Aldergrove Regional park, BC Trailblazer hike

Fall hiking north of the border today. 

We are back on our lowland hiking schedule for the year, the summer hiking season has been spectacular and now we get to savor what the lowland forests have on display. Nine of us headed off after getting more sleep than usual for a Thursday. After we leave the summer hiking schedule we start our hikes at 9am instead of 8am. Yay!!

We welcomed Ginny and Norbert back after their summer's absence and Joan a guest Audubon club hiker also joined us.

We hiked at the Aldergrove Regional park in British Columbia today. It's just a short drive past the Aldergrove border crossing. The park has a nice trail system in it.

Ferns and Fungi -

We stopped for a moment to enjoy the lake and saw a Blue Heron and several Mallard ducks fly up in front of us.

I loved how the light shined through the leaves as we hiked along -

The nice thing about lowland hikes in parks is every once in a while we get a nice dry place to eat, with tables!

Some more of the beauty of the day that I just couldn't resist photographing - 

Thanks to Joe (the birthday guy), 

We stopped at Edaleen dairy on our way home!

for sharing his endomondo stats with me. I didn't use my phone app since we were in Canada. I don't want to pay the international data rates!

Endomondo stats:

Total miles hiked - 5.47 miles

Minimum altitude - 45.9 feet

Maximum altitude - 255.9 feet

Total ascent - 912 feet

Total descent - 967.8 feet 

Bailey's Vegetables and a XC run

Our granddaughter is having fun running cross country at her middle school. This is her second year and last year to run as a middle school student. We have enjoyed going to her meets, one of our favorite locations for the meets has been the Bailey Vegetable farm. The setting is perfect for a fall activity. The crops were still in the ground, the corn still standing and the scent of Kettle Corn tempting in the air.

The squash were set out on tables and there were so many fun color and shaped ones on display.

Also, baby pigs to thrill the children.

I enjoyed trying to find our way through the maze with the granddaughters

.

I also was photographed with a Turban squash on my head. 

It makes a lovely hat don't you think ;-)

Such a fun place for a cross country run.

Picture of the week ~ Ptarmigan Ridge trail

Boundary Way/Cowap peak Trailblazer hike

Happiness abounds, blue skies today for our last hike of the season in the high country. 

13 of us gathered at the Senior Center to begin our last drive up the Mt. Baker hwy for the season. We were all in high spirits when we arrived at the trail head and realized we would have clear skies to enjoy the grand views and fall colors beginning to touch the alpine foliage.

Our numbers grew by 2 as Frank and Marjan had driven to the trail head on their own, that brought our number to 15. They needed to leave quickly from the top as they had plans for the evening.

Our hike on the Boundary Way trail began at the same parking lot as the Damfino trail.

We began our trek in the forest.

The trail soon began to slowly break into openings, giving us tantalizing peeks up into what was before us,

and then there we were out in the glorious fall color.

We began our climb up to the top for lunch and our trail headed around the hill before us. Our view switched to the north and we found ourselves looking into Canada.

Nobuko brought chocolates for us to enjoy as it was Frank's birthday. We all joined in and sang Happy Birthday to him. We enjoyed visiting with them and then they headed back to their car and to their birthday? plans for the evening.

 At lunch we were joined by a Comma Butterfly. 

Thank you Joe for taking these pictures of me on the hike. What a spectacular place to be for our last day in the high country.

Endomondo stats:

Total miles hiked - 5.67 miles

Minimum altitude - 4244 feet

Maximum altitude - 5668 feet

 Total ascent - 1481 feet

Total descent - 1454 feet

Picture of the week ~ Mt. Baker

Mt. Baker from the Dock Butte road (Google + Auto Awesome)

To see the un-enhanced version of this picture, it is the last photo in my Dock Butte/Blue Lake post from Thursday's hike.

Dock Butte/Blue Lake Trailblazer hike

After a couple of weeks off from hiking I was happy to be back at it today with the Trailblazers. 11 of us headed out on the long drive to our hike of the day - the  Dock Butte/Blue Lake trail.

The trail was mostly up with a few downs, there were ripe blueberries all along the trail.

After we got out of the forest the views just opened up in front of us.

Panorama (click to enlarge)

Onward and upward -

In the photo below, our fearless leader "Pat" (in the red shirt) making sure that we all got up a tricky rock scramble just before the top.

Our lunch perch 

We were so happy that Pat brought a rope to help us with our rocky ascent & descent. 

On our way out we decided to take the short hike down to see Blue lake, the lake is really green but that is beside the point ;-) It was a nice little walk down and I'm glad we added that part on to our day.

While we were hiking there were clouds in front of  Mt. Baker, but as we were driving down the road lo and behold - it became completely clear. 

What a great send off!

Endomondo stats: 

Total miles hiked - 6 miles

Minimum altitude - 3805 feet

Maximum altitude - 5223 feet

Total ascent - 1714 feet

Total descent - 1608 feet

Picture of the week ~ early Fall stroll

Along a field near the Nooksack River

Taking a moment.....

Hmmm, what does this taking a moment mean to me? 

To me it means to slow down, take life a bit easier. Stop and savor the things around me that I hold dear, as they say to "stop and smell the roses".

I've been pretty regular with  the Thursday Trailblazer hikes, but took a break from last week's hike and I will take a break from this week's as well. My legs seem to be on the tired side and my old calf injury seems a bit aggravated. So I'm taking a moment to decompress a bit. Just going for walks and enjoying life at a little slower pace.

This decision has helped me to embrace the Fall season that is now upon us. I'm loving the new Oprah's Chai Tea latte at Starbucks and my homemade harvest soup.

(Almost all of the ingredients were harvested from our own garden.)

My husband is channeling his inner Ciscoe Morris, and creating some nice bouquets from our yard, to put around the house.

I think the best thing about what this season brings upon my spirit, 

is to remember to take a moment.....

Picture of the week ~ Whatcom Falls Park ferns

Looking down from the bridge

Whatcom Falls Park