Table Mountain

I've spent nearly my entire life living within sight of Mount Baker yet I've never set foot on it. Pretty shocking, yet a reality shared by many Fraser Valley kids. Needless to say, Saturday's visit was long overdue. 

Zach is a fellow nature photographer with an adventurous soul. I have a great appreciation for people who thrive on being spontaneous and Zach is definitely one of those, so he made for a fantastic companion for the day.

All I knew going into the day was that Artist's Point is thee place to visit during the brief period of time at the end of summer when the area has no snow. On the drive there we stopped at Picture Lake which is named for it's picturesque reflections of Mount Shuksan. From Artist's Point there are several trailheads. We chose to do the Table Mountain hike.

Clouds were moving in and out of the area constantly so the landscape shifted constantly. One moment it would feel like we were on the moon with limited visibility, the next the clouds would break to reveal awe-inspiring cliffs and gem-coloured alpine lakes. 

It was an easy scramble up the mountain. Once at the top we were able to wander around effortlessly and explore our surroundings. 

Of course I took a moment to sit down and sketch my surroundings. Similarly to photography, sketching helps me understand and interpret the beauty that I find myself surrounded by when I'm in nature. Plus it's good practice... I don't sketch nearly as much as I used to and I  need to keep up my skills!

Check out those cliffs! The echo was fantastic!

An then it started to snow. So we hurried back down the mountain and headed for the sea.

Having finished the hike by noon, we couldn't help but feel the day was still young and full of potential, so we headed west to visit Deception Pass. The contrast in environment was startling. It was warm, sunny, and swarming with tourists, but oh so beautiful!

We walked by foot across the bridge, then explored the areas underneath. It's really an impressive structure!

On our way home we stopped by a lake in Lyndon to watch the sunset. There was a guy there fly fishing who was shocked to learn I'd never fished before. Before I knew it, he had me set up with a pole and worm and I managed to catch a small catfish! It was a strange but perfect end to an adventurous day of fog, snow, and mountain tops, then ocean, beach, and sunshine.

Thanks to Zach for adventuring with me and helping with some of these snaps!