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The last couple days have started out cold and foggy...by mid day, warming and clearing into beautiful puffy white clouds. Today was no exception.
Yesterday, joined a local Wine Tasting Group, visiting Mt. Baker Vineyards, which offers daily tours and tasting. I have been visiting Mt. Baker Vineyards since 1987...in the days when locals were invited to Grape Stomps during fall picking time. No stomping these days, but the quality of wine produced has seriously improved...winning many awards.
It is a fact that with the warming of the earth, wine vineyards have been moving north rapidly. California no longer has a choke hold on fine wines.
Mt. Baker - our local volcano - peeked out of the cloud cover, showing her glacier shrouded flanks. This image was taken about 1 mile north of my apartment. Out another 3 miles, the entire mountain is visible above distant Cascade Mountain foothills.
Our local ski resort is on the flanks - about mid elevation - of Mt. Baker. Skiing begins in late October and continues until the end of May...when our local SKI TO SEA Festival is held...a 80-some mile relay race from the ski resort (cross-country skiers climb to the top of the slopes...downhill skiers back to the lodge) - runners down the steep mountain flanks - road racing bikers to the Nooksack River - canoe 30 miles to near Ferndale, Washington - mountain bikers to Bellingham Marina - and finally, racing kayaks some 12 miles across Bellingham Bay, finishing in Fairhaven (old Bellingham).
Hundreds of teams from the world over come to compete.
Interstate 5 about 2 blocks from my apartment
It was quite cold at 8:30 when I started out...fog hugging the ground until mid day.
Ole' SOL burning off the dense fog.
Mt. Baker Creek flows into the above Squalicum Creek, which flows into Bellingham Bay at Bellingham Marina.
Was on the road nearly 4 hours this morning, stopping by Bellis Fair Mall...then another mile to COSTCO...with time out to try our local Chinese Buffet. After one plate, I was stuffed...food was good, but not especially exceptional.
It was a 4 mile walk back home...arriving rested and without injury or pain...a total of about 12 miles.
Spent most of the afternoon gathering up my road maps to chart my course from Wilmington, North Carolina back to the Peace Arch. Except for the first 100 miles or so through North Carolina, I plan to follow the exact same route I walked last Spring.
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