Heliotrope Ridge

The popular Heliotrope Ridge trail runs from its trailhead off the Mount Baker Highway to an over look which provides great views of Mount Baker and of Coleman Glacier.  It is also the climbers' route for the west side of Baker and the route we took last fall when we climbed the peak.  I hiked the trail with my brother, Tim, while he was in the area on business and enjoyed it once again, though I've hiked it uncounted times.  There wasn't much blooming but we had a beautiful day in spite of the bad weather back home and even did part of the climber's trail up the Hogback before returning, stopping along the way for a cup of coffee/hot chocolate and a late lunch.

At one point I stepped up on some mossy (and slippery rocks) to take a picture of some Devil's Club berries and slipped and fell.  I rolled across the trail and down the slope on the other side of the trail, all the time trying to protect my camera.  My downward progress was arrested by another clump of these plants.  Tim, who heard my yell of dismay came running back to help me extricate myself.  Apart from a few bumps and bruises I was uninjured except for a lot of thorns in my hands and and arms and legs, thorns that I am still trying to get out.  Not sure, at my age that it was wise to try and protect the camera rather than myself.

Further down the trail I also discovered I had lost my water bottle, a bottle that is merely an old Gatorade bottle wrapped in duct tape (for fixing anything that breaks).  That would not have been a great loss in itself, but it has gone with me uncounted years and many miles and I didn't want to lose it.  We looked for it and found it in the clump of Devil's Club when we came back down.  Even that, however, was not the end of the story.  When I was home again and looked at my pictures I had a whole series of blurs among them.  I must have had my finger on the shutter as I rolled across the trail and down the hill and they were the result.

trail

Grouse Creek

Devil's Club berries

 Earthstar fungus

Kulshan Creek

along the trail

Heliotrope Creek

Bolete mushroom

Glacier Creek

near the viewpoint

Heliotrope Ridge viewpoint

Pearly Everlasting

unidentified seedheads

Dwarf Fireweed

Coleman Glacier

Mount Baker

from the viewpoint

Grass of Parnassus

Thistle

Yellow Fireweed

Devil's Club berries

Red-banded Polypores

one of the "photos" taken while falling

Heliotrope Ridge

When we climbed Mount Baker in September we went by way of the Heliotrope Ridge trail, but took very few pictures since we were all carrying full packs and were in a hurry to get on Coleman Glacier and as far as possible up the glacier before making camp.  In October I had the opportunity to do the Heliotrope Ridge trail again with a small group of schoolkids, grades six to eight, this time in a more leisurely fashion and with more time for pictures.

The trail is mostly in the woods but crosses several streams, which when they are high are an adventure to cross (lots of wet feet), and finishes on a ridge overlooking the lower end of Coleman Glacier and with fabulous views of the south face Mount Baker.  The wildflowers were almost all finished but there were plenty of fungi and mushrooms and some good autumn color, and we had great weather for hiking in spite of the predictions.

First view of Mount Baker from the Glacier Creek Road.

Conifer Coral Fungus.

 Angel Wings.

 Unidentified Mushrooms.

 View from the trail.

 Exploring.

Unnamed creeks.

 Crossing one of Heliotrope Creek.

 Mountain Ash.

Red-banded Polypore

 The ridge to the north of Coleman Glacier.

Heliotrope Creek.

Autumn Color.

Near the end of the trail.

 Coleman Glacier and Mount Baker.

Autumn Color at the ridge.

Mount Baker and Coleman Glacier

The hikers.

 The view west.

 The view south.

(this was the area from which we started our Mount Baker climb)

 The ridge and the rock at which we ate lunch.

Last views of Baker as we headed back down.

More autumn color.

 Heliotrope Creek again.

 The north ridge again.

The trail, autumn color and the creeks.

Kulshan Falls.

Coral fungus.