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. 

:-)

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!

:-)

Well, that was embarrassing

Foursome at the trailhead

Boy, did I ever make a mistake today. On a rainy and windy day, our leader Persis (in the blue above) took the four of us out to Stimpson Nature Reserve for a gentle almost five-mile walk around the Reserve. I've done this hike many times before, but today will be one I will never forget.

As you might remember, just three weeks ago, I took a bad spill on the ice and have  been recovering ever since. I did my first yoga class yesterday without any hiccups, so today I figured I would be able to do this rather gentle (and not too long) hike today. I was so wrong. Although there was a little initial discomfort in my back, it was miniscule and gave me false hope that I would be able to do it. 

Geneva Pond

I'm pretty sure that those of you reading this might know what occurred by the time we got to the pond, a little less than halfway around the shorter loop. (There are two loops, one harder and longer and one easier. We did them both.) Not long after I took this picture, I began to feel quite a bit of discomfort in my back, and I took some Advil. One of the women suggested that she and I return without making the longer loop, but I said I would be just fine. One of my least attractive qualities is denial. I wanted to be better so bad that I made these three women suffer along with me.

Corrine and Sue on the trail

Other than continuing to be drippy, the wind had died down and the only sound as we made our way back to the starting point was me, yelling in pain and downing lots of pills, hoping for some respite. They slowed down with me, but eventually I was lying in the wet moss on the side of the trail and crying, wanting the pain to let up. Somehow I managed to make it back to the trailhead, with the help of all these women. We took twice to three times longer than we should have, but what could they do? They couldn't very well carry me (though I pleaded for them to try), and now I am home, sitting in my recliner and feeling little pain, but it still hurts when I try to stand.

I know that many of you might have predicted this outcome, but I didn't want to believe I was still on the injured list. I am embarrassed that I ruined a perfectly good outing for them, and that I continue to make these unfortunate decisions. You can bet that I will be making some different choices in the future. Kudos to my dear helpers who didn't leave me behind, although I'll bet they did think about it.

:-)

Two weeks already

Samish Overlook, February 2024

Yes I am getting better, but I am not a good patient, because I have very little patience! Okay, I tell myself, I did the injury bit, but for heaven's sake, can I get back to visiting these places again soon? I love the clouds in this picture, and went back in my archives to remind myself what I was doing a year ago. And I am hoping that a year from today, I will have more wonderful scenes like this, taken with my trusty phone and plastered on my blog. It makes me happy to see this today, even if it's a memory and not current. Today there are two groups of Senior Trailblazers in the mountains somewhere, enjoying mild weather and hopefully having a good time. I would be, if I could go back in time and do something different two weeks ago than traumatize my back.

Yesterday, for the first time since the injury, I walked to the bus stop and back, about a mile and a half. It was fairly easy, but I sure didn't walk as fast as I usually do, and I am unwilling to give my morning exercises another try just yet. It hurts terribly when I sneeze, but every day there are fewer instances of painful moments.

I should remind myself that I am once again ambulatory and could get in the car and drive to the grocery store, or somewhere else that I travel often. That means I am no longer confined to my bed, which should make me happy, but I am so spoiled, being usually able to do whatever I want during the day. But I am trying hard to look for the bright spots, working to keep my spirits up and keeping myself moving as best I can. Baby steps, still, but coming along. Hope you are staying safe, warm, and dry!

:-) 

No hike today

Hoypus Hill 2017

I've done the hike we were scheduled to do today many times. It's in the Anacortes area, and has many wonderful old growth trees and a good visit to a local spit of land that is a great place for lunch, if the weather is good. Today it would have been cold but sunny. However, getting to the Senior Center this morning was NOT a good idea. Yesterday, the Senior Center was closed, and today it opened two hours late. The temperature was 21°F with wind chill making it seem like 10 below! And since it snowed overnight, getting out on the road seemed rather treacherous. Both of our hikes were canceled, this one, and the one for a local walk-around town. They were both bitingly cold and looking to be less than fun.

