Join Thor, Bear dog, and me as we escape for a Ramble on the Salmon Ridge Trails below Mt. Shuksan.
Living in temporary quarters while we navigate the convoluted permitting requirements for building our waterfront home, Thor and I need to spend as much time as possible outdoors, savoring out brief Pacific Northwest summer. Today we drove up the Mt. Baker Highway to see what trails might be freeing up from the winter snows. The higher alpine trails are still snow-covered, so we opted for a mellow hike up an old logging road along the course of the North Fork of the Nooksack River. Here in the wild origins, meltwater from the mountains funnels into channels and waterfalls, all converging through rocky canyons and finally heading toward the valley and farmlands. We love the wild places up high!
Here’s the start along a leafy old logging road.
The first of several snowmelt cascades and streams rushing down toward the river, from a bridge above it:
Thor is a true Norwegian stoic (and godlike of course), in his determination to continue hiking despite the permanent nerve damage in his right calf and foot that require a prosthetic device in order to walk. My hero!
First glimpse of Mt. Shuksan:
Second cataract:
One of my favorite wild flowers is the Canadian dogwood, or bunchberry, that thrives in cool, moist nooks.
The upper Nooksack River, with Mt. Shuksan to the right and Mt. Sefrit to the left:
Bear dog headed right for the swift current of the main channel, but we diverted him into a safer side channel for a dip and drink.
My guys hearing the call of the wild:
Being alive in the clean mountain air and anticipating a brisk, refreshing dip. We sat and drank in the mountains and fresh breezes while we ate our lunch and then just practiced “Being. Here. Now.”
Heading back to the trail among giant stumps and bog:
Back on the trail bordered by four species of ferns — maidenhair, deer, bracken, and sword ferns:
Embracing all the green among the mossy tree shadows, we enjoyed a last bit of “forest bathing” before hitting the road for home.
*****
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). Sign up for her quarterly email newsletter at www.sarastamey.com
