Saved by the Birds

When I was thinking about writing this post, I thought I would call it "Blame it on the Rum".  I was going to start by explaining how this is an expression me and my girlfriends sometimes use, and we even made up a very silly song that goes with it. (any country singer out there that wants to steal that song title should go for it...I think it's pretty brilliant) Then I was going to explain why I was drinking rum the night before deciding to do this hike--which consequently lead me to plead for help on my favorite hiking forum because I knew I was not thinking straight. (and they talked me out of doing "Lake Ann", thank God)  But, explaining why we made up that song, or why I happened to be boozing it up on a Thursday night...well, that's probably more than anyone needs or wants to know. 

The hike that was so mercifully recommended was "Skyline Divide", and I knew it was the perfect fit.  It's only 2 miles to the payoff views, which I knew my oldest daughter and her friend Misun could handle. (my oldest enjoys hiking more than my youngest--but after doing Oyster Dome, she prefers avoiding too much uphill) 

After picking up Misun in Bellingham, we were on our way to the Glacier ranger station to buy our Northwest forest pass.  The poor woman at the information counter must have spent 5 minutes trying to explain to me what passes are needed at which parks and why.  I won't complain about the $30 bucks though...I appreciate our parks too much and I know the money is really needed.

As soon as we got to the trail head and got out of the car, we were attacked by horseflies. It got a little crazy--everyone running around swatting and screaming--I was so glad I brought the deet as recommended on the latest trail report.  

It kept them from biting, but unfortunately not from constantly buzzing around us.  It was annoying for sure.  I was trying to tell myself to consider the noise the same as a hummingbird's, but of course that didn't work. (buzzing and humming really aren't that different.. it's weird to think about why one is so irritating while the other is pleasant)

I will blame the fact that I was even slower than usual on the previous night's libations. ("Blame it on the rum"...you always have to sing it. I wish you knew the tune; it's quite catchy)  Usually I can count on Amber being at least close to me--but both girls were almost always waiting for me to catch up.  Occasionally I would gain on them enough to see Amber wildly whipping the branch she was carrying around in an attempt to ward off the flies.  I think it just made them madder. 

Hurry up, Mom!

When we finally got to the grassy knoll, Amber was pretty much over it.  "Yes, the views are amazing, Mom...I see them. Can we go now?"  She let me know she didn't love all the uphill (I sort of purposely failed to mention that when I asked her if she wanted to go) and she was especially loathing the flies. I could tell she didn't care much about sitting down for a nice lunch--what she really wanted to do is pull the legs off of each and every fly and boil them in a pot. 

But she humored me, and we found a gorgeous spot amidst the wildflowers.  After taking a few pictures, we all started to feel a little better. (nothin' like a photo shoot to make the assaults of nature more tolerable ;)  It wasn't enough to make the girls want to stay though, and it saddened me to know this hike, even with the amazing views, was only going to be remembered as "That hike we took with all those horrible flies".  Sigh...time to head back down in defeat.

Look close, a fly (or bee?) made his way into the picture

This is when we saw them; two hikers, sitting in a nice spot by the trees.  Then one lifted his hand...and a bird swooped out of the trees and landed on it!  To appreciate the effect this had on my daughter, you need to know that she was obsessed with birds as a child. (obsessed it not too strong a word--every year at Halloween I had to come up with some new bird outfit)  This obsession mellowed in time to a very dear love and appreciation for birds, and the wide-eyed look on her face when she turned to me and gasped, "They will do that?" conveyed it all. So anyway, from that second forward the hike changed from something she was enduring, to something she was 100% immersed in.  As she stood there, watching the bird eat out of her hand with bugs buzzing all around, I jeeringly asked, "What about the horseflies?".  With a bit of a smirk, she simply replied, "They have become irrelevant". 

I have a horrible confession to make; we used our leftover potato chips to feed the birds. I know it's awful--honestly, I feel really bad about it, because I can't imagine it's any good for them.  But I'd like to see you tell them to stop, especially when you look into Misun's adorable sparkling eyes when she gleefully announces, "this is so magical!" So, to avoid this horrible moral dilemma, I strongly encourage anyone who plans on doing this hike to take some bird appropriate food along with them.  I want to make sure these wonderful creatures who turned our horsefly hell into bird paradise are well taken care of.

