appointment for something is Tuesday. And since the Senior Center (as well as the buses not running yesterday) meant no Monday yoga, I'll have to wait until tomorrow for the Wednesday class. I sure feel better when I get stretched and tuned up.

I am finally through the whole procedure to remove that skin cancer, so I washed all my clothes that still had some vaseline residue from two weeks of constant slathering of it onto my neck. Now I'm back to my new normal, no more cancer, no more stitches. 

One thing I've noticed is that I am no longer feeling sorry about not hiking with the Trailblazers any more. I read about their adventures weekly, and I am glad that I've done these hikes often enough that I know exactly what they're doing. Now that I am just reading about and not actually doing them, I feel quite pleased that I have moved into another new phase of life. 

Sure is pretty and hello to Mt Baker

There are many things that I miss, but probably the hardest is that I can no longer appreciate the pictures of these places like I once did. My failing eyesight means that a picture is no longer just something I can take for granted, since the lack of depth perception means I often see something different than the real thing. And my ability to hike long, hard distances is fading fast. I suppose that's to be expected, since your body wants to do what it always did before, and I can't keep up any more. So, in a way it's a blessing to settle into my easy chair (not wanting to miss being outdoors I do some walking every day) and enjoy resting on my laurels. What does that mean, exactly? Well, the AI that comes up when I look for the meaning is:

To "rest on one's laurels" means to be satisfied with past successes and achievements, to the point of stopping any further effort or striving for new accomplishments, often leading to complacency. The phrase uses the ancient Greek and Roman tradition of awarding laurel wreaths to victors, symbolizing honor and accomplishment. 

Ha! I guess it's all right, then, if this octogenarian enjoys her retirement from reaching any new goals and pops on her many laurel wreaths and sighs with contentment.

:-)

Five days post-op

My Frankenstein look

Well, I'm through the hardest part of the Mohs surgery. If you want to see some gross and scary pictures, they are available from my Sunday post on https://eyeontheedge.blogspot.com/2025/08/cancer-is-gone.html. Now, just five days away from those moments, I am beginning to look almost normal. And even though the surgeon did take a hunk of tissue, I am now cancer-free. 

So now I can turn my attention to other aging parts of my body, right? I walked three miles this morning, and by the time I turned onto my street, my right sacrum had seized up and made it hard for me to continue. But once I rested a bit and put on my Big Girl pants, I kept going and finally walked up the steps, happy to be home. SG was at the dentist's office all morning, beginning his adventure of getting a couple of crowns and a bridge. He says the most troubling part of the whole thing is the expense. Too bad we don't live close to the Mexican border; I know some people who have gotten this kind of dental work done for a fraction of the cost he will pay. But it's something he's committed to doing, because he will be better prepared to face whatever the future holds.

My guy looks ahead and tries to ride the waves, and I am so happy to have such a partner. He takes great care of me, and he also looks for ways to avoid the shoals and sandbars that we will need to navigate through the coming storms, virtual and actual. The really good part of all this turmoil is that we are living in the best place in the US, if you ask me. 

Pretty flowers all in a row

I hope you are having a good summer, and that it's not terribly hot for you. I feel almost guilty that we won't even make it past 70 degrees F here today. It's been a great summer season so far.

:-)

Ran into an old friend

Terry in her happy place

Yesterday, when I went to a midday yoga class, I had time to walk over to check out the Value Village across the street from the new Senior Center. And there in the store was my dear friend Terry, who I recently learned is moving back to Canada, where she was born and raised. I've known her from the Senior Center, where she worked behind the coffee bar for years, and is now recovering from surgery just a week ago. She was pushing along a walker, but I suspect she won't be needing it much longer. She looked strong and happy to be back rummaging the aisles of Value Village. Rarely have I gone to the store and not run into her there.

Years ago, Terry wanted to join me in a skydiving adventure, so she and I drove to Skydive Snohomish and jumped out of an airplane together. She was with one of my favorite instructors, Vlad, and he treated her to a jump of a lifetime. I followed them out of the plane and took her hand in freefall. Terry was so overwhelmed by the experience that she remembered little of the dive itself, but Vlad filmed it and she was able to say, later, that she did indeed have a great time. I remember that feeling of not being able to take in what was happening in the moment, but that had changed over the years to one of familiarity. It's been more than ten years since I made my last skydive and hardly remember much of those days. I have logbooks, some of which I peruse now and then, but that's like another person did all that, not this current version of myself.

