August 31, 2013 Maple Loop Trail, North Cascades, Washington

The Maple Loop trail goes up to the ridge above Ann lake and circles around the top of the cirque, comes back down the ridge between Lake Ann and Rainy lake, with a few other lake views along the way.  We hiked 9.45 miles and 2,900 vertical. It was a lovely warm sunny day. It is a very popular trail and it is Labor Day weekend so there were lots of other people hiking too.

Two views of Lake Ann.

The ridge is the boundary of the North Cascades National Park. A distant view of some of the 300 glaciers in the park.  That is not snow, just the glaciers.

The trail along the top of the ridge and a view looking back down toward Lake Ann from the top.

Looking the other direction from the above view is the trail headed down and a small glacial tarn below Lyndal Glacier.

John on the trail down. We walked the ridge with Lake Ann on one side and Rainy Lake on the other. There is a waterfall going into Rainy lake in the shadow at the end of it.

We got some bonus miles at the bottom, on this paved handicap accessible trail to Rainy lake. Another mile each way.  Rainy lake is another turquoise glacial lake.

The clear water in Rainy lake.

Flowers and a cauliflower funges.

grass seed head, blue gentian, heather, red mushrooms, white alpine flower, seed heades and a green juniper looking alpine plant.

A coral fungus, other assorted mushrooms, red alder berries and ferns.

A warty mushroom, a wavey mushroom , herd of tiny little white mushrooms, brown ones that look like a cow pie, a right angle mushroom, seeds on a green plant and white and black mushrooms.

It is one of the wettest places in the US in the pacific northwest, so there are mushrooms everywhere.

August 30, 2013 Winthrop, Washington

We visited the town of Winthrop, WA today. We needed gas in the car, groceries and John heard there was a brewery there.

Winthrop is restore to what it looked like in the late 1800s . False fronts on the buildings and wooden sidewalks. We toured the smokejumpers base right outside town first.  Here is the plane they jump out of, in front of the jump loft.

Smoke jumping started right here in Winthrop Washington in 1939. JT one of the smoke jumpers was our guide. Inside the loft they keep their gear, pack repair and pack their parachutes.

This eagle is made from gloves, a parachute and harness , pulaskis and a helmet. JT is showing John the gear they jump in.

This cardboard box in front of JT is dropped down after the jumpers, it has gear, water and some supplies in it. We got to sit in the plane and JT explained about jumping and the plane.

We passed the ‘Pine Near” RV park in town. Then we went to the museum in town. It consisted of old buildings and lots of cool displays.

They had an old ore stamp mill at the museum. Doc John in front of the doctors office.

A couple of old bikes and a horse drawn road grater. Then we had lunch at the Old School House brewery.

John with our lunch in the beer garden. The sign on the ladies restroom.

Woo hoo, John riding a saddle. The Virginian resort. The book the Virginian was based on Winthrop, Washington and written by one of the early visitors. It was one of the first westerns written.

August 29, 2013 Cutthroat lake

Still raining pretty hard. We decided to hike to Cutthroat lake and save the high altitude view hikes for a sunny day-if we have any.

Perfect weather for hiking. It was so rainy we wore our caguoles. With a couple layers , plus our packs underneath and my camera and lunch in the front pouch. We looked ridicules.

John looking gnome like by the green, green moss. The peaks were all shrouded in clouds.

Cutthroat lake. The peaks are still shrouded,so we did not hike up to the pass for the view. It was still raining so we had to try to find some shelter under the trees and eat lunch standing up. John is demonstrating how to eat a very ripe juicy peach in the rain in the pacific northwest.

The rain abated a little, enough to put our hoods down. Everything, but what was under the cagule was soaked.

Back  at Klipclack campground the sun came out for the end of the day. Here are a few sites from the hike. Leaves with eyes, a giant mushroom, maybe 8 inches high. John thought it was a cartoon turtle at first.

Lots of mushrooms- of course it is very, very wet here.

It cleared up when we got back. I am working on my latest masterpiece under the tarp before dinner. The campsite across from us had great afternoon sun. It was too short for our rig though.