Up in Smoke - Artist Ridge

Due to several large wildfires, I decided to head up into the mountains to see if I could get above the smoke. Turns out, I couldn't.

Hazy

You could see it, you could smell it. Of course, it's not nearly as bad as the central and eastern portions of the state. The air is virtually unbreathable there!

Huntoon Point/Chain Lakes Trail
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Parking Permit: Northwest Forest Pass ($5 a day or $30 a year)
Elevation gain: ~150'

The parking lot is at the very end of the Mount Baker Highway. I made a quick stop at Picture Lake for an obligatory photo. It's a running joke between me and some friends that the picture has become so cliche, so we add props to the photo. I had a sushi plushie in my car I used for this shot.  

Don't ask why I carry a sushi plushie in my car.

A sign at the parking lot shows how far up you've come.

This time of year the trail was clear and snow-free. I started on Artist Point heading out to Huntoon Point. It's a smidge over a mile to go out around the loop and back.

It's a fairly easy and relatively level trail, so it was typically busy.

The further out you get toward the point, though, the quieter it becomes. There were not many hikers out at the actual point.

Lots of grass and barren rock.

Table Mountain in the background

Selfies were taken. This one has Mt. Baker in the background.

Artist Ridge is known for its views, and sure enough, there was an actual artist on the ridge!

I decided to add a bit of mileage by heading out on the Chain Lakes/Ptarmigan Ridge trail, just to the junction (about 1.2 miles out). Someday I want to take Ptarmigan Ridge trail all the way to Coleman's Pinnacle, and I've done the Chain Lakes loop before. Both of those were hikes for days when I don't sleep in and get a late start, though.

I just hiked along Table Mountain's slope. It's fairly level, but there's a lot of loose rock to contend with.

I hit the wilderness boundary.

More selfies!

I took a pic of the back end of Table Mountain.

There was a little bit of color on the slopes.

Ozzy was with me, and he's still fundraising for Washington Trail Association through the end of August!

One last pic of those lovely purple flowers, with Mt. Shuksan in the background.

Beach Breeze - Ebey's Landing

Remember, my dog is raising money for Washington Trails Association this month. Support him here!

I was looking for a scenic, easy hike, and I found one near Coupeville on Whidbey Island. Ebey's Landing is a historical preserve that is a unique mish-mash of private, state, and federal land jurisdictions. You'll get to hike through prairie, along coastal bluffs, and along a beach and lagoon.

From Highway 20, head south on Sherman Rd (just east of Coupeville). At the Y, hang a right on Cook Road. Drive past the cemetery and parking for the Ebey's Prarie Trail is at the end.

Ebey's Landing

National Park Service

Parking Permit: none needed for the trailhead described (other trailheads require a Discover Pass)

Distance: 5.6 miles

Elevation difference: 260'

You start off near some private residences and farmland. Be careful to stay on the marked trail and be courteous of the private property!

There's an overlook of the prairie below, so take a moment and enjoy the view!

There were a lot of wasps here, so be wary.

You start out on a gravel road that eventually turns to dirt.

They must grow alfalfa here.

After a short while you come across the Jacob Ebey house. The blockhouse on the left is an older construction I believe, and there are several similar constructs in the area.

Continue walking along the prairie toward the ocean.

At the end of the Prairie Overlook Trail, enjoy a map showing the hodgepodge of different land managements.

From here, you can go left or right. I went right and headed up Bluff Trail. Again, there were a lot of hornets crawling in the sand here, so be careful where you stand to take a pic.

The view is nice.

Looking back, you can see Mt. Baker behind the fields.

The Skagit Indians cultivated these fields long before white settlers arrived, growing camas as a major trade crop. Of course, Captain Ebey and his folk took one look at the fields, realized they had perfect farmland ready and waiting, and moved their way in.

As you walk along Bluff Trail, you eventually will catch sight of Perego's Lake. It's a rather scenic lagoon that the trail will ultimately loop around.

Photo op with Ozzy!

I named this tree Gnarls Barkley and thought myself quite witty.

The trail eventually begins to turn downhill with switchbacks leading toward the beach.

The trail is narrow and sandy. I learned that if you step too close to the edge of the trail, the sand falls away and you fall down. My hiking partner had a camera going at just the right moment to capture this:

Down I go!

At least sand is soft to land in!

At the beach, you can walk along the ocean side or the lagoon side.

The lagoon-side trail looks a bit narrow and unofficial, but we went for it.

The lagoon smelled fantastic, and I mean that with all the sarcasm in the world. The dog kept trying to run off to drink the lagoon water and roll in the lagoon muck.

It's been hot, drought conditions all summer, and the seafoam on the east end of the lagoon had dried. Walking on it was like walking on a foam mattress!

Eventually you run out of lagoon and so head back to the main beach and walk until you get to a small parking area. From there, you can take the trail back up to Prairie Ridge Trail and head back the way you came!

Info panel near the parking lot tells you what you're looking at out in the channel.

Before you leave the trailhead though, the cemetery has some interesting headstones and another blockhouse to view.

It's the entire family tree.

Loved his pooch.

 

Rawr

Stealing this for my epitaph...

The old Davis Blockhouse sits in the middle of the cemetery.

At the very end, head into downtown Coupeville and have ice cream at Kapaw's Iskreme! Perfect way to end a lovely hike!