Sauk Mountain Trail Aug 08 2009

Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />The trail head.... 08:19 am. It is Hunting Season! Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />False Hellebore, or Corn Lily?Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Cow Parsnip? Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Cow Parsnip?Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Funny moss patterns on the trees. Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />My car is joined at the lot by one of the two <br />brush-cutter rigs that were workng to clear the roadsides.Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />The second brush-cutter in action down the road. Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />ColumbineSauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Paintbrush plus "pearly everlasting"? Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Harebells.Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />The switchbacks numbered around twentyfive! Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />The sedum colors were attractive.Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Fireweed is far from done up here at early August. Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Cow Pasnip....Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Penstemon. Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Paintbrush.Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Spectacular light on this seed head! Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Bladder pod, or soap plant?Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />That is Rockport, WA, with the Sauk river feeding intio the Skagit river.. Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Mt Baker comes into view as the trail reaches the eastern turning point.Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />At first glance I thiught this was a goose, but a closer look shows it is a grouse.<br />I later walked up a short draw for a look over the edge, and almost stepped on three more grouse as they flew away at the last moment. Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />More paintbrush with the cow parsnip.Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Aster. Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Cow parsnips and Fireweed against the rock wall...Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />That's the eastern turn of the trail up ahead. Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Rockport, WA is at the lower right, Skagit entering from the left, and the Sauk River joining the Skagit to the right of Rockport.Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />A mother marmot and child... Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />View from a short draw, where I scared three grouse (or did they scare me?) as they wait until you almost step on them before they take flight!Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Someone can tell me the names of these peaks, please?<br />A wider view is in image 6088. Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Another peak I'd like to name... see a wider view in image 6088Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />The view to the north from Sauk Mtn.<br />Please tell me the peak names if you know them! Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />The second bump to the right of the notch is Sauk Mountain Peak.Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />My ignorance about plant names is profound, <br />but my enjoyment of them is boundless. Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Bistort and heath (Heather)Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Looking north, may be Mt Shuksan? Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Another view to the north, Canadian peaks in the far distance.Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />The trail climbs right to left in this view of Sauk Mtn Peak. Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />More bladder pod, or soap plant?Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />The plentiful flowering plant that ought to have a name!<br />It was all over the place on this trail, here seen just west of Sauk Mtn peak. Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />An almost vertical view of the trail head parking lot, seen from the Sauk Mtn Peak!Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />A bee enjoys the wildflowers at the peak. Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />The trail along the north face of the rocky crest of Sauk Mtn.Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Self portrait of Ron Black on Sauk Mtn, with Mt Baker in background. Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Another view of Mt Baker from the Sauk Mtn Peak.<br />Note the iron anchor remnants in the rock at left and at the upper right rock, which used to hold the lookout on this site.Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Almost nothing remains of the lookout removed from this site in 1982.<br />A stub of rebar in the concrete patch at top center, and an old wooden post! Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />The sunny time of the late morning, <br />descending the trail just below the Sauk Mtn Peak.Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Sauk Lake. Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Bistort in the rocks.Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Bistort in the heather (heath?) Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Staring down on the southeast part of the trail.Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Rockport, WA on the Skagir River, with the <br />Sauk river feeding into the Skagit at the right. Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Less lonely at the trail head, with two pickups parked along with my car.<br />I met a single young woman hiker and later a couple with a young dog as I descended from the peak. It was fun being a solo hiker all morning.Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Asters.... Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />The big picture: fireweed, switchbacks, parking lot, and the road home.Sauk Mtn Trail Hike 08/04/09<br />Flies and bees on the cow parsnip.
This was a solo hike (Fran wasn't feeling well) and I took  images with my Fuji S6000 camera, a "bridge camera" which does a lot but not as heavy as a true DSLR rig.   I like this hike a lot, with great views, lots of flowers and few other people (on weekdays).   It is only my second visit up here, and it was a great walk.

Let me hear your comments... my email is below.
Ron Black's Email:   Click here

Return to main Menu:   http://anengineerguy.0catch.com/


Free counters provided by Vendio.