October at Mount Rainier National Park

Photos from crisp, sunny days in early October at Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State (USA). A great time for hiking!

View of Mount Rainier across Bench Lake

Lunchtime view from the Snow Lake Trail. That's my granddaughter exploring among the grasses.

Autumn colors

Rampart Ridge Trail

I'm linked with:

Our World Tuesday - Link HERE

Saturday Snapshot - Melinda at A Web of Stories - Link HERE 

#Hike Deprivation

It's been two months since I posted on my blog. Two months without a hike! Lucky for me, I have two friends who understand the value of time in the woods. Recently they led me down trails not far from our homes, staying six feet apart at all times and with our masks at hand. Here are a few photos from our outing.

Mount Rainier dominated the horizon on this perfect spring day.

Thanks, Melanie and Diane, for a great day. My soul is revived.

I'm linked with:

Jo's Monday Walk -  Johanna at Restless Jo - Link HERE

Our World Tuesday - Link HERE

Saturday Snapshot - Melinda at A Web of Stories - Link HERE 

Dege Peak, Mount Rainier National Park, USA

The Sunrise visitor area of Mount Rainier National Park just opened for the summer! If you want to see a glorious view of The Mountain, Sunrise is the place to go. I hiked the Sourdough and Dege Peak trails recently on a perfect sunny day (high temp 65° F). Here's what I saw.

We started out at the Sunrise Visitor Center parking lot, then walked up to the Sourdough Trail. It's the horizontal line up on the hill. Maybe you can see a few tiny specks along the path. Hikers!

As the trail climbed, the views became more and more spectacular. One false step off the edge and you're in trouble!

A look back at the Sunrise visitor center and parking lot. I love the "ruffle" of clouds across Mount Rainier's peak.

Patches of snow blocked the path to the top of Dege Peak. Although we could have climbed up anyhow, we were concerned about more snow near the top and slippery footing on the way back down. Next time we'll try for the summit.

As a side hike, we also walked to the Emmons Glacier Vista. According to the National Park Service website:
Emmons Glacier has the largest area of any glacier in the contiguous United States, although the Carbon Glacier has a greater volume of ice. The glacier descends from the summit into the White River Valley.

A highlight of the hike--seeing a male sooty grouse puff up and call for a mate (per the ranger we saw on the trail). His "whoop, whoop" is a distinctive call I'll never forget. 

What a glorious day for a hike! 

More info about Sunrise area trails HERE.

Curious about Mount Rainier's glaciers? You'll find info HERE.

I'm linked with:

Jo's Monday Walk -  Johanna at Restless Jo - Link HERE

Our World Tuesday - Link HERE

Saturday Snapshot - Melinda at A Web of Stories - Link HERE 

LaConner Crab Cruise - #Photos

A great day to cruise on Skagit Bay! Add in a lunch of Dungeness crab, good company, and lots of sunshine, and it was a day to enjoy. Here's how the senior center brochure described the outing: 
We will travel north to La Conner and board the Viking Star for a 2.5-hour cruise along the Swinomish Channel out to Deception Pass. The highlight of the day will be the cracked crab feast onboard as we ply the waters out to Deception Pass Bridge. 
(Click on photos for a closer look.)

The town of La Conner, Washington, sits on Skagit Bay
in northwestern Washington State. Our vessel was the M/V Chinook. 

We passed vacation homes and permanent residences perched along the shore.

Rafts of logs floated near rocky, wooded islands

Our destination: Deception Pass Bridge

Snow-capped Cascade Mountains on the horizon

After our cruise ended, we headed for the tulip fields of Mt. Vernon... but that's a story for another post.

Curious about Deception Pass's name? Wikipedia says: 
"[Explorer] George Vancouver gave it the name 'Deception' because it had misled him into thinking Whidbey Island was a peninsula. The 'deception' was heightened due to Whidbey's failure to find the strait at first."
More info HERE

Cruise info HERE

I'm linked with:

Saturday Snapshot - Melinda at A Web of Stories - Link HERE 

Jo's Monday Walk -  Johanna at Restless Jo - Link HERE

Our World Tuesday - Link HERE

Christmas Tea - #SaturdaySnapshot

Christmas tea at Secret Garden Tea Room and Gift Shop in Sumner, Washington, is a special occasion. 

The tea room is housed in this Victorian mansion (Queen Anne and Italianate architecture). Although it's open for lunch all year, the Christmas tea is an extra-special time to eat there because of the beautiful decorations and special treats. The restaurant closes down for about a week in early November to decorate for Christmas. To secure a table, reservations must be made early.

Here are a few pictures from a recent lunch. Fancy, fun, and delicious!

We all wore pearls for the occasion, but my
granddaughter was the fanciest. She's seriously pondering
her choices -- pink lemonade or tea?

Delicious soup, topped with a star-shaped crouton.
In addition to our choice of tea, we enjoyed sparkling apple cider.
The fancy Christmas china added to the experience.

Raspberry sorbet between courses.

A feast! In addition to this delicious selection, each of us
received a pot of tea (I chose a spicy Christmas blend), along
with a basket of scones, still hot from the oven.

Here's a close-up of the delicious (and beautiful) desserts.