One day, I suspect that all of the years of hiking will feel the same. Each segment of our lives has its moments, but if we are able to move on when time and circumstances change, it makes for a much happier life. 

I think I told you about the squamish cell carcinoma I had removed awhile back, and I have since learned that it will be a few weeks more before the Mohs surgery that will excise the cancerous cells from my neck. I wish it could be right now, but that's not how it works. First the biopsy wound recovers, and then the surgeon digs it all out. Apparently Mohs is used whenever the cancer is on the head and/or neck and requires plenty of tissue to be excised. Today I went to the doctor's office to have the biopsy looked at, to see how it's coming along. I called them because I was having difficulty with the bandage causing it to itch. The nurse decided I don't need a bandage any more, just clean it with soap and water twice a day and cover it with vaseline. I'll be glad when the whole ordeal is done and behind me. Until then, I am in good hands with my new dermatologist. I probably won't meet the surgeon until it's time for the deed to be finished.

That's it for the week's news. See you again next Tuesday with actual dates. At least that's what I'm hoping for. I sure would appreciate some virtual hugs, if you have any to spare. 

:-)

Fragrance Lake

Our hikers 

I was very lucky during our hike to have found so many new friends. We had eight women and one plucky man. The hike was led by Sandy, third from the left in this picture, taken by a passerby. It was cool when we started, but by the time we reached the lake, it was getting warm. Not terribly so, but definitely into the 70sF. We passed many other hikers on the way to (and from) the lake, and plenty of dogs, too.

Many wswimmers, both four- and two-legged

I had a hard time with the strong sunlight, with bright sun and shadow, making it hard to see my footing when we returned via the same trail. With the help of Kathy, one of the hikers, who held my arm and told me what I was seeing, I was able to make it back to the cars. I skipped the loop around the lake, but everyone else went, so I got their picture as I waited.

Sandy in front as they finished the loop

I certainly enjoyed myself, but when I got home, drank a bunch more water, I then quaffed a cold beer. I got distracted by reading the news and forgot to post this, so here it is a day late. Life is good and I'll try to be on time next week. 

:-)

Hovander and potluck

Sunshine and lilypads

Today some of the Senior Trailblazers went on a leisurely walk around Hovander Homestead Park in Ferndale, a short drive from Bellingham. 

Hovander Homestead Park preserves the rich history of pioneer farming and offers recreational opportunities for all ages in every season. The park encompasses nearly 350 acres, including over a mile of river frontage.

We broke into two groups and walked around the area, one around Tennant Lake (covered with lilypads, as you see here) and the other in Hovander Park itself. I don't know how many people we actually had, since we went in opposite directions soon after arriving at the park. We enjoyed a leisurely walk, meaning nobody was in a hurry, and the warm sun, with a delightful cool breeze, kept us from getting too hot. Here's another look at those lilypads.

Tennant Lake

There is a walkway that winds around this area, which we took (the top picture is from there), and then we went back to the homestead to join the other group. We then made our way from the park to John S's home in the Ferndale area, and enjoyed a really wonderful potluck. I managed to keep from eating too much, which wasn't easy.

Enjoying our lunch in John's backyard

It was a very laid-back sort of day, with lots of food, sunshine, company, and conversation. Around noon, we packed up and headed back to our homes. Thanks to John S and his wife (whose name I neglected to find out), we had a lovely place for our annual beginning-of-summer gathering. We have grown so large that this was the second gathering, after another one earlier at Cornwall Park. It's wonderful that there are so many Seniors not only enjoying each other's company, but also getting exercise and sharing stories and adventures with the others.

I did manage to eke out 10,000 steps for the day, which it wasn't all sitting eating. But in retrospect, that's pretty much what it felt like. Nice for a change, don't you think?

:-)

Padilla Bay

Today's hikers

Today eight hikers (all women, by the way) met at the northern entrance to Padilla Bay, which is near Anacortes. We also went through Edison, where I have on occasion stopped to buy some delicious baked treats at the Breadfarm Bakery. Today we went on through and came to a place where we could park and start our excursion along the flat four- to five-mile dike. There are two starting points, one where we started, north, and another at the southern end. It doesn't really matter where to start, the distance is the same from one end to the other. And I don't think I have ever been on any hike that is flatter than this one. We didn't have any up or down, just... well, flat, with crunchy gravel underfoot.

