Join Thor, Bear dog, and me as we renew acquaintance with a favorite hike in the Mt. Baker National Forest.
Thor and I finally decided that we’d had enough with our continual rehab of various body parts, and needed to get back to our nearby mountains. We are now becoming experts at “geezer adventures,” or how to do as much as possible with minimal accommodations. So we loaded up Bear dog and equipment and headed up the Mt. Baker Highway, about an hour and a half into the national forest and wilderness area. The Bagley Lakes hike starts out as very mellow, along the outflow from the main lake beneath Table Mountain below (in background) and (hidden) Mt. Baker. (Top photo is Mt. Shuksan as seen from the trail.)
The trail includes a lot of columnar andesite formed from the volcanic activities of still-active Mt. Baker, the native revered Koma Kulshan.
We flushed up a mama grouse and her babies right beside the trail. Mama yelled and flew at Bear dog repeatedly as the babies scurried for cover in the low brush. As we moved away, she hopped onto this log to watch us suspiciously.
Bear dog loves to cool off in the mountain stream. People often ask if he’s too hot, but his summer trim of lower parts helps to keep him cool, as his longer double coat on top is insulating from heat. It would be dangerous to trim his upper layers.
An old stone bridge from the CCC Depression days — Civilian Conservation Corps. We need another program like that now!
Climbing higher:
Looking down at Bagley Lake, with Mt. Shuksan in background:
Our picnic spot with a view:
My guys!
The early summer wildflower extravaganza is mostly over, but there are still lovely ones remaining.
A snowmelt stream tumbles down from the heights.
We watched two skiers climb up the snow chute below Table Mt., before their glorious rush down.
Thor has made a terrific recovery from his shoulder-replacement surgery in the spring, but still must deal with his permanent nerve damage in right lower leg requiring a special strap-on device to walk, plus the usual knee braces for hills. He is a stoic Norwegian god, so remains cheerful. “What’s the point of complaining?” he says, as he contemplates the view.
I had to trade in my knapsack for a fanny pack due to my cervical stenosis nerve pain in neck and shoulder, but just being in the mountains puts a smile on my face. Geezers unite!
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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 a Pulpwood Queens International 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
