Yesterday, my friend from work, Jennifer, her dog, Sydney, and I took a "little" day-hike to Lake Ann. The season up in this area of the mountains is very short. In fact, the road was not open to the top of the Mount Baker Highway until August 10th, and by October, snow will likely begin to fall again. So, with a good forecast, we arranged to drive up there to take a hike. While the skies were a bit cloudier than we had hoped for, the trail conditions were great and the temperatures felt good for hiking. Over-packed, and somewhat mentally prepared for a long afternoon, we set out for the lake.
I had been there about 20 years ago with my family for a camping trip and remember Lake Ann as a crystal clear alpine pool with a magnificent view of Mount Shuksan. Matt and I made boats out of sticks and leaves and floated them on the stream that trickled from the lake. I cautiously played on the rocks and grass around the lake hoping I wouldn't fall in the icy water. Even though we could see the bottom, Dad insisted it was quite deep.
This time around, the lake wasn't so big as I thought as a little kid, but the clarity was still intact and I could still see the deep bottom. Had we thought to stay overnight, we would have spent a spectacular evening taking in the cloud-spotted views in every direction! Instead, we enjoyed our late lunch and fresh, quiet air.
Mount Shuksan virtually swallowed us as we looked up at it. The mountain displays a few low-hanging glaciers that were spitting out ribbons of water. I call this mountain "God's Cathedral." It is the most photographed mountain in North America and looks like the very definition of a mountain. While at the lake, a steady stream of clouds shrouded the higher pinnacles; adding a surreal feeling to it's powerful presence.
The trip to the lake was much more difficult than we had thought. About a quarter of the trail is rocky and not entirely pleasant to climb up. Neither was it particularly easy to walk down as every step has to be placed deliberately to avoid a twisted ankle. But, we were rewarded with a glimpse of the snowfields and glaciers of Mount Baker. We almost missed our view as the mountain melted into the clouds, but, rather stopped a few seconds to take in the sun rays through the clouds.
Arriving at the car, 8.2 miles later, we were pretty beat; but glad we accomplished something! I am impressed by so much: The glaciers carving out mountains and valleys, the variety of colors, shapes, and sizes of mushrooms we encountered, our ability to eat huckleberries and wild blueberries as we hiked, and the forest ecosystem life cycle thrives so brilliantly! And, of course, I found a fun hiking friend in Jennifer, too. I had a fantastic long day getting to know her better and finding out that we can both admire the outdoors together!
On our drive back down from the trail head, Shuksan showed us it's crown. The clouds cleared and we saw it's grandeur right in front of us! That view was an exceptional way to end our exhausting day!
We stopped in Maple Falls for hot chocolate and a stretch of our achy muscles before driving back to Bellingham. My sore muscles and a couple of oddly swollen, painful mosquito bites were a small price paid for the gorgeous hike and an amazing night of sleep!
Today was my last Starbucks shift; in fact, I just returned home and am just about to throw away my nasty milk and mocha covered shoes. It was a bit sad to go. While I'm very excited to be on my way to Antarctica again this year, I will miss my new friends at the coffee shop and my free on-the-job beverages (mostly the cinnamon dolce latte). I highly recommend Starbucks as an employer and continue to be impressed by their social and environmental integrity. Yes, the coffee prices are a bit high, but they invest in a lot of people along the way. I'm finished working for the company this summer, but I hope to return again sometime! Thanks to Jeremy for giving me a shot at the barista job for a short summer job.
