A Long Break...

We are back in the United States!  We had such a fantastic time in the Canadian Rockies but finding Internet proved to be harder and more effort than we feared in the remote areas we visited.  So, over the next week or so I'll make several 'Canada' entries with some of the highlights of our time there.

Our first destination was Revelstoke National Park. We crossed the border into Canada at Osoyoos, British Columbia.  The line of vehicles going through the border station took about 30 minutes and after a few questions about weapons and showing our passports and Maya’s rabies certification, we were legally in Canada.

British Columbia 97 north was our route and along the way, we passed mile after mile of cherry, apple, pear and plum orchards, vineyards and wineries and fields of corn.  Roadside fruit and vegetable stands were everywhere and we could have been legally drunk in about 30 miles (or I should say 50 kilometers),  if we stopped at every winery.  We bought pounds of fresh peaches, prune plums, apples, ripe tomatoes, cucumbers and corn. 

After staying a night in Kelowna at a commercial RV park, we drove north on BC Hwy 97 until we reached Sicamous and then we took Trans-Canadian Hwy 1 east to the town of Revelstoke and just a few kilometers from Revelstoke National Park.  We walked the quaint little town of Revelstoke and enjoyed the gorgeous flower baskets and planters in front of all the shops and the mountain peak views in every direction. It felt like an Austrian or Swiss village. 

Downtown Revelstoke

Revelstoke National Park is fairly small and has no camping facilities in the park so we drove a short way over to Glacier National Park to camp. Over the next several days we hiked and explored both parks. Both of these parks are not officially in the Rocky Mountains, but the Columbia Mountains.  The Columbia Mountains are the only inland temperate rain forest in the world.  All the other temperate rain forests in Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Canada and Alaska are on the coast.  So this area and these two parks are quite unique.

Giant Cedar Boardwalk Trail in Revelstoke National Park

Oh, Canada!

Indian Paintbrush in high alpine meadow in Mt. Revelstoke National Park, Canada

 

We are in Canada and have limited access to Internet.  Look forward to hearing from us in a week or two at the most.  We've already had a dusting of snow one morning.  I don't think the wildflowers will last much longer in the alpine meadows but they have been gorgeous.  Stay tuned...

North Cascades National Park

We moved our camping location about 40 miles east to the Newhalem Campground. The visitor center for the North Cascades National Park was conveniently next to the campground and we decided to stay for the next three days. 

The campground was less than ½ a mile from the ‘company’ town of Newhalem where Seattle City Lights has a hydroelectric dam.  The waterfalls and ‘cascades’ of the Northern Cascades proved to be a rich source of hydroelectric power for Seattle and other developing cities back in the 1930s.  Today the dams are still an important source of power and the little town of Newhalem maintains a small community of workers.

The campground and visitor center had numerous trails and many more were within just a few miles drive, so we had a fine time hiking and learning new things at the visitor center.

Happy Creek from the Happy Creek Forest Walk Trail

 

Diablo Lake, one of the three lakes in the Cascades creating hydroelectric power

 

View of Picket Range in Cascades from Edward Munro Trail near Visitor Center
 

 

'Mountain Maya'

 

 

The North Cascades and Mt. Baker

After a brief stay in Everett, WA to change the oil in the Honda, resupply, and wash two weeks worth of dirty clothes (yes, we still have to do some chores...) we headed north on I-5 and exited Washington State Route 20 (the North Cascades Scenic Highway).  We happened upon Rasar State Park and it was a great find -- secluded, well maintained and very pretty. Rasar is right on the shore of the Skagit River and in the shadow of Mt. Baker, one of the better known peaks in the Northern Cascades.

 

Skagit River at Racer State Park - color is from glacial 'flour' suspended in water

 

There were many trails at the campground, most of them leading to and around the Skagit River. The Skagit River is the only river in Washington that you can see all 5 species of salmon (coho, chum, sockeye, pink & silver). They use the river, its tributaries or the nearby lakes to spawn depending on the species preference. We didn't see any salmon but one of the rangers told us she had seen sockeye in the Skagit just a few days ago.