Mount Constitution

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray" is a quote from Robert Burns, and I think it's a good way to begin the rundown of my last hike.  A side-note before I begin; I looked up this quote because I never knew the full version. I would always say, "the best laid plans, right?", knowing it meant no matter how well you plans things, you can never guarantee a good outcome.  I had no idea the quote is from a poem, where Robert is apologizing to a mouse for accidentally plowing up his nest, and is the source for the title of the famous John Steinbeck novel Of Mice and Men. So, thank you Google for that little history lesson.

This hike took some extra "best laid plans", because two of my girlfriends were coming, and we had to catch a ferry.  "Herding cats" is how we always describe trying to co-ordinate an outing together, therefore I was so proud that even though I picked up each gal at her house (two opportunities for plans to go awry) we were ahead of schedule.  I didn't read anywhere that we needed to be at the ferry terminal any earlier than an hour prior to loading--so we were golden...NOT. 

The Cats

The ferry to Orcas Island is a popular one--apparently even on a Thursday.  Indeed, it's so popular that people who wanted to catch the 12:30 ferry couldn't get on and had to wait for the 2:00...which meant no room for the people thinking they were good for the 2:00.  This problem compounded to the tune of a four hour wait for poor us.  Since we didn't happen to bring night vision goggles along, (heck, we didn't even have a decent flashlight between the three of us) we knew our 6 mile hike up Mount Constitution was a bust.

Killing time at the ferry terminal...Jewell is getting a snack.

Not really...just a bust for that day.  Luckily, we had reservations at Moran Sate Park, so we still had Friday to do our hike.  The unlucky part was knowing clouds were coming in the next day, and would obscure the amazing view on top--which was kind of the whole point.  Plus, we were hoping to spend Friday exploring the cute little shops...you really don't want to mess with a girl's shopping time!

Not exactly sure what 'two drews' are...but you may be looking at them.

Since our itinerary was shot to hell (and trust me, I had one written out...it's my one area of OCD, and I'm ok with that) we couldn't decide what we should do.  Stop in town even though most the shops are closed? Why not! Eat dinner at a restaurant because it's so late and who wants to bother cooking camp food? Hard to argue with that.

Finding our 'center' in the middle of town.

But again...any attempt at 'best laid plans' were immediately going astray as we found each restaurant packed to the gills. (another expression I use with no idea as to where it came from, but I'm sure it would be interesting to Google it)  Should we cheat, and drive to the top of Mount Constitution to get good pictures before actually hiking it? (I like the word 'improvise' better)  As you can see from the pictures, we all decided improvising was the way to go.

Mt Baker barely in view

Something magical happened when we were up top and the light was almost gone...the 'night hawks' came out.  Here is a quote from Wikipedia:

"A night hawk is a nocturnal bird...the flight of the Common Nighthawk is erratic and jerky, as it attempts to prey on various flying insects. The white bands on its underwings are easily seen as it flies in the evening, at an altitude that is often well above the treetops. Also of note is nighthawks' mating ritual. Males will gain considerable altitude, then perform a power dive; as they pull up from the dive, the wings make a sudden, low sound that is called "booming".

A nocturnal bird...who knew? (besides owls, of course) But one thing's for sure, they were amazing to watch. I wish I would have tried to record it on my new camera, but I was too caught up in the moment. We did have some fun teasing our friend, Jewell, who is known for some flatulence issues. (she owns it, and I love her for it) "You have that mating call down!"...and she agreed, it was her chance to commune with nature. 

  
We were true to our word, and did the hike the next day even with our preview the night before.  I worried that it would seem anti-climactic, but it wasn't.  Every part of the hike up was amazing, and I loved every second.  

Hilary's husband commented "You can't call it a hike if there is a store at the end".  Maybe, but we still bought commemorative tee shirts. 

And so I come to a very substantial hiking lesson, and appropriately it's the big #20...when plans go awry, there is no need to worry.  Sometimes the very best of plans are the ones you make on the fly.

A small clearing of sky on Friday

Park Butte, or Baker Lake?

