Serendipity and Orchids: gray jay

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Saturday, September 9, 2017

Railroad Grade

"the mountains are His own"

On September 2 I did the first and long hike of 2017. Before surgery in May, I had not had opportunity and after surgery did not feel like hiking. This hike to Railroad Grade was very nearly too much for me and we did not hike again until 2018.

Railroad Grade has nothing to do with trains. The trail, which follows the edge of a glacial moraine, is named for its gentle grade and is one of the approaches for climbing Mount Baker from the south. I hiked there with my wife and three others.

We went as far as the climbers' camp and enjoyed thee spectacular views of Mount Baker or Koma Kulshan, the White Watcher and Easton Glacier which left the moraine up which we hiked. The trail is about 7 miles with 2000 feet of elevation gain.

first views of Baker

Purple Monkeyflower

sedge

beginning of the Railroad Grade trail

(the first 2.5 miles are part of the Park Butte trail)

Park Butte

Sitka Mountain Ash

Gray Jay

Northern Checkerspot

Mount Baker

(Easton Glacier on the left and the trail along the glacial moraine just visible)

on the moraine and looking back

on the moraine and looking forward

Sitka Mountain Ash

Park Butte across the valley

Twin Sisters

more trail

near the climbers' camp

Monday, December 22, 2014

Blue Lake

The Blue Lake trailhead is along the North Cascades highway near Washington Pass and the trail loops around to the west behind the Liberty Bell Group of peaks. In fact, the climbers' trail to the Liberty Bell Group is along the Blue Lake trail.

We hiked the Blue Lake trail on November 7th - took the day off and headed for the mountains. We left early in the morning to give ourselves enough time for the hike, though in the end it was barely enough after numerous stops for pictures along the North Cascades Highway.

Actually we went first to the Washington Pass overlook and spent too much time there taking pictures (see previous post). Washington Pass is in the shadow of the Liberty Bell Group and the road snakes around under these amazing peaks.

There was a light dusting of snow even at the trailhead and more snow the further we went. In fact the trail was very slippery in spots and at one point I fell and banged up both elbows and a knee. The snow certainly made for some wonderful photography, however.

By the time we arrived at Blue Lake the light was already fading. We had our lunch there in the ruins of an old log cabin, coffee, ramen noodles and a freeze-dried meal, before heading back down to the car and home. In spite of the cold it was a very good day.

We saw a number of Gray Jays along the trail, but while we were eating at the lake there were many of them living up to the name Camp Robber. They did everything but snatch the food right out of our mouths as we were eating, but we did not mind their antics at all.

the trailhead