2018

Victorian

Christmas Tea

Pot of Tea

Toasting Glass of Sparkling Cider*

Cup of White Velvet Soup

With Parmesan and Herb Crouton

Sorbet

Scones with Cream, Jam and Lemon Curd

Tiered rack with Tea Sandwiches

Savories and Fresh Fruit

Petite Tea Pastries and Sweets

Commemorative Photo

Hot Towel Service

I've posted about the Secret Garden Tea Room before -- HERE. If you have occasion to be in the area of Sumner, Washington, I recommend a visit. But be sure to call for a reservation.
Here's the link to their website: Secret Garden

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. 

To join in or to view photos from around the world: 

Post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on West Metro Mommy Read's website (link: HERE) Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.

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Lord Hill, #Snohomish County, WA - #SaturdaySnapshot

Recently hikers from the Auburn Senior Activity Center traveled north to Snohomish County to explore Lord Hill Regional Park. Lucky for us, the weather cooperated and we enjoyed a crisp, sunny autumn day.
(Click on photos to enlarge.)

Our hike took us along shaded paths beneath towering trees. 

As planned, the group meandered along the Main Trail and River Trail to arrive at the banks of the Snoqualmie River in time for lunch. Salmon splashing in the water provided our entertainment. I wish I'd been able to get a picture of one. 

Because the trails are shared with horses, we had to watch where we stepped. However, we saw only a few equestrians and bike riders during our outing. The trails, intersections, and distances were well marked.

We returned to our starting point in the northwest corner of the park and then decided to walk a little farther on the Beaver Lake Trail. Unfortunately, we didn't see any animals on this hike, but we heard frogs croaking and birds chirping in the marsh. Altogether we walked about 5.5 miles.

For more info and photos of Lord Hill Regional Park, link here:
Friends of Lord Hill
Washington Trails Assoc. - Lord Hill

Link to the following pages for more beautiful photos from around the world:

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. 

To join in or to view photos from around the world: 

Post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on West Metro Mommy Read's website (link: HERE) Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.

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Mount St. Helens - Odds & Ends - #SaturdaySnapshot

These random photos, taken during my three-day hiking adventure at Mount St. Helens, don't fit into a specific category. I've labeled them "Odds and Ends." 
(Click on photos to enlarge.)

We followed this logging truck for quite a ways. I thought the juxtaposition of the logs on the truck and the clear-cut hillside to the left of the road, along with the stand of trees up ahead, made an interesting picture.

I always wonder what caused huge rock outcroppings like the one below. It's not far from Mount St. Helens. Was it the result of the volcano's eruption?

The view of Spirit Lake (Mount St. Helens) from Windy Ridge. The white mass on the lake is made up of logs.

I decided NOT to climb to the top of the observation area at Windy Ridge.

A casualty of the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. The car's owners perished in a nearby cabin during the eruption. More info about this story and the area HERE.

The trip to Mount St. Helens was a lot of fun, and I'm already looking forward to next summer's adventure. I wonder where the senior center will take me!

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. 

To join in or to view photos from around the world: 

Post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on West Metro Mommy Read's website (link: HERE) Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.

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Mount St. Helens (Post 3) / Norway Pass Trail - #SaturdaySnapshot

The highlight of my overnight hiking trip with the Auburn Senior Activity Center was the hike up the Norway Pass Trail. The operative word here is "up." Not steep but relentless. However, the magnificent views were worth the trek. FYI: Our group consisted of ten women, including two senior center representatives. 
[Click on photos for a closer look.]

Ready to go.

Along the trail we snacked on huckleberries. I would have been afraid to munch on wild berries, but our knowledgeable leaders knew which ones would be okay to eat. These were perfectly ripe and sweet. Within minutes our fingers were stained blue.

On this beautiful day we could see both Mount Adams and Mount Rainier, two volcanoes in the Cascade Mountains.

Mount Adams on the horizon

The snow-capped crest of Mount Rainier peeking over the hilltops

Dead trees from the 1980 eruption still cover the hillsides surrounding Mount St. Helens, along with new growth of trees and wildflowers.

Bleached remains of trees on the hillside that were mowed down 
by the volcano's blast

When I got tired or out of breath, I set a goal of walking to a certain tree or clump of flowers on the path ahead and then would stop there to catch my breath. In this way, I made it to the top.

Almost there!

Here's the magnificent payoff: a million dollar view of Mount St. Helens and Spirit Lake. Perfect place to stop for lunch, isn't it?

The white area on the lake's surface is a mat of trees blown down during the volcano's eruption. (Curious? You'll find more about this HERE.)

A before-and-after photo by the U.S. Geological Survey is posted on the "PBS News Hour" website - HERE.

The distance between the Johnston Ridge Observatory and the Norway Pass Trailhead isn't far... as the crow flies. The map below shows the route by car. The blue patch on the map, between the Johnston Ridge Observatory and Norway Pass, is Spirit Lake.

Thanks for going along with me on my visit to Mount St. Helens. I'll post a few more photos next Saturday.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. 

To participate: 

Post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on West Metro Mommy Read's website (link: HERE) Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.

West Metro Mommy Reads