A short distance to the dike

Once we parked our cars and used the facility, it was just a short way to the beginning of the estuary. It was the only elevation on the entire excursion. Although it looks like waves out there, it is the exposed mudflats and low tide. I found that out on a website (WTA):

At high tide, the water will cover the whole bank. At low tide, the water will be completely gone from the bay, exposing the mudflats. The grass you see growing along the slough is eelgrass, an important native grass harboring small salmon, crab, and other invertebrates that, in turn are food for the eagles, herons, otters and seals.

We were certainly fortunate today, as the air temperature could not have been more perfect: maybe 65 deg F with a very light breeze. We walked around two-and-a-half miles to the southern entrance, stopped for a little break (there was also a porta-potty available) before we started back. Although we saw a few birds, redwing blackbirds, killdeer, plovers, and robins, as well as a few eagles high up in trees, there were no blue herons or other fancy birds like that. Nevertheless, it was a delightful walk along the dike, and I would return again without hesitation. It was pretty perfect, all things considered.

I sure am lucky to live here, especially how hot it got today in the Mideast and on the East Coast. I suppose if I were to acclimatize a little, I might not expire right away, but it would not have been much fun, either. Hope if you are in the midst of it, you are finding ways to cope.

:-)

Chuckanut Falls

Tiny little trickle

Today 11 Senior Trailblazers, led by Chris, went off to visit the Chuckanut Falls, starting from the Fairhaven Park area and meandering through the Hundred Acre Woods, crossing the Arroyo Bridge, and up the trail to the cutoff to the Falls. Since it has been incredibly dry for us in Bellingham, you would be hard pressed to find the tiny little stream that greeted us at the Falls.

We had a great time, even without much water; it was cool to start but got up into the mid-sixties by the time we started back. We retraced our steps and arrived back at the Fairhaven Park around 1:00pm. It was a pretty hard hike for me, since I hadn't done anything quite as challenging since I hurt myself in February. We climbed almost 1,000 feet of elevation (and descended as well), and depending on whose device you believed, we went somewhere around six miles, maybe closer to seven, but the light breeze and mostly shaded terrain made it quite do-able. I admit I was dragging at the end, but once I got home and nestled into my favorite chair, I feel just fine. My lower back complained a little, but not enough to even think about taking any Advil. Well, I thought it but managed to avoid any medication at all.

Our happy hikers

A picture was taken of our group by a park employee, and I was so happy to meet three hikers who were new to me. Sometimes the name tags feel a little overkill, but today it was wonderful to have them to remind me, more than once, of their names. Once again, I was almost the oldest hiker there, but not by much. One of these days I'll write a post about all the octogenarians in our groups. I'm so glad I have gotten back to joining the "happy trails" once again.

:-)

Toasty but beautiful

Gang of Eight

 Today I joined the Senior Trailblazers for a around-town walk. We didn't get iner any cars but headed off to Whatcom Falls Park from the Senior Center's parking lot. Another group was headed up to Horseshoe Bend in the Mt. Baker Wilderness, but none of us felt like getting in a car and driving for an hour each way. Instead, we walked around five miles round trip to enjoy the somewhat cooler weather for today. It is about ten degrees cooler than I endured on Sunday's walk.

One mistake I made on Sunday was waiting until after noon to go for a walk, when I discovered that there was no shade anywhere, and the temperature climbed to more than eighty degrees Fahrenheit. That might not sound all that hot for those of you more accustomed to hot weather, but I simply wilted. And I had also forgotten that the buses run on an hourly, rather than a quarter-hour, schedule on that day. So, even though I hoped to catch a bus back home, I missed the two times I tried to catch it. I eventually poured water over my head and managed to make it home in one piece. Today seemed quite moderate in comparison.

Today we started our hike out around 8:30, and even walking at a moderate pace, we were back at the Senior Center before noon. There was also a lovely brisk breeze keeping us cool as we walked, so it was really rather delightful. I met a new member, Yolanda, and enjoyed conversation with the other people I knew from other hikes.  For most of the way, my right hip and leg never began to hurt, so I think I can safely try some harder hikes without too much worry. It's been a long time since that icy fall in February, and I am much, much better now. For awhile I feared I would not be able to walk fast enough (or long enough) to join them any more. I will continue to take it easy and not force myself to take on anything too strenuous. 

