#clear these recent couple of logs okie

[fafayayarhen]

spaus log - october #574564

⚠️ tw: mpreg ⚠️ even if mild but hUSH

server rp stuff for halloween 💜

stand-alone under here 👇

yeah so uh my roddi's in the server is trans and pregnant that's all thanks bye

and the crowd boos me

[the-unknown-storyteller]

concern for a friend

(week #1, prompt 3: excitement)

tw: mentions of derealisation, panic

Summary: Ranboo is working on the watchtower, as Ghostbur wanders off as the self-designated snack man. When the ghost doesn't return for quite some while, Ranboo is starting to worry for his friend. Just where is Ghostbur? 

__

“I will be the snack man and get us some snacks. You work on that tower real good and I’ll get us something, alright? Do you like savory or sweet things? You know what, I’ll just get a bit of everything. I’ll be right back, oki?” 

Before Ranboo has a chance to react, Ghostbur is up and running in the direction of Tommy’s dirt shack. Dusting off his pants from the climb, the ghost waves enthusiastically from the top of the hill, then disappears behind some trees and shrubbery. Ranboo releases a sigh, smiling fondly at the antics of the ghost. He gets out a stack of spruce logs and starts building up the pillars to the skies. He wonders why Tommy needs the watchtower to be this tall. Surely, it would have been enough if it was one or two thirds of its current height, it’s not like none of them have tridents. He’s pretty sure most of them have access to enderpearls as well. 

Nonetheless, he keeps to the height given by Tommy, diligently placing the spruce logs and replacing the strange purple planks at the sides with dark oak instead. It won’t be the prettiest watchtower, but it’ll be enough. Maybe Ghostbur can improve its design.

Speaking of the ghost, he’s been gone for quite a while now. Ranboo knows that he is more than capable of taking care of himself. But then he thinks of the ghost’s memory issues and his own problems with keeping himself tethered to the real world sometimes, blinking the wrong way and suddenly finding himself in an unfamiliar place. It’s happened one too many times for the enderman hybrid to be quite comfortable with this situation. (If Tubbo hadn’t found him that one time, he doesn’t know what would have happened. He doesn’t like to think about it.)

Ranboo begins to pack up his things, putting away the spruce logs in a chest and strapping his sword and axe to his back instead. Tommy will forgive him if the tower isn’t finished by tomorrow. He hadn’t given him a deadline, anyway.

He begins his journey up the hill, rounding the trees and shrubbery he saw Ghostbur disappear behind a couple hours ago and following the path towards Tommy’s abode. He keeps an eye on his surroundings and mentally takes note of anything that appears out of place. The air gets significantly colder, as the last rays of the sun disappear behind the horizon. It was getting late. He adjusts the leather straps of his weapons.

“Ghostbur?”, Ranboo calls out, knocking at the wooden door of Tommy’s shack. No answer. He opens the door with a creak and looks inside. There are some chests along the wall, a few of them placed smack in the middle of the place. He can hear the vrwooping sounds of an enderchest nearby, but no humming of a particularly musical ghost. He takes a step inside and makes his way down the stairs on the right, but nothing. The place is empty. 

He leaves the dirt shack behind and runs down the prime path, frantically turning his head from side to side, in the hopes that he spots the yellow of Ghostbur’s sweater or the red of his beanie. But no such luck.

“Ghostbur?!!” Ranboo starts calling the ghost’s name, noting how eerily empty and abandoned this place is. He spends all his time in the Arctic Commune or, more recently, in Snowchester, so he’s never stayed here long enough to notice, but this place feels dead. He can feel something crawl up his arms, shooting through his hands and making him shake them violently. 

“Ghostbur, where are you?!” He sends out a quick message to his friend, but there’s no response. Something isn’t right. The ghost should have responded by now. One might think that he would lose his communicator often, with his spotty memory and his clumsy tendency to lose most other things. But he’s actually never lost it and he always answers. 

“It’s fine, he’s fine. He probably just got fixated on a flower or went overboard on the snacks. He gets over-excited like that,” Ranboo reasons, taking the path down towards L’Manhole. The glass, preserving what was never meant to be, reflects the darkening sky above. He keeps a wide distance to the blown-up city, eyeing the red vines at its edges with worry. He sees neither yellow nor any red nor any blue, so he turns around and leaves the dead space to its own.