I, however, bundled myself up in the dark and headed for the bus, a half-mile walk. At that time, I didn't know whether we would be hiking in the Anacortes area or not, but by the time I got the notice about the delayed opening, our leader had sent around an email canceling the hike. 

I thought perhaps if the hike was canceled, I might take a trip to Fairhaven on the Boulevard Park path, but by the time I reached the co-op, I realized I didn't want to try to walk any farther, as the streets were slippery, even for walking, so I turned around and went to catch the next bus home.

It was cold, but with long johns, bundled up like a teddy bear, I was comfortable. If the sidewalks had been slippery, it would have been very scary, but it was cold enough that the snow was packed and easy to navigate. But I won't make my usual Tuesday step quota. I'm learning to let go of these milestones as I age, being more concerned with staying accident free and ready to go on the next outing. 

One of the Thursday hikes has been modified to be an around-town jaunt, and I might decide to take off from my usual volunteer work and do that one. I am not sure whether I will or not, but I sure do miss seeing my old friends in the Thursday groups, so it might be a good thing to do. In any event, I will enjoy the day, and tomorrow I get a yoga class that I truly enjoy. Feeling pretty good right now!

:-)

South Hill history hike

Do we look frozen?

Today, we were treated to a cold but fun hike in the South Hill area of Bellingham. One of our members, John, grew up in the area and showed the eighteen of us what the area looked like over the past century or so. We started at Boulevard Park, seen above, with sunny but frigid weather (around 27°F). We were all bundled up and set out from here uphill (which nobody minded, as it warmed us), into the Taylor Dock area. We made several side excursions to see different sites of historical interest. We learned about why the streets in Bellingham are so skewed: the remnants of four cities.

Bellingham was officially incorporated on December 28, 1903, as a result of the incremental consolidation of the four towns initially situated on the east of Bellingham Bay during the final decade of the 19th Century. Whatcom is today's "Old Town" area and was founded with Roeder's Mill in 1852.

John showed us where the home he grew up used to be, which is now condos and apartments. He played in the area and told us that the current beautiful Bellingham Bay was, at one time, a dump. No, really: a place where old dilapidated buildings and homes were just dumped, along with lots of other detritus. He said that it smelled so bad that if he and his friends played near there, they had to bake a bath before they were allowed into the house. And now it's just beautiful. Hard to imagine.

We made our way up the Taylor hill and saw the elementary school where John went, and it's still filled with students, playing outside in the cold, some with short sleeves and sandals! 

Old pictures from the early 20th century

John had some pictures that showed what the area looked like long ago. That's John with some of them, which I captured with my cellphone, but they aren't very good, so I'll skip trying to show you. We did compare them with today's landscape, which chronicles incredible change. We walked up a street where we met a truly interesting person, Brian Griffin, who showed us his garage where he builds ukuleles, and much more. That article gives you a good synopsis of his many talents.

Then when we reached the top of the Taylor Hill, we headed to Western Washington University, which I learned was once simply a teachers' college. His parents and he himself graduated from there. We also saw the town's original hospital, where he was born. I cannot even imagine living one's whole life in one area, since I've done so much moving around, not just growing up, but afterwards as well.

Our lunch spot

After finding and making use of the bathrooms in the main university campus area, we stopped for lunch. It was still bright and sunny, and it had warmed from cold to almost bearable, but nobody was shedding much clothing, as you can see here. For such a cold day, we had a really good time, and I learned so much about the history of my adopted home town. Thank you, John, for everything you shared, making the time we had today a memorable one.

:-)

Teddy Bear Cove

The sign before descending to the Cove

Today a huge number of hikers (22) went off to Teddy Bear Cove, with another ten or so who took the longer trip to Anacortes, to hike the Goose Rock trail. I went with the local group, the biggest group I've hiked with yet. We started out at the Fairhaven Park entrance and headed off via the Hundred Acre Woods trail to finally get to Teddy Bear Cove.

It was cold, especially starting out, well below freezing and a low overcast hanging overhead. (The other Tuesday group went off to better conditions, with more blue skies but still plenty cold.) We made our way along the trail, needing to cross a busy rail line (two fast trains went by while we were there) and finally to our destination, Teddy Bear Cove.

