Join Thor, Reo dog, and me as we seize the day for what might be the last of the high mountain hiking for the season in the Mt. Baker Wilderness.
Thor and I just returned from a wonderful, restorative vacation on Maui — and next week I will start the promised blog about our trip, with underwater photos of our snorkeling and encounters with sweet Honu turtles among other denizens of the sea. But this week the weather reports predicted the usual endless rain from the weekend on, so we seized a sunny midweek day for what will probably be the last hike of the season in nearby Mt. Baker Wilderness. (We aren’t spoiled or anything.) We had planned to try one more of the high-mountain trails, but early snowfall has closed the road access, so we opted for the Hannegan Pass trail that starts a bit lower along the Mt. Baker Highway. One of the best parts of autumn here are the leaves turning on the big-leaf maples along the highway — venerable Ent trees among the green cedars and firs.
Just after the turnoff road to the hike, we came upon rock climbers:
The rutted dirt road meanders for 7 miles as it climbs between ridges clothed in fall colors.
The weather was in-and-out clouds and sunshine, and the snow-dusted high ridges hinted at winter coming soon at this altitude.
The trail heads uphill in the narrow Hannegan Creek ravine, toward snow-topped Ruth Mountain.
The contrasts of sun-splashed color with rather forbidding wintry heights made for an interesting hike.
I still get tired more easily than I used to, what with missing half a lung, and my breathing capacity diminished by all the cancer treatments, but Thor’s gift of bottled oxygen “Boost” helps on the uphill stretches. I am grateful for my improved energy lately, and the gift of returning to the mountains! Carpe Diem!
Vine maples turning vivid colors are one of my favorite things.
Thor was happy to be hiking on actual dirt instead of the rough rock rubble of our previous two hikes. He, also, has a “geezer challenge” with the nerve damage in his right leg that requires a stiff assistive brace. But he proudly carries his 40-year-old custom-made knapsack that declares him a veteran hiker.
It was a glorious day, worth the extra effort to be drinking in the beauty and bracing air of the mountains.
Closer to Ruth Mountain:
We stopped for a picnic with a view of this ridge.
Heading back down:
Year-round, snowmelt cascades wind down from the ridges:
Sometimes, it’s the little things, like these late, lingering blooms of penstemon. This trail is a wonderful one for late-spring wildflower blooms as the snow recedes.
More color along the road out:
And more moss-covered Ent trees on the highway.
A glimpse of the north fork of the Nooksack River as we hit the lower elevations. We are tired but happy to have seized the day.
Next week: Maui sunshine, swimming, and snorkeling!
*****
You will find The Rambling Writer’s blog posts here every Saturday. Sara’s latest novel from Book View Café is Pause, a First Place winner of the Chanticleer Somerset Award and an International Pulpwood Queens Book Club selection. “A must-read novel about friendship, love, and killer hot flashes.” (Mindy Klasky). It’s also a love letter to the breathtaking wilderness of Sara’s native Pacific Northwest. Sign up for her quarterly email newsletter at www.sarastamey.com
