Heliotrope Ridge

See that wall of ice behind my fellow hikers? That's Coleman Glacier! Today 14 Senior Trailblazers hiked up three miles or so, close to 2,000 feet in elevation, to the base of Mt. Baker and this incredible glacier on Heliotrope Ridge. The weather was overcast but mostly dry as we made our way through numerous stream crossings (some of which were pretty scary, actually) and up to this glacier. Here's what Ken Wilcox's book says about this hike:

This popular route for hikers and climbers alike offers one of the best places to get up close and personal with a river of ice, namely the Coleman Glacier. For just moderate effort, the scenic rewards are plenty: ancient forest, wildflowers, mountain streams and waterfalls, the Coleman and Roosevelt Glaciers, Mt. Baker, and the Black Buttes.

Well, we couldn't see Mt. Baker or the Black Buttes because we were pretty much inside a cloud for most of the hike, but it made the hiking temperature pretty comfy, especially when compared with last week's nine miles in the sun with twice the elevation gain. Other than the stream crossings, which I found to be a bit daunting, it was a wonderful day! And to share it with thirteen of my most favorite people, well, I do feel quite re-created.

On the trail, I spied some plants with what looked like diamonds right in the middle, when I realized it was the dew and rain congregating right there, giving the impression of jewels. (Click any picture to enlarge so you can get the full effect.) Every time I stopped, even briefly, to take a picture, I was in danger of being left behind by my friends, who have been here before, wanting to get a glimpse of that glacier.

Here's a good picture showing the kinds of decisions we made today. See the tracks through that snowfield? Well, nobody went that way, being pretty sure that the snow underneath has melted enough to make it possible to fall through, and that would be very unpleasant. We either crossed above it or below the snow bridge, hopping across the rocks, with some of us getting our feet wet.

Once we gained the ridge, however, and the glacier was in full view, the fog began to close in! Before long, we had no view of anything, not even of each other, so most of us stopped to have lunch while the braver and more adventurous (all men, I noticed) hiked on a bit farther in the fog. While we sat and enjoyed our break, the fog was so thick that I began to worry about how we would get back down.

After a short while, however, the fog began to lift a little. I got this picture of flowers in the foreground, a waterfall, and the edge of the fog in the background. This beautiful and almost desolate landscape felt so much less so with my companions around me, all seniors, all people I trust and enjoy being out there with. On the way back to the trailhead, we heard a screech and people pointed out to me our visitor: a marmot!

This guy was posing, I swear! Look at the size of him (click to enlarge). He was looking right at me and I think wondering about these two-legged interlopers who keep showing up, looking, and leaving. All in all, it was a wonderful day, and I'm happy to be home after a shower, a glass of wine, and my dinner beside me! I hope you all had as good a day as I had.
:-)