Whatcom Falls is just a trickle

Our beautiful waterfall is a bit on the meager side today, since we've had so much warm weather and no rain. And we are now starting the really dry part of our summer, which often doesn't even get started until the 4th of July. This year is different, and I truly hope we can escape the really hot weather. I just don't do all that well in the heat, so I won't be going on long hikes in full sun. Not my favorite time of the year.

Now that I am home and enjoying the cool air inside, with the help of a fan, and moderate temperatures. I just enjoyed a nice sandwich and cold drink and am now ready for maybe a quick catnap. Feeling happy and well exercised.

:-)

Lazy day but lovely nevertheless

My favorite fern

I took this picture a few years ago, on a hike to Lost Lake from Gates Overlook, down the Rock trail, and down to the lake. I saw this stand of beautiful Maidenhair ferns and couldn't resist a shot. Today I toyed with the idea of hiking from the Two Dollar trail to Fragrance Lake and back, which was enjoyed (according to Joe's summary) by sixteen Senior Trailblazers. I made my first foray back into hiking last week, but I am having a bit of a sore knee that kept me from going far from home today.

Instead, I caught the bus to the coffee shop and hoped to see John, but he wasn't there, so I did my puzzles and then took the bus home. I got off a little early in order to have a bit of a longer route, but the one I initially considered would have given me a hike about the same length as the one that the Trailblazers did, but I decided against it. Instead, I was happy with a shorter three-mile hike, which we was plenty for today.

 The weather could not be more perfect. I woke this morning after having gotten nine good hours of sleep, but I just don't have the same impetus to hike alone as I do when I am out with friends. I listened to a podcast once I was on the trail, and I enjoyed being out in the gentle breeze and felt exercised and content when I got home.

Today was one of those days when I didn't have great luck with my puzzles and lost my long streak with Wordle, and I ended up cheating on the Strands puzzle (looking up the anwer after a long time trying to figure out the correct word), so those didn't help me feel all that accomplished. I did, however, come home to a good visit with SG, and now I am writing my Tuesday post without too much enthusiasm, but feeling glad to be alive and in good enough shape to walk in the sunshine.

Anyway, tomorrow I have a yoga class, and Thursday is my usual volunteer work at the Senior Center. And then Friday I am scheduled for a massage, so life is actually pretty good. Feeling happy and looking forward to a quiet day at home. Hope you are doing well, dear virtual friends.

:-)

Hello, old friend

Lake Padden, overcast skies

It's been awhile since I've been back to Lake Padden, although Melanie and I managed to hike here a few times every month. I've been unable to hike much, but I noticed that one of the Tuesday hikes today would be back in my old environs, so I decided to join the group. Most of the hikers went off to catch a ferry to Guemes Island, but three of us joined our leader Joe to take about a four- to five-mile hike at the lake. We started at the dog park and walked around 500 feet of elevation before finishing up with a moderately challenging up and down on the hills behind the lake.

Me, Bill, Joe and Mike

The cute dog belongs to the photographer; I asked if she would take a picture of us, and she was very willing, as was her poodle, looking very spiffy amongst those old hikers. It was quite pleasant, the temperatures in the high fifties and low sixties (F), and although we had high clouds, they did disappear before we finished our leisurely hike. It was, however, the farthest I've gone since my ice-capade in February. I was happy to find that I never had any pain in my hip or right leg. We did have some exciting downhill sections where I noticed that my left knee has not been used much lately. But nothing kept us from enjoying ourselves or our lively discussions.

Now that I've broken the ice, so to speak, I think I will feel okay about joining some longer hikes in the near future. I was afraid that I might be done with hiking, but today gave me the impetus to do some easier hikes with the Trailblazers this summer and see how capable I am. Or not. 

I wasn't sure at all whether it was a good idea to try this but it turned out just fine. Tomorrow I'll have another yoga class, and then Thursday will be my favorite day of the week: volunteering in the lunchroom. And just like that, another week and month will be behind us. I see that some areas will be very hot, and others very wet, but we are having our Goldilocks period, it seems. Just right!

:-)

Memories, a walk, and anniversaries

Mt Baker and fellow hiker on Scott Paul trail

My good friends, Group 2 of the Senior Trailblazers, went off today for our annual hike on the Scott Paul trail. I went back through my pictures and found a few that remind me of what they will be doing today. It's sunny again, and there are plenty of places on that hike that offer no shade, such as the picture above. I'm not sure who that was (I found it was Carol), but it was nine years ago and taken by me. I'm not sure I will ever again be on these hikes, but I've done this one many times in the past. All very enjoyable, but then again, I was younger in those days and have learned a hard lesson about strenuous hikes in full sun.

