MT. BAKER ... OR ... SOME OFF-ROAD TESTING ON MY NEW HIP ...

This is a very cool, 60s -style coffee shop/bakery/restaurant at the base of Mt. Baker. We stopped here for some energy before heading up the mountain.

The ranger station a bit past the restaurant had this amazingly huge tree trunk, so I asked Savannah to pose in front.

Lower parking lot [upper one closed till ski season] Most of the cars were Canadian, as it was a long weekend for Canada but not the U.S.

Christine trekking along ahead of me, heading to one of the small lakes.

C. and I stopped here for a snack, and to do some sketching. While we were here, I noticed some activity in the steam below. It was some brook trout spawning - fascinating to watch.

Look hard - you should be able to see three trout.

Another spot we stopped to sketch.

Mt Shuksan, next door to Mt Baker. 

Just to prove that I really was hiking here ...

Some of my sketches

Christine and John are neighbours of mine, across the street. Both are ecologists with Environment Canada, so time spent with them is always interesting. On Monday [Canadian Thanksgiving] we headed across the border to Mt Baker for a day hike. John and Savannah [their daughter] would gallop on ahead, while Christine and I would take our time, and stop to do some sketching along the way. It was a wonderful, fascinating time with scenery that left  me with my mouth hanging open in awe. And other than being exhausted when done [that's the most hiking I have done in over 15 years], my hip and right leg [the one that had surgery] were fine. I even had a tougher-than-usual riding lesson the next morning! It is SOOOO damn great to be able to be active again!!!!!

Thank you for dropping by!