Today's hike: Squirrel bombs us with pine cones
Today Karen and I hiked above Squilchuck State Park in the snowy woods. The trail was packed down by snowmobiles into hard snow and ice. We used micro-spikes and didn't slip.
It was beautiful! After weeks of depressing fog, we blissfully ate lunch sitting in the sun on a log. Ahhh....
Descending, a pine cone hit me on the head hard. Rubbing my head, I looked up. In a tree above, a squirrel was busily throwing pine cones down. There was a pile of pine cones at our feet.
Apparently the squirrel planned to cache the pine cones for winter food. The squirrel chattered loudly at us.
"Okay, okay!" Karen said to the squirrel. We moved on. Too funny!
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My husband and I used to love to hike and backpack, alas after 22 wonderful years of marrige, he died from ALS, I still miss him and our time spent outdoors.One time when we were backpacking in Shenandoah Park in VA, we had dropped our packs and I was off trail, looking for a spot to pitch our tent, when a covey of Quail flew up right in front of me ! I hadn't seen them at all, they scared the shit out of me !
joantheloon
Level 6
Jan 24, 2019
2
Pictures are great almost makes me cold. How close to the goats did you get? I have never seen them in nature, I have been where they are supposed to be, just apparently not at the right time.
dalefvictor
Level 8
Jan 23, 2019
1
Forest Service regulations say people need to maintain a distance of 50 yards from mountain goats.
At Lake Colchuck, I was changing into warm, dry clothes when a large, male mountain goat came out of the bushes and walked directly toward me. See the wary look on my face? He walked by six feet away from me.
At Ingalls Lake, we were sitting on a rock eating lunch. A mother mountain goat and the youngest kid I have ever seen walked down to the lake about 20 feet from us.
I took all of the photos except, obviously, the one of myself.
Reminded me of the Farmers Insurance commercial where the tree full of squirrels are chucking pine cones at the guy’s car! ?. [ispot.tv]
Barnie2years
Level 8
Jan 23, 2019
1
I think they see you as one of those 'invasive' species. lol
JackPedigo
Level 9
Jan 23, 2019
1
Now see...that is a great story...two hikers who know nature intimately enough to leave the squirrel alone in ITS habitat...sorry you got beaned, but your good natured self took it in stride...thanks for these lovely pictures...beautiful...and thanks for microspikes...I had no idea there was such a thing...
thinktwice
Level 8
Jan 23, 2019
1
Thank you, dear! I appreciate you. Hugs.
Do you have a mountain you could spare?
Holysocks
Level 8
Jan 23, 2019
1
Here you go! Dragontail Peak, (9,000 feet) and Lake Colchuck. Age 56.
@LiterateHiker
How do you find it possible to leave places like that??!!
Lake Colchuck has been ruined by overcrowding. For years, it has been featured as the best day hike in Washington by the Seattle Times, Outside Magazine and more.
Since age 21, Lake Colchuck has been a spiritual place for me. I went there every year.
But loud crowds of Seattleites have badly trampled the fragile alpine vegetation and destroyed the quiet serenity.
For 30 years, a lottery system has strictly limited camping permits from June 1 to September 15 at Lake Colchuck and the Enchantments area.
In 2014, I day hiked to Lake Colchuck during a drought (low snow), on the weekend before camping restrictions went into effect.
There are five designated camp spots at Lake Colchuck. I counted 60 people with backpacks planning to camp overnight. Eighty people were climbing Colchuck Glacier in a conga line. Where were they going spend the night?
These people caused horrendous damage to fragile alpine vegetation that will take decades to recover. Scattered the herd of mountain goats with newborn kids.
Horrified, I called and wrote a letter to the ranger of the Leavenworth Ranger District, describing what I saw. I asked them to increase the camping restrictions from April 1 to November 1.
Now parking spots are extremely limited at the trailhead. Good. In the summer, a ranger is posted at Lake Colchuck trailhead, asking day hikers to choose another hike. Of course they refuse. Next up: restricting the number of day hikers.
I haven't returned to Lake Colchuck in four years.
Third photo: Mountain goat and young kid, Lake Ingalls, WA.
@LiterateHiker
Thank you so much for sharing! Sadly, my former 'go-to' place in West Virginia underwent the same horror. From almost unheard of, to it's 11 miles of access road a solid line of cars parked wherever there wasn't a tree. Trails overrun, horse riders where no sensible person would take such an animal, and villages of tents.
@LiterateHiker Was just about to ask you WHERE this picture of you with the mountain backdrop and lake - was taken. Thanks for the info!
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