Picture of the week ~ Red Cedar root

          

Pine and Cedar Trailblazer hike

I was pleased and very encouraged of our hiking group today. The weather forecast was for rain and wind, so I expected a small group, but lo and behold 10 brave souls showed up at the Senior Center for our hike. We were assure by Joe that the worst of the rain would happen after our hike, so with that in mind we carpooled to our starting point. Our hike was originally to be Raptor ridge from Pine and Cedar and Arroyo. The hike was to be a point to point one, so we left a car at Arroyo park trail head, with the plan that the drivers of the other cars could be taken to the Pine and Cedar lakes trail head after the hike ended for their cars. When we got to the Pine and Cedar trail head parking lot it was overcast and just drizzling.

We enjoyed a nice "uphill" hike up through the forest and mist.

We heard what we supposed was a tree falling and we did come across a downed tree in the trail, but Pat "our fearless leader" didn't think that particular tree was the one we had heard. We are fortunate that several of our hikers are on trail work crews and carry saws with them, they have come in handy more than once.

As you can see below, they did a great job. 

We ate lunch at Cedar lake.

Then on to Pine lake -

Pat looking at Pine lake

Walking along on the bog trail

 Pat decided that Pine and Cedar lakes would have to be our destination today since the weather was getting a bit wet and windy to continue up to Raptor Ridge, so we made our way back down. We just began to get a bit wet by the end of the hike. Not too bad since we expected a bit worse, and yes we did manage to remember to get Pat connected back with his car at Arroyo park :-)

Endomondo stats:

Total miles hiked - 6.38 miles

Minimum altitude - 236 feet

Maximum altitude - 1688 feet

Total ascent - 1938 feet

Total descent - 1838 feet

Picture of the week ~ January Hummingbird

Cub/Smith Creek Trailblazer hike

14 of us headed "up" the trail to the power lines above Lake Whatcom. The parking lot for this hike is above the North Lake Whatcom trailhead lot. The hike really is on the Smith Creek trail, but our hiking group calls it Cub Creek. The last time we did this hike we stopped early because it was NOT a nice day. Today was just the opposite, what a glorious day we had for our hike. 

The sun peaking through the forest was a welcome sight.

I love to look at trees and this forest gave me some wonderful pictures.

I thought the tree below looked like a Brontosaurus (?).

and this one below, like some kind of forest monster. See his eye and mouth?

The trail crisscrosses roads and power lines, so our view had some power lines in it, but wow what a view. The sun was even warm while we ate. 

Wonderful!

After lunch we headed "down", yes this trail is definitely all up and all down.

I played with my camera plus app "macro" setting on our hike today. I found these wonderful little plants beside me while I ate, they were only about a half inch tall. 

Below is the normal camera view -

and here's the macro view.

I also took a macro picture of some seed pods on a plant.

I think the two pictures below are my favorite of the day. The first picture is of the stump with small mushroom growing up it. The second picture is a macro of one of the mushrooms.

Endomondo stats:

Total miles hiked - 5.8

Minimum altitude - 343 feet

Maximum altitude - 2022 feet

Total ascent - 1645 feet

Total descent - 1589 feet

Picture of the week ~ Run Walk Run timer

Run Walk Run method

This device keeps me from being tied to my watch.

 I can set it to beep, vibrate or both, to let me know when to change from Running to Walking.

Lake Padden trails Trailblazer hike

I've been itching to be hiking for awhile now, 

I had a cold that more than outstayed it's welcome, and I was happy to be joining our hiking group today. The scheduled hike for today was to be hiking the trails in Lake Padden park.

It was listed as 6 miles & easy, a perfect welcome back for my body that hasn't been doing much of anything for a couple of months.

16 of us headed west on the Lake trail from the ball field side of the park. 

It was an overcast, mid 40's morning, comfortable for hiking.

Looking across the Lake to the bathhouse

As we approached the fork in the trail where you could go left or continue around the Lake, 2 of our group left us as they had planned on going a shorter distance. We continued on to the left to begin our way on the higher trails. There was a bit of mud along the way as you can see, 

as we made our way back near the ball fields & the parking lot, 2 more of our group left us. 