Once upon a time, this was a well-known nude beach, and you didn't show up there without being expected to strip and swim naked That's gone these days, but the subject came up several times. With below freezing weather, nobody was tempted. 

Teddy Bear Cove

We stopped here for a nice break before heading back via a loop trail. We saw a few ducks swimming in the water, but otherwise it was just us. Joe, our leader, climbed the bluff behind us to see if he could capture the large group of hikers.

Whole lotta hikers

I am in there somewhere, as I watched Joe climb up and yell for us to look up and smile. You can see we are all somewhat well dressed as it was still plenty cold. But I must say that today's hike managed to lift my spirits a great deal. I am now home, feeling better than ever for having been out and about, covering more than 5.5 miles and climbing and descending just under a thousand feet of elevation. 

I am finding these Tuesday group hikes to be a lot of fun, and even though they don't challenge me like the Thursday hikes do, they are well worth the effort to get there and put myself into the mix. Today was very well spent and also obviously well attended. I look forward to whatever next week's hike brings!

:-)

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.

:-)

New Year's Eve delight

New hiker Belinda on Blanchard Mountain

erers, twenty of us, drove from the Senior Center to Blanchard Mountain, to enjoy a six-plus-mile hike from the Upper Trailhead to Samish Overlook and back. One of the reasons we had so many hikers was the incredible break in the weather! Although it rained on and off for most of the day yesterday, this lovely day broke clear and cold, with rain not projected to come back until this evening. Of course, this might mean some people won't ring in the new year outdoors, but then again, wonders never cease in this part of the world. It's possible we might see some auroras, if the sky is visible tonight, but the mild and dry weather we had today was just spectacular.

Emerging from the forest 

We walked the trailhead in two groups, to help keep everybody together, and took the trail toward Lily Lake until we got to the turnoff to Samish Overlook. We expected some mud on the trail, but it wasn't awful at all, and we had to keep taking off layers as the day progressed. It was perfect weather, not too cold, not too muddy, with lots and lots of sunshine.

Chatting at the Overlook

Once we got to Samish Overlook, we joined the other group for extended visiting and taking the chance for a snack before continuing back the way we came. After last week's slog, this couldn't have been more different. And the view from the Overlook is not to be missed. I took this picture of Belinda, showing off her amazing hair.

Looking out at Samish Bay

There were still low clouds in the bay, but it just added to the beauty. I know you have seen a few shots of me lately (on my other blog), but Don took this one of me and I am going to share it anyway. I was definitely in my happy place, feeling good about the hike and the weather and... well, just about everything.

Just the best day

On the way back, I hiked with the other group and had a chance to visit with some other dear friends on the final hike of the year. Starting next week, we will have two hikes to choose from on Tuesdays, to help keep the numbers manageable, with one longer and one less challenging. What could be better than to have more hikes?

Waterfall

I didn't have a chanced to take a picture of the waterfall on the way out, so I decided I'd better show you what it looks like today. I've seen it completely dry, and other times when there was even more water. We've had a lot of rain lately, but not any sort of record, I guess. 

I feel so incredibly fortunate to have had the chance to end the year with a very memorable hike. Here's to many more ahead in the coming year! Wishing everyone a very Happy, Safe, and Hopeful new year. 

:-)

Pretty but dark and gloomy

Our small group today

This was the smallest Happy Wanderers group of hikers I've experienced so far. This group is usually quite large, well over twenty, but today nobody wanted to venture out in the projected weather. We are expecting to have well over two inches of rain, and before too long, even some wind. I am not in this picture, so it surprises me to see eight people and a dog! Then I remember we ran into a couple of fellow hikers who were being accompanied by their furry companions and probably why they were already out and about.

Friend John on the bridge

We didn't have any canine companions, but it was our regular hiking day, so our leader Joe took us to Whatcom Falls park where we walked around five miles. At first it wasn't raining, but it wasn't long before sprinkles joined us. The water in Whatcom Falls was pretty impressive.