This last weekend was one of those times when it seems like no matter how much housework you do, everything is still a disaster.  My oldest son moved back home this summer for a couple months...but I'm sure that has nothing to do with it. ;)  Which reminds me of a story my sister used to tell after her son moved out and into Grandma's house.  He comes home for a visit and says, "Wow, the house sure seems a lot cleaner than usual", and then pauses while the wheels are turning and adds, "and come to think of it, Grandma's house is a lot messier than it used to be".  Hummm...what an odd coincidence! Anyhow, I kept trying to get ahead of things enough to justify going on a hike when I finally realized I was never going to feel that way--but I did know I needed to get the heck out of there before I lost my mind.  Unfortunately, I didn't wave the white flag until about 1:30 in the afternoon, which limited my options quite a bit.


I thought I should bring my youngest daughter (Summer) and her friend (Sydney) along with me.  Summer is not a huge fan of hiking, which I've mentioned on here before; but her friend Sydney is another story.  I took her with us to hike Mount Finlayson a couple years ago, and she fell immediately in love with hiking.  I knew Sydney would LOVE the hike I had my eye on, (Park Butte) but I also knew Summer would not be up for it. After hemming and hawing for far too long, we finally left for Park Butte at about 2:30--though I had serious doubts we would be able to finish the whole thing. (it's 7.5 miles...definitely in the 'whine zone' for Summer)


Park Butte is what I would call a destination hike, meaning the best part is getting to the end.  In this case, it's a lookout tower.  I kept thinking about the fact that it was really going to bug me not to finish this hike and see the tower. (I've never done it before--it's "on the list")  Driving through Sedro Woolley I decided to pull over at the Ranger Station/Visitor Center to see if they could give me some advise.  Why I don't do this more often is a mystery, because it's a really great place with awesome people who know everything about the area and have all kinds of maps and stuff.  And the very helpful information they gave me is that Park Butte is still covered in snow.  (no wonder I couldn't find a trip report....lesson #18, if a popular hike hasn't gotten a trip report in awhile, there is probably a good reason)

Good times at the ranger station

Baker Lake trail has been on my list too, but on the 'overnight' list because it's long.  If you look it up, you'll most likely come up with "East Baker Lake Trail" which is way at the end of the road along with the Baker River Trail. (I will never forget how to get there--you can read about that experience on my "Baker River" post)  The lady at the ranger station pointed out there is a trail head on the other end of the hike, which is less of a drive. She gave me great directions and we got there without a problem.

Cross Baker dam and go about a mile, the trail head is on your left

We did pretty minimal hiking, but it was pleasant.  The sign at the beginning let us know it was only a mile to "Noisy Creek"...and you better believe Summer noticed it and gave her 'vote' indicating that to be the optimal destination.

And it was, actually.  The girls felt pretty adventurous going over this log bridge.  It doesn't look very scary, but the water underneath was more terrifying in person.

At this point we were able to go down to where the creek emptied into the lake--which was a great place to swim, if it wasn't ice cold.

Sydney got Summer to get in with an offer of five bucks...she was out in about 2 seconds.  I got Summer to hike more of the trail with an offer of milkshakes on the way home...which lasted about 20 minutes. (in her defense, she stubbed her toe badly; lesson #19, make your kid wear shoes, even if she thinks she's Pocahontas)  I know Sydney was thoroughly disappointed...I swear that kid could've gone another 10 miles if she wasn't hiking with "slow and slower".

Cool lightning tree

Heading back I realized I wasn't just "slower", but quite possibly "slowest"...like maybe ever.  Here I am with a kid who doesn't even like hiking and has an injured foot, and she's still a hundred feet ahead of me at all times.  Sheesh!  When the girls got distracted with a dead shrew, (and a slug headed towards it...will it eat it?! Oh the wonders of nature) I thought it would be my opportunity to get a good lead and maybe even beat them to the car.  Not a chance--even with Sydney taking half the pictures you see in this blog, they still kicked by butt.   If there is anyone out there that wants to prove they are the slowest hiker ever, I welcome the challenge.  It's a title I wouldn't mind giving up. 