Amazing fields of lupines

It seems that August is when we always do this hike, and it's given us some beautiful views of wildflowers, like the ones above. I do hope today will bring many hikers views like this one. The hike is around nine miles, lots of elevation and streams to cross, but pretty much just a slog when traveling through most of the forested areas. There is one rickety bridge to cross, and I got a message from the group leader that she checked to see if it's still up. It is.

Suspension bridge

We always went across it one at a time, just like in the above picture. I remember it would sway in the breeze and with one's natural gait adding to the adventure, but everyone always seems to make it across just fine. One thing about having these pictures from times gone by, it reminds me that I could be very happy with a lovely six-mile walk in town today, with only a teeny little wistfulness that these days are behind me now.

Today is a day of anniversaries for me, good ones and bad ones. In the mid-sixties, I gave birth to my second son Stephen on this day. He only lived for thirteen months, dying of spinal meningitis as an infant. It also happens to be the day, twenty-two years ago now, that my first son, Chris (who was four when we lost his brother), died while jogging while stationed in Macedonia by the Army. Strange that August 15 would mark such different anniversaries in my life. Now it has been more than two decades since I have had any living children, but I have innumerable nephews and nieces and am very happy to see them thriving, and growing into adulthood. Life is filled with peaks and valleys, and I've certainly had my share of them both.

I am happy now, sitting in my wonderful easy chair, filled with a good lunch after my solo hike today. And remembering in my own way all the wonderful Augusts I have gone through in my life. I couldn't ask for much more.

:-)

Chain Lakes

Snow still around Artist Point today

You can see the still remaining snow fields at Artist Point today. Sixteen Senior Trailblazers took the long drive from Bellingham to the terminus of the Mt Baker Highway, to begin our hike from Artist Point down to Heather Meadows. The way our leader, Joe, arranged it was to get all of us up to Artist Point and then get two drivers to head back down to leave cars so that we could all skip the steep Wild Goose trail. While the cars were being exchanged, the first group of eight began our descent on the Chain Lakes trail.

Beautiful Mt Baker from the Artist Point trail

As you can see from these pictures, it was sunny, no clouds at all in the sky, and it began to get really hot as we hiked to the junction. One way takes you to Ptarmigan Ridge, and the other down to Chain Lakes. We got to Iceberg Lake before noon, and stopped to have a lunch break. The other group arrived while we were busy enjoying our lunch.

Iceberg Lake, still with some snow fields

It was a beautiful day, filled with plenty of conversations and camaraderie as we navigated the trail. First it was level, then some downhill, and then when we got to the lake, we began an uphill climb up to Hermann Saddle. 

I've taken this shot before, but this is today

As we began our ascent to Hermann Saddle, the sun got more and more intense, and I had to stop often to replenish my oxygen reserves, and keep going uphill. The beautiful day could have been ten or twenty degrees cooler for me, but I managed (with help).

Me and Mt Shuksan

I really thought by the time we began the final stretch that it would be easy, but it was anything but. I had to take careful steps on the endless stretches of rock, and realized that I had chosen the wrong shoes: I needed my hiking boots but left them behind, instead opting for more comfort, which turned out to be incorrect. I needed stability.

My two heroes

By the time we reached the final stretch, I began to flag. My energy slipped away and I had to stop often to catch my breath and gather my strength. I was saved by this couple, from the Bay Area in California, who saw I needed some help and gave me lots of water and encouragement as I finished the final miles of this hike. It turned out to be around six miles or so, in hot conditions, and once I reached the Visitor Center, my driver was already there with a cool car and a place to rest as we drove home. 

And now I am home much later than normal, but happy to be well showered, well beered, and ready to hit the sack and dream of beautiful mountains to come. 

:-)

Solo walk today

Looking up

 Today, one of my usual hiking days, was spent going for a solo walk around Squalicum Harbor, instead of heading up to the High Country with the Senior Trailblazers. It's definitely a sign of my getting older that I had little to no desire to hike in the sunshine today. Both trips were to places with mostly full sun and no shade. This picture was taken on Tuesday, walking back down the logging road. Someone suggested looking up at the trees above us, and I stopped to take a snapshot of the overhead trees.

