Lake Serene

On our way home from Spokane, Friday, August 20, my wife and I hiked the trail to Lake Serene.  We were looking for a very rare orchid there, but were also interested in the scenery which we had been told was spectacular, both up at the lake and on the way at Bridal Veil Falls.

The day was overcast and we hiked through a heavy mist.  We had a very early start, too, and for all these reasons found almost no one on trail until we started back.  By then the mist had cleared and the sun was shining and the trail was very busy.

Busy trails of this sort are not the kind we prefer, but this proved very worthwhile.  We did not find the orchid, but saw the falls through the mist and enjoyed the spectacular scenery at the lake which lies at the foot of Mount Index.  The pictures explain why we would recommend this hike.

We hiked a total of about seven or eight miles, which included a side trail to the falls and gained about 2000 feet in elevation.  Because we spend a lot of time taking pictures, we took about seven hours to do the hike, including time spent at the lake relaxing and enjoying the scenery.

There were hardly any flowers blooming, but the leaves were falling, both because it's late in the season and because it's been very dry.  We did see some slugs, one orchid, the Giant Rattlesnake Orchis, and lots of spider webs which had collected the mist and really stood out.

 Old Growth Forest

 Alders

 Cedars

 Pacific Banana Slug (Ariolimax columbianus)

Pacific Banana Slug (Ariolimax columbianus)

 

 Unidentified Club Moss

 Unidentified Conk (Shelf Fungus)

 Unidentified Fungi

 Sweating Conk (Red Banded Polypore)

 Bridal Veil Falls

Downstream from the Falls

 

 Upper Falls

 Cape Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)

 Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea)

 Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus)

Giant Rattlesnake Orchis (Goodyera oblongifolia)

Fallen Maple Leaf

Spider Webs

 Lake Serene

Lake Serene and Mount Index

And last, but not least, a few photos taken on the same trail of the view, of Bridal Veil Falls and of Lake Serene on another occasion - a beautiful sunny day.

Larrabee State Park

A bit at loose ends this morning, I finally gave up trying to work and went for a brief hike - walk is probably more accurate - in the Clayton Beach area of Larrabee State Park.  The park is on Puget Sound, just south of Bellingham and only a short drive from where we live.

The day was overcast and cool when I started down the walk to the beach, but sunny and warm when I returned.  On account of the weather there were few people around when I arrived but quite a few more arriving as I left.

I had been watching some wild orchids along the trail to the beach for several weeks and finally found them in full bloom and waiting to be photographed this morning.  The orchids were Epipactis helleborine, the Broad-leaved Helleborine.  This is not really a native orchid but a European import that has naturalized all across the country.  We've also seen it in the dunes along the eastern Lake Michigan shore in the state of Michigan.

The plant was scattered in an area along and above a railway line, both along the trail and deeper in the woods, usually in relatively protected locations, though not protected from wandering dogs and careless feet.  The flowers varied from near green to a deep purple color.

Finished photographing the orchids I went on to the beach and wandered around for a while photographing anything that caught my eye and enjoying the quiet and the sunshine.  There were only half a dozen people around, the tide was out and I would have spent the rest of the day there, had I dared to take the time.

formations of Chuckanut sandstone

Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands

Pacific Madrone and Blackberries

Lorquin's Admiral

After returning to my vehicle, I went back down the road (Chuckanut Drive) a ways, found a place to park and went to look for a stand of the Rattlesnake Plantain, Goodyera pubescens that I knew to be in the area.  These also were blooming and after taking a few pictures gave in to my conscience and headed back home and back to work.

Note: The Pacific Madrone, which grows on cliffs above Clayton Beach, is one of our most beautiful coastal trees - an evergreen from the Arbutus family characterized by beautiful orange bark that peels away with time.