“Ghostbur??” Why isn’t he answering?! Night has fallen completely by now, the new moon trying its hardest to plunge Ranboo’s surroundings in complete darkness, but he just takes out a torch and lights the matchstick with a practiced flick of his wrist against the ground. 

The half-enderman roams the perimeters around Eret’s museum, focusing his hearing towards the near distance. Besides the undead groaning of zombies and the quiet clattering of skeletons, he can’t make out much more. Except for a quiet hiss. He barely has time to react, as he hears an explosion go off in the distance. Before he knows it, he is up and running in that direction. Images of a hurt Ghostbur, running through his brain. “Ghostbur!!” 

And then, he hears yelling and noises that sounds like sobbing and it makes him vwroop in panic and distress. His friend is in danger, his friend is in danger. He feels a lurch in his stomach and blinks across the field, reappearing at the steps of Eret’s museum. Doesn’t Eret usually spawn-proof his builds? Doesn’t matter right now. Ranboo runs up the steps, skipping the last flight, as he blinks out and appears in the middle of the build. Not here. Further away, beyond the wall. He takes out his trident and places some water, jumping the wall. 

During the highpoint of his jump, he can make out yellow and red and a lot of blue just beyond the river. He lets out a series of distressed noises and blinks away. His hands are starting to shake from jumping this often, but his friend is hurt, hurt, hurt and he has to hurry. 

He stumbles through his landing and tridents across the river, landing close to what is definitely Ghostbur hunched over, surrounded by blue, why is there so much blue?!! “Ghostbur??” He tentatively reaches for his friend and touches his shoulder lightly. The ghost snaps his head up, staring at the enderman hybrid. He flinches back in shock, blinking away a few metres further.

“Ranboo!!”, the ghost calls out, jumping from his position on the ground. “Oh my goodness, I must have totally lost track of the time. You see, I was walking along the prime path, looking for some snacks when I saw- oh, the snacks, Ranboo! I totally forgot about the snacks!! ” The ghost pats down his pants, then shuffles through the bag at his side. “Sorry, bread is all I have on me. You want some?” Ghostbur offers some fluffy bread rolls, but Ranboo is too stunned to react. Adrenalin is still running high in his bloodstream, making him tense and freeze up. What is happening? 

“Not a fan of bread rolls? Oh well, more for me and friend- oh my gosh, Ranboo, look who I found in the woods!!” Getting off-track again, Ghostbur whirls around and pulls something blue and fluffy towards the perplexed enderman. “I found friend!! He was just grazing on some grass and when he saw me, I saw that look in his eyes that told me that I should follow him and so I did! I don’t quite understand why he brought me here, this just seems like a normal clearing to me, but I mean, I trust him, he knows what he’s doin-” The excited rambles of the ghost are cut off by the heavy weight of two hands on his shoulders. He looks up and is met with the shiny wet eyes of a certain enderman hybrid. “Ranboo? What’s wrong?”, come the soft questions, as the ghost realizes that something must be wrong.

“Please never do that again.”

“Never do what again, Ranboo? I was just getting some snacks like I told you when I met an old friend, haha-”

“I understand that you are more than capable of taking care of yourself, but you have to understand that you didn’t return for hours and hours until the sun set.” Ranboo takes a shuddering breath. “You didn’t return and you didn’t respond to my messages and then I heard an explosion go off in the distance and then I saw all that blue and I thought you got hurt and I-” His tail flicks nervously from side to side, thumping against the ground every now and then in distress.

“Ranboo, Ranboo. Listen, listen, I’m sorry. I didn’t realise that it was getting this late. I got distracted by friend and didn’t look at my communicator for a while.” The ghost takes out a light blue rock from his bag and hands it to the other. “Here, this will calm you down. Take some blue.”

“Thanks, Ghostbur.”

[thecollegefootballguy]

2017 Top Games of the Week: Week 1

GUYS IT’S FINALLY HAPPENING!!!! College football is now officially back! Week 1 has some very tasty offerings including one of the most anticipated opening week games ever. It’ll make my Top Ten Games of the Week a bit less of a mystery, but that doesn’t matter. It’s a huge deal.

So, my usual games of the week is getting tweaked a bit more this year. I’ll have the Top Ten Games of the Week like usual, and I’m keeping the 5 Group of 5 Games of the Week. I’m changing my FCS Game of the Week to Notable FCS Games because a couple of times one game just wasn’t enough.