I feel a little bit sorry that I didn't actually want to go, but I didn't. It makes such a difference for me to have shade and a light breeze. I went for my walk down to the waterfront, and early today it was delightful. But as soon as I moved away from the water (and the breeze), it began to get uncomfortably warm. There was a time when I c\would just push through, but I fear those days are behind me now. That, and I couldn't actually see the point.

On the way back, I stopped at the Senior Center (which isn't air conditioned) and walked into a very full scene, with people sitting and chatting in every corner, and I sat down for a few minutes before leaving. Nobody seemed to mind that it was hot and stuffy; all I wanted was a frosty drink and some place to rest. I wasn't feeling all that exuberant and tried to ignore my lower back, which felt painful for some reason. I would have taken a Tylenol, but I looked inside my pack and found nothing. I'll fix that before my next walk. I went somewhere around five miles, so the day was not a complete loss.

Most people love the summertime and the long hot days. But I am looking forward to the fall, when we will have some cloud cover and shorter days. "Someone" is becoming more sedentary as she ages, it seems. At least for the moment. 

:-)

Another Fragrance Lake visit

Leann with the tree roots

Today a large group of hiker (once again) set off for a trip into the wonderful wilderness, this time to start at the Lost Lake trailhead and head up to Fragrance Lake. Since there were so many of us, we split into two groups again, with both groups going up to the lake via the trail, and one of the groups making an out-and-back, returning on the trail, while the other group went up the same way but descended on the logging road, a bit longer but quicker, making a loop hike.

Some of my hiking companions

I went with the loop hikers, but although the other group left fifteen minutes before us, we kept running into them. It was an absolutely beautiful day, with temperatures in the low sixties (16°C) with a light breeze, making our uphill climb rather comfortable. I feel so incredibly lucky to have such lovely places to hike, near town, and with great company.

Our trail in light and shadow

We took a side trip up to the viewpoint, having to wait for the first group to leave, and the view was, as usual on days like today, just spectacular.

Looking out at Samish Bay

It's always a treat to see this view, especially a clear day like today. We saw our favorite San Juan islands and took a quick respite before heading back to the uphill climb to the lake.

Boardwalk to the other side of the lake

And just like that, we were at the lake and headed over to the far side, following the path of the previous group. We were almost at our lunch spot, when I saw this picture with Terry in the foreground and the lake reflection in the middle. It's not perfect, but it felt much the same for me as I followed the others.

Terry in profile, lake reflections

We finally found a nice place to have lunch and settled in for a nice break. It's more than a thousand feet of uphill climb to the lake, but once you get there, you know the way back is downhill.

Fragrance Lake, serene and lovely

This was my view as I ate my lunch and enjoyed listening to all the conversations going on around me. We had a perfect day, a perfect spot to enjoy our break, and a wonderful six-mile excursion with some good friends. We ambled back down the logging road and got back a few minutes before the others. It turned out to be a pretty much perfect day in the wilderness. I came home to a frosty cold beer and then some real food. Now I'm looking over at the shower...

:-)

Nice walk around town

Looking toward Holly Street

Today the Happy Wanderers broke up into two groups, to keep the size smaller, and to give us Senior Trailblazers an option. Joe took eight people on the road from the Senior Center to Anacortes, to hike around Heart Lake. The other group, led by Barb, set out on foot from the Senior Center to Squalicum Harbor on the last projected day of our latest heat wave.

I split off from the group once we got back onto the bus routes, and I took a bus from Dupont Street to Birchwood Center, cutting off a couple of miles from the hike. By the time I did that, it was quite hot and I just needed to get out of the heat. The bus was delightfully air conditioned, and then I walked the half mile home in relative comfort. It was another great way to spend the morning, and now that it's early afternoon, my thoughts are trending toward that cold beer with my name on it. I still got around five miles on relatively flat ground.

:-)

When it started out, it was gloriously comfortable and a light breeze made it perfect, as we headed to the harbor, having lots of time to stop and look around at the scenery, We didn't hurry. When we passed through a bridge, we saw a family of raccoons looking for breakfast.

Checking us out as we peeked at him

I have had some unpleasant moments with these creatures, and I know they are omnivorous and very cunning as well. One ate a pet duck of mine years ago, and although I know this is nature's way, I was upset enough that I give these guys a wide berth. I have to admit this one is cute, though.

