Old Growth and New Growth

We're reaching back several months here with this batch of photos. Some time in, oh I dunno, late June or early July, there was talk about folks taking a camping trip. It seems Momma was a bit uneasy about this "camping" activity what with my constant demands. So, in order to determine Momma's maternal instincts vis a vis the great outdoors, we took a preliminary day trip up the Mt. Baker Highway for a hike and other possible adventures.

I was, what, 4 months old? Somewhere in there. I do recall that I was still not so keen on spending much time in my car seat. Its been slow to grow on me, frankly, the car seat experience. Otherwise, I enjoyed the scenery immensely. Momma and Dadda had some interpersonal considerations that were amusing to watch. Generally, this Dadda guy is more adventurous while Momma has every muscle tense; sometimes this results in humor for me.

So, on to the photos:
We started by driving to the very end of the road, through the Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie Forest to the Mt. Baker Ski Area. As you can see, there was still snow on the ground from the '09/'10 season. And I am evidently delighted by the scene.

We wandered around admiring the top-of-the-world view. Momma muttered something about the altitude and I-hope-its-ok-for-an-infant something or other. I felt fine, rest assured.

Onward, we searched for a simple hike, somewhere with easy access just off the highway. So, we headed back down the mountain. Dadda wanted to show us a great old-growth-forest grove that he'd hiked through several years back. We wandered through a thickly forested area, where there really was no apparent trail at all. This involved quite a bit of scurrying and shimmying, which I didn't mind too much - I was in the apparatus that had me mounted to the front of Dadda. But Momma was not liking the situation. Lots of statements about how this was not what she was talking about when she talked about a simple hike, and just be careful because that spot doesn't look stable, and is that poison ivy???

Here are Dadda and myself with our Tron outfits on, standing next to a massive tree - cedar, I think. I don't know what the deal is with the ashen condition on the bark there; lichen perhaps.

And here we are posed in front of a fallen tree. Note the massive root base. Dramatic!


Aaaand here is Dadda felling the tree for our winter wood supply. Juuuust kidding. (Courtesy of Darius Kinsey Photograph Collection 126, UW.)

Finally, we headed to Glacier to eat at Graham's for the best fish tacos. Momma and Dadda proclaimed that it was the first time I was able to comport myself in a restaurant. The conditions were good, at any rate - middle of the afternoon, nobody there, lots to look at. Here is a series of photos of myself with Dadda.

[My producer (Momma) would like you to note the strikingly similar hairlines shared by the two of us.]


This last one you can see I am hopeful that I will get to partake in the grown-up food. No such luck, let me assure you.

All in all, it was an interesting day. We did go camping with other folks a few weeks later. That too was interesting and downright enjoyable as there were many ladies to dote on me, including Genevieve.

I hope you enjoyed the look back.
Adios,
Buckaroo