Our group had dwindled down to 12 for the rest of the hike. We headed east and did a loop that brought us back down under the power lines and then to the parking lot by the ball fields.

It was a pretty forest hike.

You never know what you'll see out in the woods :-)

Can you see the Christmas ornaments?

It was so nice to join the Trailblazers again. I've missed all of the "fun" of this group.

Endomondo stats:

Total miles hiked - 5.95

Minimum altitude - 353 feet

Maximum altitude - 928 feet

Total ascent - 1005 feet

Total descent - 938 feet

Picture of the week ~ Mt. Baker and Blueberries

Picture of the week ~ Little knives

Penny sized knives

The common cold

I've been fighting a cold for a few weeks, and I think I really have had a couple of different strains of the common cold - back to back. 

Definition: - "A viral infection of the upper respiratory tract - your nose and throat. A common cold is usually harmless, although it may not feel that way at the time. If it's not a runny nose, sore throat and cough, it's the watery eyes, sneezing and congestion - or maybe all of the above. In fact, because any one of more than 100 viruses can cause a common cold, signs and symptoms tend to vary greatly."

I have been living this definition, as in the "or maybe all of the above" section for too long. 

Yes, I've gone to the Dr. 

To no avail, it's really just a rest and wait it out game.

Fascinating facts you never knew about the common cold, 

"Out of 200 different strains of cold, the rhino virus - or nose virus - is one of the most common. Viruses are microscopic - it would take 50,000 rhino viruses lined up back to back to cover just one millimetre! Worse still, you can easily catch two different strains one after one after the other."

The Bottom Line A single person can carry multiple cold strains at the same time. 

Oh Joy!

On this happy note of what's going on with me, please enjoy this (YouTube clip) from the movie (originally a Broadway show) "Rent" and the song "525, 600 minutes, Seasons of Love" 

"In daylights, in sunsets

In midnights, in cups of coffee

In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife

In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes

 How do you measure, a year in the life?

Picture of the week ~ Padilla bay ice

My book is filled with gratitude

As I close this year's book of my life, I realize that it was a very good one. Each chapter filled with tales of adventure, hope and love. Thank you to my family and friends for your input. It will be put on the shelf with gratitude. This one is sure to make the #1 best selling book list of 2014 :-)

Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year!

"We will open the book, it's pages are blank. 

We are going to put words on them ourselves. 

The book's called "Opportunity" 

and it's first chapter is 

New Year's Day." 

Edith Lovejoy Pierce

*I shared this on Facebook and enjoyed it so much I thought I'd share it here as well.

Picture of the week ~ It's alive!

Sourdough Starter

Twas the night before Christmas

A "different" version of Twas the night before Christmas...

Twas The Night Before Christmas Olympic Peninsula Edition (from Exotic Hikes' blog)

T’was the night before Christmas all along the Northwest

Not a creature was stirring; even the marmots lay in rest

The stocking were hung by the campfire, from Olympia to Neah Bay

In hopes that St Nicholas would soon be on his way;

The hikers were nestled under their blue tarps and tents

While their dreams had visions of glissading and safe descents

With my lady in her North Face mummy bag and I in the same

Trying to stay dry in the forests, famous for rain

When out in the Hoh, there rose such a clatter

I sprang out of my tent, to see what was the matter;

Out to the Elwha, I flew up the ridge like a Hurricane

Looking and searching across the peninsula in the driving rain.

The moon broke through the clouds, showing Mount Ellinor

I saw the entire Olympic Peninsula, from rainforest to sea shore

Out of the corner of my eye, above the city of Forks,

I saw a red and white sleigh with eight tiny Rain-Deer pulling serious torques

With a little driver, dressed in rain gear and a beard full and thick

I knew in that moment, over the Olympic Peninsula, it must be St. Nick

More rapid then the Quinault River, flowing down to the Ocean

He called out names of Rain-Deer, causing quite a commotion,

Now Olympus! Now Elwha! Now Shi Shi and Dungeness!