Seniors practicing tai chi

On the lawn at the Harbor, we saw a group practicing their tai chi moves. You can also see how dry it's been, since this expanse is usually quite green and lush. I did consider that it would be fun to take this practice up again.  Long ago I was quite proficient at it, but I only remember a few of the opening moves.

From here, we walked to a coffee shop and enjoyed a nice break, with some people ordering iced drinks and others, like me, simply quaffing down a bit of water. The heat has made it hard for me to eat and drink very much. It's important to drink lots of water when it's hot, so I try. But it continues to be a struggle.

Summer is here

Mt Baker from the Chain Lakes loop

I didn't go on the hike today to Noisy Creek today. It's a very long drive, one of the longest that we make (75 miles one way) and then the hike itself is more than ten miles long. You start early and don't get back until very late.  I suspect I'm done with that sort of hike. It's not like I haven't done it many times, but I was younger back then.

I'm hoping I will be able to navigate hikes like the Chain Lakes loop, since it's only six miles (but a long-ish drive) and much more doable. I've enjoyed almost every one of the Chain Lakes hikes I've ever done. It's always wonderful to experience the beautiful wilderness that surrounds us, but as I've gotten older, I notice that I do much better when it's cloudy and cool. When I took this picture, I had really suffered going up Herman Saddle in the full sun, but by the time I got to where I took this shot, I had recovered somewhat. I'm just glad I can still do them at all, at my advanced age.

Steve pointing out our destination

This picture was taken most exactly ten years ago, and I cherish it, as I look at those who are gone. Steve died a couple of years ago, and the man at the very back (Richard) also died since we took this hike to Yellow Aster Butte in 2014. That is one drawback to hiking with the Seniors: sometimes we don't have unlimited decades ahead, but in a way it makes it so much more precious and poignant. I know that those seniors who traveled all the way to Noisy Creek today and spent the entire day together will cherish the memories they will create.

I was at the acupuncturist's office when I realized that we had just moved from spring to summer. Today is the first day of summer, the longest day of the year, and now we will start slowly moving towards fall, when the days and nights will be equal again. Some places in the country are already sweltering, but we will make it to the high seventies (25°C) and enjoy just about perfect weather. No clouds out there, but they will return soon, I hope!

:-)

Guemes Island

Walking on to the Guemes Island ferry

 Today, sixteen Happy Wanderers made the day trip to Guemes Island, near Anacortes, about a half-hour's drive from Bellingham. It's a separate ferry from the main ferry terminal, and it holds a few vehicles with has a nice walk-on path (see above) that takes you onto the small ferry.

The ferry itself

It was cool and a little foggy as we boarded the ferry for a quick five-minute hop onto the small island. Guemes Island isn't very big, with maybe 13 miles of road across the 5,500 acres that make up the island. We walked along one of the roads for about two miles until we got to the trailhead leading us up to the summit of Guemes Mountain. 

Hiking poles and sticks for the trip up

Although you can't see it all that well in this picture, on the right side of the tree were lots of poles and walking sticks for people to borrow while making the 1.2-mile trip to the top. It is an easy climb, but you definitely need a little help on the final stretch, at least I did.

View from the trail

If I lived on the island, I would probably be making plenty of trips up to enjoy the summit and get a good workout as well. It was sunny, but we had a breeze most of the time, and were in the shade on the way up.

Viewing the surrounding islands

We then needed to find a spot to have lunch. There wasn't a lot of shade on the summit, but we found a place where we could enjoy the view and the light breeze. 

Our lunch spot

It was actually pretty perfect. We had walked a little more than three miles to get here, and nobody was tired or out of sorts. It was just lovely to be in the company of so many Happy Wanderers.

My view at lunch

    

It was really hard to get myself up to leave this wonderful place and return to the road below and make it onto the ferry. Before leaving, I was instructed to take a short walk on the summit to the view to the north, which was of our old friend, Mt. Baker.

Mt. Baker across the water

Finally, we all made it off the island and onto the ferry, after a quick stop at the local store for a few supplies. We were accompanied on our return trip by a female eagle who was obviously looking for her own lunch. It was a good day, fun and sweet to find another place to enjoy the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I'll definitely return here again, maybe to see it in a different season, which I understand is beautiful in springtime with lots of flowers.

Farewell, eagle, and Guemes Island, for now

:-)