Snow Snow Snow

"Cross training"

(Quotation marks because I'm not so good, and so I never felt like it was much of a workout. Still, I made it out and about Mount Vernon twice this week. The first night was spectacular, with arctic sky conditions, shifting grays and blues in the clouds, and crisp air. The second trip, not so much, with sand on the snow on the backroads even, but it was fun trying just the same. This picture sort of has a Mark Rothko thing going on. Or maybe I wish. I like it.)

Kulshan Trail, near home and looking much more woodsy than it is.

Woodpecker on the tree in my front yard--requires clicking to see. Red breasted sapsucker, I think. Someone once told me they get drunk on sap and then have sex.

Camera chills out.

Brrrrrrrr

Skagit Snow Run

Skagit River

Near Mount Vernon

New Gore-Tex Shoes!


Brrrrrrrr.....real snow cows

Illegal snow run on the river dike

Squires Lake

I've never been to Squires Lake, and it's so easy to get to, maybe five minutes off of Exit 240. Squires Lake is one of the earlier acquisitions of the Whatcom Land Trust. The lake itself is only a half mile or so up a hill, but the Pacific Northwest Trail cuts through it, and so it's easy enough to leave the Whatcom County Park and then go run for miles on DNR roads, which is what I did today. Basically, I ran from Squires to Cain Lake Road, which is maybe 40 minutes with some slope, and then on the way back I detoured up a very steep hill that some hikers told me was either Saddle Mountain or The Beast. Overall, I had a slow easy weekend of running. On Saturday, I participated in the Fairhaven Frosty, which was a good good time. I ran with a good friend who never races, and we sort of goofed off, and almost came in last place, but a couple 70 year olds were still out there. Next time, I guess.