Whatcom Falls today

I didn't take many pictures in the gloomy atmosphere, but it was a very nice easy walk, except for the short section where I couldn't find my footing. It was a rather deep muddy place, and I needed the help of several people to keep from hurtling face-first into the the mud. Fortunately I managed to stay upright. Otherwise, it was an uneventful hike in a familiar place.

Ferns and water

I watched Barb angle her cellphone over the bridge, and when I checked out what she saw, it was this rather interesting juxtaposition of ferns and fast-moving water. I know you wouldn't be able to tell what it was unless I told you, so there you go. 

And then we headed back to the Senior Center and I went inside to see what the place looks like with lots of people getting ready to have lunch. I briefly considered staying myself, but since the rain was still rather light, I figured I should probably walk to the bus and get myself home.

And it's raining quite hard out there at the moment, but the wind hasn't made itself known, but it's coming. I rather like being inside when its frightful out there!

:-)

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.

:-)

Little Cranberry Lake

Fifteen Happy Wanderers

One of the problems I have with my limited sight is trying to take a good picture of everybody in a situation like this one. I unfortunately lopped off half of Joe on the left, and had plenty of room on the right if I had been able to see better. Oh well, at least you can see that we had a great group of hikers who went off to Little Cranberry Lake in Anacortes, a forty-minute drive from Bellingham.

And it was cold: when we got to the trailhead, it was about 4°C (39-40°F). We lost one of our cars full of hikers, and by the time we found us more than a half-hour later, we were all frozen. But once we started hiking, it didn't take long for us to warm up. I was having a hard time with all the mud and slick spots on the trail, but once we got to a major junction, it got a little better. At least I didn't fall into the slimy mess, which was a major accomplishment. I was so happy to have my trusty trekking poles.

The group coming to meet me

At one point, I had to "water a tree" and took this picture of the group coming towards me. It doesn't show how awful much of the trail actually was today, but that is because when it was really bad, I had nothing left over to take pictures. I managed to stay upright!

Little Cranberry Lake

You can see how still the water was, and we also had very little breeze to deal with as we hiked. Once we got to the lake, we stopped for a bit of lunch, with picnic tables and the delightful view, along with lively conversations. We covered almosat five miles and 750 feet up and down, not a huge hike, but enough for me to get a decent number of steps for the day, and we not only had no wind, but also no rain. Apparently we have a major event headed our way, with plenty of wind and rain, so I was very happy that we had nothing like that today. It was a good way to enjoy the outdoors with some great friends.

:-)

Hike around town

Watching the salmon struggling

 Twenty-three Senior Trailblazers started out from the Senior Center on a walk to Maritime Heritage Park to see the salmon, and then off to Squalicum Harbor to visit the octopus and get a little exercise.

I wasn't sure what I was seeing when I looked over the creek's barrier at the roaring water, but I did make out a Great Blue Heron and some wiggling fish. It's hard to know what you're looking at without someone to point it out (at least to me). See the jumping and frantic little fish?

Heron and jumping fish

We watched mesmerized for awhile, and then we spoke with a few volunteers who were there to deal with the spawning fish, most of which were looking very tattered and on their last fins, so to speak. It's what happens to them after they spawn. We were amazed at how many more were heading up the spawning channel. Students from BTC (Bellingham Technical College) were working to retrieve chum and strip the fish of their roe and milt before shipping the bodies to be processed into fertilizer.  Some of the fish were huge, and the students said they are all six years old, having the instinct to return to where they started, at the end of their journey.

Really big guys

There were many dead ones among the live ones, but all of them will soon die and be turned into fertilizer. After spending quite a bit of time watching the drama, we went off to the harbor and were treated to the sight of a big seal.

Big harbor seal, posing

He was there looking quite regal, and after we had taken our fill of pictures, we headed back to the Senior Center. We walked somewhere around four or five miles, not far, and we spent a lot of time just watching the fish or the seal, rather than getting our heart rates up. No matter, it was a good day, and it didn't rain on us after all. I'm so glad I went.

:-)