Last month Grampa Grasshopper invited Kerry and the boys to come along on a hike... that didn't quite work out. (Though the boys had a great time anyway!) The weather being great, they decided to try it again, this time with much better success :D
The nice thing about some hikes is being able to gain a lot of elevation before you start hiking. Here are Tate and Gunnar at the trail head. What looks like a boardwalk behind them is probably intended for hang gliders to launch from.
Even so, there was a lot of uphill to go. This hike isn't long in distance but gains about 1200' in elevation, which means...
... switch-backs. Lots of switch-backs.
Even with starting early in the morning, things heat up pretty fast.
Time to stop for a drink.
(Check out Gunnar's eyes...)
Lots of nice views along the way.
This is my handsome 14 year old, with Mt. Baker, to the north.
And Uncle Dave. Also handsome :D, and - I presume - the Skagit River, down below.
Lots to look at, along the way.
Part of the trail had patches of snow, but they were nearing the top.
They apparently saw marmots, but didn't show me any pictures of them.
But here's some wild-life, for you!
The very brave Mr. Tate, at the summit, with Mt. Baker in the background.
And oh-so-cool Gunnar, relaxing after a steep climb.
Grampa Grasshopper, the leader of the expedition :D
And the whole crew.
Well done!
6 comments:
Fun! Great pics!
(yes, love Gunnar's big eyes!)
Lovely scenery!! Looks like they had fun! I'm glad they're brave enough to pose like that at the top (but I suppose they're not afraid of heights like I am...)
A question - is it cold when you find snow near the top like that?? I see they're all in summer clothes, but the snow hasn't melted?
Breathtaking! Beautiful! Oh, I would love to go on that hike. What a gorgeous place to be. I miss the mountains so much (we have rolling hills, but I miss the peaks of the Sierra Nevadas)!
Gunnar's eyes are hilarious- they're nearly sticking out of his head. He must have been thirsty!
Beautiful photos!
And your guys look like they all had a great time :)
Heather
They had a GREAT time. Wish I'd gone, but I was slaving away at that dresser...
Felicity - about the temps... the day they hiked was fairly hot for us, in the upper 80's (F) so about 31 or 32C. It would get quite chilly at night at that elevation (~5300') but not freezing, this time of year.
The snow just hasn't melted yet. The Cascade mountains get a lot of snow. A LOT!
In fact, a nearby ski area at Mt. Baker set a world record for (recorded) snow fall in the winter of 1998-99, with 1140 inches of snow. I think that's about 30 METERS. So it takes a long time to melt, especially at elevation.
We could find snow to play in all year round, if we can drive up high enough into the mountains!
So absolutely gorgeous!! What a handsome group! Oh, and Gunnar's eyes in the one picture cracked me up. I wonder if he was trying to focus on the water bottle?
Was it a lot cooler up that high?
I'm thinking our first BIG trip as a family of nine is going to have to be out your way. It was in the plans for this fall, but things kind of changed ;o).
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