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Tag Archives: #hikewithdogs

Another Floriferous Hike

Thursday was one of our first real summer-like days with highs in the valley over 90 and in the mountains, it was 75. Perfect hiking temperature for the two-leggeds. Luna thought it was a bit too hot for her and often sought respite in the shade. The hike is 9.4 miles round trip in bright open sunshine most of the way. I will have to consider that for hikes with Luna who will be thirteen in October. Not that I am ready to leave her behind. I am quite sure it would break her heart if I took Sky hiking and left her at home. Luna is always excited to go for an adventure and bounces with joy at the thought of going someplace in the car.

So many wildflowers. And I have so much to learn. And the geology. Oh my. Lots to see.

Lewisia columbiana carpeted the rocky hillsides
Lewisia
Puffball
Darned yellow composite
Agoseris aurantiaca
Castilleja sp
Aquilegia formosa, Western columbine
I hope they like dogs.
Luna rests in the shade
Penstemon and darned yellow composite
Penstemon and bumblebee
Chamerion latifolium, closely resembles fireweed but much shorter
aster
Anemone drummondii
Castilleja sp
Buckwheat
Tiny Sedum, maybe lanceolatum
The good girl gang

Mid-summer Hike

This was a repeat of a hike we did back in early June. As you might imagine, the snow patches have disappeared and there are fewer ladybugs. There are more flowers. The views were spectacular again from Mt Baker to Glacier Peak, the North Cascades, the Central Cascades and the Okanogan Highlands. I saw quite a few mushrooms of various kinds, in particular puffballs. Also had a great view of a juvenile Golden Eagle flying below the summit of Tiffany Mountain. And Horned Larks, youngsters and adults too. It was a fine day in the mountains.

Stop and smell the flowers
So many rocks
Little Tiffany and Tiffany Lake
Rock Mountain
Luna didn’t want to sit
Ladybugs
juvenile Golden Eagle
Lots of puffball mushrooms
What kind of caterpillar?
adult Horned Lark
baby Horned Lark

Many Shades of Green and Other Colors

As promised, here are the pretty photos from last week’s hike. So many shades of green dotted with wildflowers of all colors. It was really lovely. We continuously ooohed and ahhhhed!

Taking in the view at the start of the hike
Slate Peak in the distance
a sedum
Anemone or pasque flower
Anemone seedheads
magenta paintbrush
a sedge, Carex sp
So many shades of green
Shooting stars and other tiny flowers
Elephant head
heather
Pretty nice day
orange paintbrush and a buckwheat
glacier lily
Hurry up everybody!
silky phacelia
a thistle
Girl Gang

Solstice Hike

The girls and I were determined to get out at least once this week despite the weather. It has been windy and chilly for June all week. Yesterday despite the continuing wind, we went anyway and while it was cold, it wasn’t windy in the mountains. The parking lot at the trailhead had more cars than I expected for a Friday morning. I guess lots of folks were enjoying the start of a long solstice weekend. When we returned, the lot was overflowing with cars and sprinter vans.

Chain of Lakes trail

Our other nice hike last week, was along the Chain of Lakes trail starting at Artist Point. There are many superlatives written about Artist Point and I’m sure they are all true. I was there a little past the peak of wildflowers and smoke continued to dim my views. I did finally get to see Mt Baker and Mt Shuksan on this day. And there were lots of wildflowers to enjoy. Luna found snow patches for rolling and cooling her feet.

We started the hike in a clockwise direction going to Mazama and Iceberg Lakes before backtracking. I think on another day I would start at Heather Meadows and do the whole loop in a counter clockwise direction. Near the start of the trail I chatted with a young man carrying a snowboard and boots on his back. He was headed for the snow fields on the flanks of Mt Baker. He said he worked at a Montana ski resort in the winter and he liked to ski every month of the year! A true ski bum if there ever was one! He seemed to be living his dream.

There goes the snowboarder
Looking back towards the trailhead
Ahhhh
The Ptarmigan trail goes across that slope
Mazama Lake
Yummers!
Sky enjoyed picking her own huckleberries
Mount Baker
Iceberg Lake. No icebergs.
She swam
She waded
Yellow monkeyflower
Pink monkeyflower
I like these flowers. I should know their name.
I should know these too.
Trail between lakes