 

David and Maya appear 'tiny' in the shadow of the sentinels

 

On Wednesday we headed a short distance to the Mt. Baker – Snoqualamie National Forest.  We hiked the Shadow of the Sentinels, a half mile interpretive trail, that has been designated a National Recreation Trail.  The trail meanders through a beautiful old growth forest with 600 year old Douglas fir. We have been through several old growth trails and this one had the best interpretive signage.  It was also quite beautiful.

 

View of Mt. Baker from Scott Paul Trail

 

After the Shadow of the Sentinels Trail, we drove a short way down to the Mt. Baker National Recreation Area to take a trail that climbed up near Mt. Baker.  The Scott Paul Trail started to climb immediately from the trailhead through Douglas fir, Pacific Silver fir and Hemlock.  It was a steady climb and the day was very cool and cloudy so we actually welcomed the effort.  It kept us warm.  About 2 miles in we hit some snow patches.  We stopped to lunch in a small meadow with what would have been a great view of Mt. Baker if it hadn’t been for the clouds.  We saw most of the lower half of the mountain with a good view of the Squak Glacier, but no view of the top.  Maya went wild playing in the snow – running in circles and slipping and sliding every which way.  It was pretty funny to watch…

After lunch and corralling our dog we hiked another 1.5 miles to just below the timberline before heading back down.  The alpine meadow was filled with lupine, monkey flower, flea bane and countless other wildflowers.  Many were just beginning to bloom as spring was late this year in the Northwest.  Although we didn't get a clear view of the top of Mt. Baker, it was still a very fine hike.

Takhlakh Lake and the Mt. Adams Wilderness

Our last two days in the Mt. St. Helens area were spent at gorgeous Takhlakh Lake Campground. The campground was nestled into the lake shore with Mt. Adams and its ever-changing reflections dominating the landscape.  Hiking the many trails and watching the sunsets and stars come out in the lake occupied our days and nights.

We took the Killen Creek Trail into the Mt. Adams Wilderness and up to the Pacific Crest National Recreation Trail on our last day.  Gorgeous wildflower meadows, snow patches above 5,000 feet, views of Mt. Ranier in the distance and incredible views of the glaciers on Mt. Adams were ours for the price of a little exertion, sweat and some dust and mosquitos (but nothing is perfect).  The climb was about 1,000 feet, so we got a bit of a workout - but what a way to go out!

Mt. Adams and Takhlakh Lake

Bluebonnets and Indian Paint Brush on Killen Creek Trail

Spring in August in the mountain meadows - Bluebonnet patch

Mt. Ranier from Mt. Adams section of Pacific Crest Trail

Mt. Adams sunset and reflection in Takhlakh Lake

Mt. St. Helens Trails

Mt. St. Helens was incredible and part of the experience included seeing the area from 'off road.'  David and I are firm believers in hiking a trail for a few miles... 

June Lake and Falls

Lava Canyon "Lava God"

Iron Creek Campground Trail

Cispus River from Iron Creek Trail

Shelf Fungi

North and East Mt. St. Helens

We spent a total of 7 days camping and hiking in the Mt. St. Helens area. It was very rugged and not all that easily accessible. In our explorations, it was easier to move the RV from the westside of the mountain at Seaquest State Park to Iron Creek Campground on the northside and then over to remote and beautiful Takhlakh Lake on the eastside of the crater near the Mt. Adams Wilderness.  We then used our car to travel the narrow and windy roads and get into the more remote areas and trails.

It was so beautiful in so many ways.  From the west were views of the massive landslides, mudflows and valley plus the awe-inspiring crater.  On the southside were lava tubes and flows from previous eruptions and the 'lahars' or mudflows from the melting glaciers after the 1980 eruption.  The eastside showcased the amazing power of nature.  From untouched areas of old growth forest to the huge log mat in Spirit Lake caused by all the trees being swept into the lake after the eruption, we were amazed by both the destruction and recovery.  

Southside Views:
Above: Young trees growing from the 'lahar' or mudflow

Below: Beautiful Lava Canyon created when the 1980 Mt. St. Helens eruption scoured
 out the canyon created by a previous eruption



Eastside Views

Above - Spirit Lake with log 'jam'still present 32 years later
Below - Windy Ridge area in the heart of the blast zone