As the U.S. West is on fire and our mountains obscured by smoke, here’s a reminder that many wilderness hikes are still there, waiting or recovering. Here’s a favorite below Mt. Baker in NW Washington.
I plan to return soon to my weekly “virtual vacation” blog series on Thailand, though I’m still finding it difficult to spend much time at the computer after surgery. Here’s another of Thor’s, Bear dog’s, and my favorite hikes in this rerun from 2018. Some things remain the same: the terrible wildfires ravaging the West again this summer. We’ve been lucky here in the Pacific Northwest, but now more wildfires are coming near, with smoke from local and distant fires.
Join Thor, Bear dog, and me as we hike the Ptarmigan Ridge trail beneath Mt. Baker and cool off in brisk, clear mountain lakes.
It was one of those “life happens” weeks, but we managed a quick escape between those “happenings” and waves of wildfire smoke that have been smudging our skies in this summer of heat waves. We send best wishes to all our friends suffering through the terrible fires in Eastern Washington, Oregon, and California, not to mention the droughts throughout the south and west. Once again, we feel humbly blessed to live here in the mostly green Pacific Northwest, though even here we are on high fire alert now. So let’s take a deep breath of coolness, greenery, and mountain wildflowers.
From Artist Point at the end of the Mt. Baker Highway, the Ptarmigan Ridge trail heads toward Mt. Baker around the rim of a steep rockfall.
Snowmelt cascades off of Table Mountain water grasses and blooms.
At the fork in the trail, we head right and downhill to the first of the mountain Chain Lakes. Bear dog takes every opportunity to drink from streams and lie in the water, or roll in snow patches. He’s had his summer belly-coat trim and undercoat comb-out, so his long fur is actually insulating him from the heat, as we explain countless times to other hikers who worry that he is suffering. He does better than we do!
The snow is almost gone from the trail leading down to the lakes across another rockfall/marmot condo. Once more, Bear dog hears the whistling call of the wild, but he listens when we tell him he can’t chase.
Mazama is the first lake (actually two small lakes) and the shallowest, a lovely swimming spot.
Pushing on toward Galena Lake, we cross my favorite magical stream with a peekaboo glimpse of Table Mountain. Bear dog, of course, takes another soak. He always politely declines to swim, but loves to loll in the water wherever we encounter it, whether at the mountains or the seashore.
Dramatic cliffs and icy Galen Lake.
We are ready for a picnic and several swims in the beautiful, crystal clear shallows of the lake. (also top photo)
We were blessed with rare solitude and quiet this day, as we basked in the sunshine between swims, and listened to nothing but the voices of the wind and a sweet bird call across the lake. Ah, serenity. We reminded each other to soak it all up for a “rainy day,” as we gave thanks for the privilege of being guests in the beautiful wilderness.
A different view of Mt. Baker on the way back:
And a few more wildflowers:
May we humans and Mother Nature thrive together in harmony! Blessed be.
*****
You will find The Rambling Writer’s blog posts here every Saturday. Sara’s latest novel from Book View Café is available in print and ebook: The Ariadne Connection. It’s a near-future thriller set in the Greek islands. “Technology triggers a deadly new plague. Can a healer find the cure?” The novel has received the Chanticleer Global Thriller Grand Prize and the Cygnus Award for Speculative Fiction. Sara has recently returned from another research trip in Greece and is back at work on the sequel, The Ariadne Disconnect. Sign up for her quarterly email newsletter at www.sarastamey.com
Bear Dog definitely has a bearish look when frolicking in the water!
Yes, sometimes people on the trail think he is a baby bear as they come around a turn and see him! And he thinks everyone knows his name, as they call out, “Bear!”