On Constance! On Crescent! On Buckhorn and Skokomish!

To the top of the Mountains to the rainforest trees

We must visit everyone that understand the Olympic Beauty

As the sleigh got nearer, the winds blew the cedars and firs

The trees were too thick, I could see nothing but blurs

Until above my tent, the Rain-Deer finally flew

With a sleigh full of gear and St Nicholas too!

Then the sleigh set down on the nearby snow shelter roof

I heard the prancing and pawing of each Rain-Deer hoof.

As I peered toward the noise I heard a small hoot

Out of the ferns was St Nicholas, in Gore-Tex boots

Dressed in Outdoor Research Gear, from head to toe

He looked like he could handle hiking in rain sun and snow

A backpacking bag was flung on his back

He looked like he had hiked across Anderson Pass with that pack

A shine, deep green, like the forests, came from his eyes

His cheeks were red, like a Winter Hood Canal sunrise

His smile was inviting, like Marymere Falls Trail

And his white beard was the color of a spout from a Gray Whale

He held a pipe, burning just cedar, between his teeth

The smoke rose around his head, like a decorated wreath

He had a big broad face and a round little belly,

That shook, when laughed like a bowl full of jelly

He spoke not a word, but laid out new supplies and gear

Even an Exotic Hikes tour package, plus a Rainier Beer

As he finished he came over, and shook my hand

Thanking me for sharing the most beautiful land

As he walked away from our camp, he gave a whistle

And the Rain-Deer flew down, scaring a bear from the thistle

As he flew away he looked to me and the following he blessed

“A Merry Christmas to the Olympic Peninsula and the Pacific Northwest”

Picture of the week ~ Merry Christmas

from Us!

2015 TrailRunner calendar

2015 TrailRunner magazine, Grand Canyon. 

Ken Etzel is the amazing photographer.

Picture of the week ~ Nutcrackers

 Whidbey Island 

Picture of the week ~ Samish Overlook Sunset

Click to enlarge the panorama

Stomach bug served with a head cold chaser

Sorry for the illness humor. 

I just thought it sounded like some of the cutsie alcoholic drink names served during the holiday season. 

I have pretty much been sick ever since we got back from our Arizona vacation the 14th of November. Maybe my body is telling me it's happier in Flagstaff. Hmmmm

I was pretty bummed to not attend the last Trailblazer hike on Thursday. We had scheduled a surprise after party for our fearless leader Pat. Owen and Penny put together a book of thanks for him and it was to be presented at the party, The book is to be full of photos of Pat leading us on our various hikes. I can't wait to see it.

Here's one of him getting ready to lead us on our Clayton beach hike in February 2012. Always ready to lead, with a good attitude, lots of information of the area and if you listen an awesome laugh. He is the heart & spirit of our group, 

thanks Pat.

I'm also thankful I stumbled on Djan's blog back in 2011. It was through her blog that I learned of the Trailblazer group. I'm glad I acted on my impulse to join these hearty senior hikers. They are such a fun group to share my love of hiking with. The Senior Trailblazers are split up into 2 groups. I had originally started in April of 2011 with group 1, Al's group (and the group Djan hikes with). Then after a long rehab from injuring my calf in June of 2011, I started back with group 2 led by Pat. My first hike back was at the February Clayton beach hike in 2012 and I've stayed with this group ever since. It just feels like a nice fit for me to be with this group. This is where my Ruby Red slippers take me to, hee hee (referring to Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, when she clicks her heels together and repeats - "There no place like home").

I have been looking into drinks and foods that can help boost my immune system. I know this is sugar coated BUT it's super yummy and full of Vitamin C.

Since it's the holiday season and it's traditional to indulge in sweets, here's this years first attempt at making a seasonal treat. Candied Orange peel. 

As I sit hear with a still drippy congested nose/head,

I raise my cup of Ginger tea to you as a toast to the season!