Double Bluff Beach 5-21-2018

I had asked for the day off not even knowing how glorious a spring day it would be!  Sunny and a light breeze - the perfect day to take the pups to the off leash dog beach on Whidbey Island.  For those of you who want to see more adventure settings and less pooches, sorry - my dogs had so much fun that most of these photos are of them.  I'll start out with the beachy ones and you can skip the rest if you like.
I saw at least 3 eagles - possibly 5, but a couple could have circled around.  I have never come here and not seen eagles.

There were some interesting things washed up as well - a jelly fish, a halibut head, and this fish.  I'm glad the dogs didn't see it - they would have rolled in it for sure.

I saw quite a few areas where there had been recent erosion.  It is kind of creepy - not sure if it tends to come down when it's raining or just randomly.  I saw some trickles of sand here and there down the bluffs - mini avalanches.

There were quite a few pigeon guillemots around.  I hadn't realized that they nest here!  A kayaker was paddling along the shoreline photographing them.

When we rounded the corner about two miles down the beach where we can see the next bay, we stopped for lunch.  Two sea lions were sunbathing on this buoy.

While the dogs were sniffing around some logs, I noticed a lot of crab shells - probably from moulting.  I set them up on some driftwood.

OK, here is my canine crew.  They waded, walked, climbed, leaped and had a wonderful time being free.  Luna probably did 3 times the distance that Cedar and I did.  Crazy puppy!

Happy Adventuring!

Lake 22 5-19-2018

It was a lovely cloudy Saturday morning, and I loaded up Cedar and Luna and headed for the mountains.  The forest was so beautifully green and wet!  I love the trail to Lake 22, other than a couple switchbacks that are hot and rocky, the rest is a jewel - huge gnarled trees, rushing water, and such a pretty lake waiting at the end!

There are quite a few places you can see waterfalls.  Most of the most visible ones are shorter and the taller cascades you get more of a peekaboo view through the trees.

There were wildflowers along the trail, mostly little yellow violets, yellow skunk cabbage, and white flowers called elkslip marshmarigolds.  I also saw a tiny blue butterfly, a pair of brown creepers, and a raven.

The part of the trail I like least is a few really rocky switchbacks going through a kind of slide area.  I tend to stumble over the rocks, and they also hold the heat, so while you're twisting ankles and stubbing toes on the way up, up, up, you're also getting heated.  The view though - the view is gorgeous!

There was still snow at Lake 22, starting maybe a quarter mile from the lake and remaining on and around the lake itself.  I heard the loud crack and grind of an avalanche when I reached the lake, but it was not visible.  Not the safest time to walk around the lake, although I saw people doing it.  My pups and I had a nice lunch sitting on a section of dry boardwalk and just soaked in that beauty. 

Happy adventuring!

Boulder River 05-12-2018

I got an early start with Cedar and Luna and arrived at the Boulder River Trailhead before 8am.  The road was brutally pot-holed on the way in.  I was worried Luna was going to have a heart attack as she doesn't care for car rides anyway.  This hike is a bit over 8 1/2 miles round trip.

This hike is a treasure - towering trees, beautiful flowers and the beautiful music of Boulder River serenading you for nearly 100% of the hike.  I was happy to see bleeding heart, trillium, violets, and other flowers I couldn't identify.

Ferns were slowly unfurling from their fiddle heads like little spiraled plant sculptures. 

Most people on this trail only come as far as these beautiful falls.  They were stunning with the morning sun shining against that frothing cascade.

The river was milky with glacial till washing out from the peaks above.  It was also very full and you could hear the boulders tapping each other under the current now and then.

These shelf fungi looked so cool with the sun hitting the dew drops on them.  My camera told me to use flash so I did and it was amazing!  All the dew glowed like it was under a black light.  Here is a photo without flash and one with.

At one point Luna was slipping around on the end of a sloped log - she looked like she was moon walking. When I got up to the log I saw that it sloped off to a drop off into the river!  Crazy dog.  I only had them off leash for a little while.  I heard a couple animals in the brush that I never saw and Cedar growled twice in the direction I though that something was. 

At the end of the trail finally, one tired lady and one tired 9 yr old Adventure Dog.  Luna was not tired at all, but for once didn't seem to mind taking a break for ham and cheese.  While we were sitting there I saw a harlequin duck coming down through the rapids.  What a great day!

Pose pretty!

And now a funny face shot!