Day 2
Spring seems to have finally arrived here in the Pacific Northwest, and the trail is calling.
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| Fishnets being prepped for the season |
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| Flicker in net yard |
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| Starting point today, Teddy Bear Cove, our only UNofficial nude “beach” if you don’t mind 55 to 60 degree water in the summer. |
Some two months after Day 1, countless headaches, med changes and a bout of pneumonia, I am finally heading south again. The Interurban Trail is an old rail bed that used to connect Bellingham in the north with Mt. Vernon to the south. It’s like the highway of coastal mountain trails, packed, more or less level with beautiful views everywhere.
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| Chuckanut Bay |
Since I last set out, my neck and shoulders have become so sensitive that I can no longer tolerate a back pack, so I’ve resorted to a big fanny pack. It’s not ideal, but not bad for day hikes. I carry water, some food, emergency meds, my camera, cell phone and a little money. Today, my husband dropped me off about 4 or 5 miles south of town where I ended up last time, and I set out walking at a good clip. As I settled into my little journey, I began to realize that I was going to tire quickly at my usual pace. It’s been a tough couple of months, I had a headache yesterday morning and another, with aura, in the afternoon. I slowed down to an easy stroll, stopped to take all the pictures I wanted to and just enjoy the scenery and the fantastic sunny weather.
I ran into a friend, chatted about family and work and ambled on down the path seeing what there was to see, smelling and listening. I have ridden my bike down this trail many times before, but you see things on foot that go by too fast on a bicycle.
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| Mourning Cloak Butterfly, often the first butterfly you see at winter’s end in the Pacific Northwest. |
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| Slide that covered the trail a few years back |
This trail runs along the side of Chuckanut Mountain, which is really one big hunk of sandstone. In the winter and spring large pieces of it are perpetually sliding down, down, down the mountain, tumbling onto the highway and on further into the cold waters of Puget Sound below.
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| Chuckanut sandstone |
Among my current photographic fascinations are – puddles. That’s a fine thing because there are a plethora of puddles in this part of the country. Amazing what I see in a puddle when I take it easy and go at a pace that works for me.
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| Reflection |
I finished my slow southward journey at the end of the Interurban in the Clayton Beach parking lot, 4 miles from my starting point. I called home for a pickup deciding to leave the hike down to the beach for another day.
I’ll keep you posted.