Cascajun

I hiked the Skyline Divide trail with some friends on Sunday. Here are a few photographs I took.

I went on a day hike up the Excelsior Pass trail on Sunday with JP and his dog, Chester.

I spent the weekend camping with some friends at Moran State Park, located on Orcas Island. Mount Constitution (2,409 ft.) is located in the park and is the highest point in the San Juan Islands. This is the view from the top, where a stone observation tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936 stands. The park also features more than 30 miles of trails, five lakes and several waterfalls, an old growth forest and a lodge pole pine forest.

We went on a couple of hikes, shared some fabulous food (chili, pork ribs, chocolate chip pancakes, smores), and relaxed around the campfire. The weather turned out great. Overall, it was a great weekend on the San Juan Islands.

I went camping along the Mountain Loop Hwy with a few friends over the weekend. We found a nice spot on Coal Creek, west of Granite Falls. The winter storms of November & December 2006 washed the road out, cutting off access to the section of road between Barlow Pass and White Chuck. Thus, Mountain ‘Loop’ Hwy is now a misnomer. Many other roads and trails are closed due to winter storm damage. We were well advised to stop at the Forest Service Ranger station in Verlot to make inqueries and get updates on closures and current conditions.

We spent Saturday afternoon hiking along the Stillaguamish River and Coal Creek. On Sunday morning Eric whipped up some fresh black berry pancakes. Four varieties of wild berry were ripe: thimble berries, black berries, blue berries, and salmon berries. Sunday afternoon we hiked up to Coal Lake. The road up to the lake is washed out, but the hike up was pleasant and offered many views. Hall Peak, Big Four Mtn, and Lewis Peak dominated the immediate view. While the biting flies were out in force, a moderate breeze kept them in check. When we reached the lake JP hosted a picnic lunch on some big rocks in the sun along the shore. There are two more named lakes along the Coal Creek Road - Independence Lake and North Lake. We didn’t have the time to hike further, but both look like great destinations for an easy one or two night backpacking trip. It’s certainly an area worth further exploration.

Fall is in full swing above 5,000 ft. elevation in the North Cascades. I spent a recent weekend (9/30 - 10/1) with friends camping and hiking near Twin Lakes in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The area is very popular for both camping and hiking, including the popular trails on Yellow Aster Butte, Winchster Mountain, Mt. Larrabee, and Tomyhoi Lake.

Eric, Angela, Jon-Paul and I hiked the High Pass Trail on Saturday. The morning was nice and clear, but was squandered because we slept in pretty late, lounged around drinking espresso, and consumed mass quantities of bacon and eggs. Consequently, we didn’t break away from camp until mid-day. The cloudless skies were gone and a damp wind was blowing in from the west and northwest.

The High Pass trail is only 4 miles long. It wraps around and traverses the northeast slopes of Mt. Winchester, across the saddle of Low Pass, and on to the south slopes of Mt. Larrabee. The weather blowing in brought clouds and varied lighting that seemed to highlight the fall colors that blanketed the slopes. It was something I had never seen and was quite spectacular. Everyone remarked that it was prettier than spring, largely due to the many contrasting colors. Topping it off, the Cascade Huckleberries were ripe and it took little effort to stop and grab a handful from the trail side patches.

Sunday we hiked up Mt. Winchester to the old fire look out. It’s maintained by the Mt. Baker Hiking Club. The trail is only 2 miles long, but gains a little over 1,200 ft elevation. The 360-degree views from the top are breathtaking. It was another great weekend made complete by the obligatory stop at the North Fork Brewery & Beer Shrine for fresh ales and yummy pizza.

I took my dogs for a hike on Blanchard Mountain yesterday. The view from Oyster Dome rock is one the most spectacular in the area. From there, perched atop a 200 foot precipice, you have a panorama that includes the snow capped mountains on the Olympic Peninsula to the south, Samish Bay and the San Juan Islands, Vancouver Island, and the Coast Range of British Columbia to the north. Owned by the State of Washington and managed by the DNR, Blanchard Mountain is unique as it is the only place where the Cascade Mountains reach Puget Sound. It’s a popular destination for local hikers, mountain bikers, hang gliders, para gliders, and horseback riders. The weather was fabulous, though it was the warmest day of the year to date at 83 degrees F. It was easy to lay on a rock in the shade at the top and watch a juvenile bald eagle soar on the wind currents.

This blog, Cascajun, is authored by Randy Arabie.

I’m an eclectic medley of red state stereotypes simmered in blue state memes. I grew up in the backwoods of rural southwest Louisiana and landed in NW Washington after a stint in Denver, Colorado.

Bellingham is a great place for an outdoors enthusiast like myself. Some of my favorite activities include: cycling, hiking, rowing, and camping. I have a 16-foot open water rowing shell that I use for multi-day boating trips to the San Juan Islands. Galbraith mountain and all its single track are at my doorstep. North Cascades National Park and the Mount Baker Wilderness comprise half of Whatcom County.

I’ve got an adequate stable of bikes consisting of 2 handcrafted steel framed road bikes and a single-speed Cannondale F600 mountain bike. Perhaps I’ll ride a full suspension mountain bike someday…but only if it’s a single-speed!

Interested in knowing about my career? Have a look at my resume.