P.S. Did you notice I changed my blog title?  I was sick of people thinking I was fifty. (and not even commenting on how awesome I look for 50!)  If anyone's curious, I'm actually 44.

Sauk Mountain

I've had Sauk Mountain on my hiking list for over seven years...even longer than Icicle Gorge. (last week's hike) Back then a friend told me she would take her little kids on it (like, really little--barely walking little) and so I figured it was a hike even I could do. (this was before I hiked at all...though, I can't really say seven years later I'm any better at it)  I realize now that my friend is not your ordinary person with ordinary kids.  She's your up at dawn, makes everything from scratch, pioneer type person...and so of course she'd take her toddlers on this hike. Honestly though, after doing it, I can't even imagine taking anyone under 10...but, I'm sort of ordinary that way. ;) So, all that to say, last Saturday (post 4th of July and wonderfully sunny) I thought maybe it was time to finally cross this one off my list as well. When I told my husband I was seriously considering it, he said he'd like to come along--so that sealed the deal.


My husband (the "naughty boyscout" in my July 2011 post) can always be trusted to be prepared by printing out the directions, packing surplus water, making sure the tires in the car are properly inflated...all the things I would have failed to do. (and yes, one of the tires was dangerously low. Lesson #17, check tire pressure before leaving!) Although, this time I was the one to remember the bug spray. (which we didn't even need...figures)


I was extra glad to have Ken along when we pulled onto the mountain road and saw the gigantic sign announcing that a female hiker went missing two years ago and has never been found.  Another woman was mistaken as a bear and shot and killed in 2008...so this is not a hike I would recommend doing alone. 


Reading the trail reports before leaving, we were aware that there was still some snow that would prevent us from driving all the way to the trail head.  I had foolishly thought that now that we had a SUV with four wheel drive, this might not apply to us...but trust me, there is no car that's getting past that snow block for at least a few weeks.

Looking good next to our sporty SUV ;)

We took a little short cut to get to the upper parking area by huffing it straight up. It was at this time I realized I forgot my brand new trekking pole my daughter bought me for my birthday. Dang it, I've been so excited to try it out, and this was the perfect hike to have one!  Oh well, at least we remembered lunch--and so we sat down at the picnic table to eat half of it before starting.  Ken pointed out the hang gliding launch at the end of the lot and told a story about his friend who was in such a hurry to get flying, he forgot to clip in.  Can you even imagine jumping off this (picture below) only to realize you are just dangling from your hang-glider bar? (he lived, but messed up his ankle severely when he crash landed)  It puts knots in my stomach just thinking about it! After eating, I took advantage of the bathroom facility (thank you lesson #14) and we began. 

Ready, set, die!...uh, I mean go!

Cutest outhouse ever, right? Still stinky though.

Right away we came to some big snow patches.  These were not a big deal at first, but the farther up we got, the sketchier it got to cross them.  In fact, we passed a woman coming down with a huge fat lip and quite a few bumps and scrapes.  She told us she had slipped when crossing one, and had barely stopped herself before sliding right off the edge and down the hill.  There's not a lot to stop you from tumbling a very long way if this happened, which is obvious when a rock gets dislodged and comes hurdling down. (it happened twice while we were hiking...kind of freaky because you do NOT want to get nailed with one)  Needless to say, I was a little edgy the rest of the way up...but not as bad as the woman we passed who was just laying down in a grassy spot.  Ken commented, "looks like you found a nice place to rest", but she explained she was not great with heights and had just witnessed the other woman's fall, therefore she decided she'd just lay down for a little while before getting the heck back down.  It's too bad, because the top view is not something to be missed. 

We went along the ridge as far as we dared...easy bouldering which normally wouldn't have affected me, but I'll confess I was flipping out a little.  I was glad when we found a nice flat spot to eat the rest of our lunch...what a glorious view! 

Eating my brownie on Chocolate Day.  Seriously, look it up.

The view from our lunch ledge...see the switchbacks?

Boyscout Ken taking a picture for the nice ladies.

On the way back down I took some pictures of the beautiful wildflowers, though I could tell there were MANY more to bloom soon.  I think I'll come back in a couple weeks to see the show...do you think I'd look funny wearing a helmet? ;)

Just a preview of what's to come!