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We
left Seattle in the sunshine but it didn't take long to reach the
storms. There was lots of rain and lightning as we passed through
Everett but we smiled and continued north and east, to Baker Lake
Road.
What a treat to see this beautiful rainbow to the north. It was
the nicest of the three rainbows we saw that morning. |
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A
detour to Baker Lake Dam was rewarded by a closeup look at three
deer. After a cursory glance at the big red machine and the yammering
humans, they went on with their feeding.
We didn't spend long at the Dam though - you couldn't see a freakin'
thing because of the low clouds and mist. :D |
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On
the way back, we ran into the deer again. I was quite surprised
at how tame the deer are although with a couple of campgrounds in
the vicinity, I'm sure they have become quite used to having humans
around.
It was really nice to watch them gambolling down the side of the
road in a playful manner. |
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This
is Baker Lake Road. It's such a pretty place to drive. On the left,
behind the trees, towers a huge mountainside and on the right is
a cliff with Baker Lake or the Baker River at the bottom.
The rotten weather today had kept people away in droves and we mostly
had the road to ourselves. |
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"Never
mess with a tree whose leaves are as big as your head"
advises Tim as he picks up the leaf of the appropriately-named
Big Leaf Maple tree.
We'd found a place to clamber down to the bottom of the cliff,
near the eastern end of Baker Lake.
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At
the bottom of the cliff, we had a view of the end of Baker Lake,
and many tree stumps. Sometimes they're covered by water, but today
they stood out starkly on the sandy soil.
Some of the stumps are gigantic which means they are very old. |
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Across in
the distance, a couple of Bald Eagles were lazily flying in circles.
I was too far away to get a good picture, as you can see.
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Most of the
trees in this area are just covered with moss of all different
kinds. Some is like green velvet, such as the moss on this group
of trees which stood like sentinels alongside the road. They too
glowed in the gloomy atmosphere, like emeralds or jade.
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Ahhh, lunchtime.
We ate our sandwiches beside the rocky Baker River, looking up
at the snow-sprinkled mountains which peeked out occasionally
from behind the cloudbanks. Recently, the snow level has been
as low as 3,000 feet.
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Shadow
of the Sentinels Trail looks like a place to which we'll return
when it's a tad drier.
"This interpretive nature walk boasts living exhibits ranging
from giant Douglas fir trees hundreds of years old to delicate maidenhair
ferns sparsely scattered on the forest floor." |
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Who
could resist hugging a tree as big as this one? According to the
markers on the trunk, this baby was over 450 years old when it was
cut down. Around these parts, that's known as an "Old Growth"
tree. |
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And
w hat would a visit to Baker Lake Road be without a stop at Clark's
Cabins to feed the rabbits? We'll probably never know :D
I think these fellows are beginning to recognize Tim - he got a
very enthusiastic greeting from a number of them. |
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They really
are tons of fun to watch. Cars will cruise down the lane and the
rabbits barely get out of the way in time. They act as if they
own the place.
No doubt they do :D
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Here's
the Wildwood Chapel, located in Marblemount (across the road from
the rabbits). It is a very tiny chapel, located first in a field
in Monroe, Washington.
In 1975 it was vandalized, so the remains were contributed to the
Clark family who built it on the current site.
As well as thousands of visitors, the chapel has hosted several
weddings! . |
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It's
very tiny inside - three rows of pews, singles on the right and
doubles on the left. What a perfect place it would have been for
our wedding :D
Here, Reverend Tim of the Church of the Spotless Sunshine of the
Eternal NeverMind is preaching to the choir.
(His camera was on the pew in front, just about where he is looking
now and alas it remained there until found many hours later by a
man from Clark's Restaurant. Weren't we lucky that nobody
else was curious today?) |
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A field of
vibrant orange pumpkins grew across the road from the rushing
Skagit River. They glistened with rain amidst the grass and wildflowers.
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And
in the next field was a double row of these fiery bushes. The grays
and greens were a perfect backdrop for their beauty - they shone
like jewels. |
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On
the way home, we took a break here. Darrington, "in the
northeastern corner of Snohomish County, is well-known as a premier
launching point for some of the finest archery, birding, bicycling,
camping, flyfishing, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, kayaking,
music, river rafting, rock climbing, and photography experiences
in the world."
The small,
white, unassuming building behind the glorious trees is the Town
Hall and Library, and behind the huge cloud is Whitehorse Mountain.
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And
so we headed home, with a short stop at the Hot Sauce Store
and CompUSA in Mountlake Terrace. The weather may not have been
the best but it was good for the soul to get out in the country
again. :)
Sunday:
Tim drove back and returned with his camera. He and Tom had
lunch at The Eatery, where the staff had been kind enough to
find his camera. He brought home their Hallowe'en Menu. :D
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