A little bit hazy but mostly clear skies with clouds moving in during the afternoon. It was a beautiful day with Mount Baker out in full view, brilliant fall colors and lots of ripe berries.
But let’s talk about that river. It’s about a mile and a half into the hike. There is a lot of water coming down and more in the afternoon. It is fast and cold. Not real deep but over boot height with some deeper small pools. And no matter how far up river or down river you go, there is no place that has sufficiently spaced boulders to get across unless you have really long legs. As previously reported there are two skinny logs that can help with the crossing. But on the way to the look out I couldn’t figure out how to make them work for me. My long legged partner managed a few well placed and lucky leaps. I finally took my boots off and waded carefully across testing depths with my poles and hoping this old lady wouldn’t end up falling, banging myself up and drenching me, my phone and everything else. I made it across without that happening but on my god that water is soooo cold and that water is rushing hard.
After a great trip up and lunch we made it back to the river and we were fully prepared to walk across in our boots and figured we could walk in wet boots the rest of the way. And yes, the river is higher in the afternoon. BUT another hiker had suggested how they used the logs. Feet on the lower log. Bend over and hands on the upper log and slowly crab walking across. That did the trick and we both made it over dry and safe. To be clear, you are unlikely to get swept away or drown in the river right now. But it would be an unpleasant interruption to a beautiful day.
Be careful out there!
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