Another Monday morning not in my classroom, another chance to get into the trees! Today I went up to the Raptor Ridge Viewpoint, starting at the North Chuckanut Mountain Trailhead. There is plenty of parking, and there is a Honey Bucket as well. Good news - Highway 11 (Chuckanut Dr.) is now open if you are coming from the south
I've only gone on the trails to Fragrance Lake and Oyster Dome in this area, so I was excited to explore some of the other trails. There are a LOT of trails, though - most intersections are well signed, but some are not. AllTrails helped, but really the most useful was the map and description in Craig Romano's Urban Trails: Bellingham book (I took pictures of the pages). I had a Square One map of the area, but as previous reports indicated, this map is outdated, and doesn't show this trail as a loop. Romano's map is definitely up-to-date, I highly recommend it!
These trails are just BEAUTIFUL. Ferns galore, trees shrouded in moss, it was so nice to spend the morning surrounded by LIFE. The trail is in great shape, thanks to everyone who helps maintain it.
There are lots of ways to get to the viewpoint, I went on the Hemlock Trail, to the Raptor Ridge Trail, then back on the North Lost Lake Trail. There were some short uphill sections, but never anything too steep or too long. I wore trail runners and used poles for my old man knees.
I did hear traffic for the first mile and the last mile, which at times can be distracting. It's worth the trade-off, though, having these trails so close to town. My favorite part was the Raptor Ridge Trail - traffic noise gone, meandering through giant moss-covered boulders ... and then a lofty viewpoint to enjoy. I sat there for a half hour, snacking, hydrating, and reading, then hit the trail. It was nice to continue on the loop, knowing I didn't have to retrace all my steps.
I didn't see anyone until the last mile or so, the solitude was exactly what I needed. I did see my second barred owl, which was SO GREAT. We shared a moment together, eventually it flew off. Magical.
Total of 8.1 miles, 1,650 feet elevation, on the trail for 3 hours 30 minutes total. I look forward to coming back and trying some of the side loops next time. And always grateful to be out in the woods :)
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