Out on Whidbey Island we have a special friend, Kai Gallagher. He's 4 yrs old and such a bright spot in all the lives around him. We thoroughly enjoyed staying a weekend with his grandma Marlene and mom, Sarah. If only we had a suitcase big enough, we'd take him right along with us.
The incredible sunrise from our field one morning last week. We all stood and watched with wonder. A perfect way to start a new day!
Crescent Lake, or Lake Crescent, out on the peninsula. We were on our way from our retreat in the woods at Forks to Carolyn's parents' place in Sequim. Anyone for a frigid swim?
Back the way we came.....what a beautiful spot!
Here's the mountain we climbed this sunny Monday in early October. I took this photo from "downtown" Granite Falls. Yes, we climbed right out to the very rocky point on this mountain. What a beautiful day to do it! We'll not have too many more such nice hiking days so, after a very full and busy weekend, it seemed a good opportunity for some exercise and it's benefits.
Ah! There! We finally managed to get the sign, and both our heads in the frame! It's kind of tricky when there isn't a third along to take the photos. By "Summit", behind my head, it says "3" as in 3 miles. Here we go....6 miles on a sunny afternoon but we're a little tight on time. We ended up going up and back in just about 2 and a half hours. Not bad.
The view in the lower elevation as we came out of the old-growth forest. Notice the color beginning in the bushes. It sure was a grand and glorious day.
At one point along the trail we found a place for a photo-op. A passing hiker was kind enough to take this photo. We thought it would make a good companion photo.
This was the view down from close to the summit. Snow had fallen here and on the northeast side of the mountain it didn't melt even though the day was sunny and clear. Fall is definitely here now.
Mt Pilchuck has a lookout at the top just like Three Fingers (last week) did. So we're finally there!
Here's Carolyn climbing the ladder into the lookout. Us and our ladders!
Just across the valley we could see the mountain we climbed last week (last post). Three Fingers is over 6000 ft high and just the day after we hiked it it was covered with this snow. We just made it.
Glacier Peak is the 4th highest peak in the North Cascades at 10,520 ft. We were lucky it was such a clear day in October.
The views of the other mountains around us from the summit lookout was outstanding. Here is Mt Baker in all his glory. He stands at 10,781 ft and is the third highest peak in the North Cascade Mountains. Western Washington is SOOO lucky!
So....here we are at the summit, outside the lookout, on an overhang of rock. We thought this might be a good companion photo. What do you think? :)
The" jagged skyline of the Cascades as we drove through the pearly early morning air on our way to the trailhead. Carolyn and I were on our way to climb "Three Fingers"--a challenging 7.1 mile climb (one way) to the summit of one of these jagged peaks.
At the trailhead. Two miles to Saddle Lake, two and a half further to Goat Flats and then the final 3 miles to the summit.
The beauty of "Goat Flats" which is a little over halfway to the summit. This provides a number of campsites (no fires though) and even a toilet! No walls though...just great scenery.
The second shot is a closeup of the upper peak in the first frame. You can see the lookout perched on the summit in the second photo. The ice field (in the foreground) that has to be circumnavigated before reaching the pinnacle peaks (directly above the icefield). From the lookout on top you can see down into the blue glacier ice crevasses below.
Distant views we enjoyed along the way as we climbed.
Our destination as visible from "Tin Can Gap". On one of those peaks there is a lookout bolted onto the rock summit. The last leg of the journey will be to traverse a set of ladders mounted to the rock sides of the peak. As one friend said they really are "ladders over the abyss" as to fall would mean certain death.
I've moved from the first onto the second of the ladders to the summit and Carolyn is on the third. We're almost there!
After ascending the ladders we are standing on the rock on which the lookout rests.
Just some of the great 360 degree views we enjoyed from the lookout.
Here Carolyn and I are in back of the lookout. By the time we got to the summit the temps were in the low 40's with a bad wind so I grabbed a sleeping bag inside the lookout and wrapped up in it. I still wasn't any too warm!
By the time we left the lookout the clouds had completely descended and this is what the "ladder over the abyss" looked like.
Coming down the top quarter of the mountain was a complete white-out. Here Carolyn and I are coming down the trail. To our right it was a sheer drop off.
One of the only type of wildlife we saw all day---the marmot. There were a few of these creatures and they were quite curious about us and not nervous at all. Wouldn't eat Carolyn's peanuts though!
The grand and glorious Northwest!!!! Blue, blue skies, bluer waters and the nicest people.
A vista on Whidbey Island from the home of some of our friends. We will make this trip to Whidbey Island every week this fall as we have gospel meetings there on Thursday evenings. This week we were a threesome as Suzie hasn't left for California Special meetings yet. Next week and for about the following 6 weeks Carolyn and I will have to go it "alone." :) Pretty tough to take!
The view from the ferry shortly after driving aboard and coming up from the car deck. A delightful day on Puget Sound! Who would want to be anywhere else?!
My two companions on the ferry (The Kittitas) just as we were arriving at Whidbey Island. As much as I'd like to say that all our weekly trips will be in such glorious weather....well, I must be honest and say we will, most likely, see our share of gray, rain and drizzle on these crossings.