The Top Ten Games of the Week

10. Maryland at #23 Texas

Series Ledger: 3-0 Texas Last Meeting: 42-0 Texas 12/23/1978 Sun Bowl

This probably won’t be an interesting game but there’s a decent amount of interest. Maryland probably won’t be very good, but based on recruiting they’re supposed to improve at some point, right? It’s Tom Herman’s first game as Texas’ head coach and that in and of itself is a big deal. The Longhorns are ranked despite finishing the 2016 season 5-7. It’s a testament to the hype Herman is bringing to the program (and the laziness of the AP pollsters who could have picked a more deserving team).

9. #2 Ohio State at Indiana

Series Ledger: 73-12-5 Ohio State Last Meeting: 38-17 Ohio State 10/8/2016

Thursday night doesn’t have a lot of great options so this very early conference game between division opponents Ohio State and Indiana should get a lot of play. The Buckeyes are a Playoff favorite and are expected to rip their way through the lesser opponents in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers' defense finally came together last season and in a Week 1 game where OSU might not have figured everything out they could make things interesting.

8. NC State vs South Carolina (Charlotte, NC)

Series Ledger: 27-26-4 South Carolina Last Meeting: 7-3 South Carolina 9/3/2009

An old ACC rivalry gets renewed in Charlotte. NC State is suddenly getting a lot of hype but this game is anything but certain. South Carolina has a lot of question marks but they’ve done well in their opening games against ACC teams lately. This could end up being one of the big matchups in the ACC-SEC argument or it not mean a whole lot. I’m enjoying it because this used to be a low-key rivalry in the old days before the Gamecocks joined the SEC. A win on NC State’s part would equalize the all-time series record.

7. Texas A&M at UCLA

Series Ledger: 3-2 Texas A&M Last Meeting: 31-24 Texas A&M 9/3/2016

It’s the hot seat bowl! Kevin Sumlin and Jim Mora have come under a lot of pressure in the last couple of seasons and the loser of this game will be in trouble. Mora did survive losing this game in College Station last year, but he was a bit more secure. That was the first of seven losses the Bruins suffered. They certainly can’t do it again. Sumlin might be in worse condition, because fans are fed up winning 8 games and it’s hard to come up with many more in the SEC West.

6. Colorado State 1-0 (0-0) vs Colorado (Denver, CO)

Series Ledger: 64-22-2 Colorado Last Meeting: 44-7 Colorado 9/2/2016

The Rocky Mountain Showdown has a lot going for it this year. Colorado State have declared themselves a true candidate for the G5′s New Year’s slot and to make the best case possible they’ll need to beat two PAC-12 teams in a row. Colorado are the reigning champions of the PAC-12 South. They’ve lost a lot of talent and their DC, but they’re finally a solid program after so many years in the wilderness. This should be fun.

5. BYU 1-0 (0-0) vs #13 LSU (New Orleans, LA)

Series Ledger: First meeting!

The Texas Kickoff has been relocated from Houston to New Orleans due to Hurricane Harvey. BYU didn’t look that great when they played Portland State last week but they were definitely holding back to keep LSU from seeing anything they could use while watching tapes. The Tigers are starting their first season with Ed Orgeron at the helm. They will definitely be favored in this contest with the Cougars and feel low at only 13th in the AP. It’s the first time these programs have met on the gridiron. Expect a grind.

4. #25 Tennessee vs Georgia Tech (Atlanta, GA)

Series Ledger: 24-17-2 Tennessee Last Meeting: 29-15 Tennessee 10/24/1987

An old SEC rivalry is rekindled in Atlanta when Tennessee and Georgia Tech meet at the (second) Chick-fil-A Kickoff. These two opponents played nearly every year from the end of WWII until 1987, it’s the first time they’ve met since that annual series was canceled. The Volunteers were frustrated last season and an opening loss to a team they think they should beat won’t help matters. The Yellow Jackets are always a wild card with their option offense. GA Tech is replacing a lot of talent on offense but it’s so hard to know where they stand until later in the season. This could get interesting.

3. #22 West Virginia vs #21 Virginia Tech (Landover, MD)

Series Ledger: 28-22-1 West Virginia Last Meeting: 34-17 Virginia Tech 10/1/2005

For the first time in over a decade the Black Diamond Trophy is being brought out. The WVU-VA Tech series was one of the best rivalries in the old Big East. It was unfortunate that they took such a long break in between playing, but they’re finally back. Virginia Tech is predicted to be in the thick of the Coastal race and as such an outside challenger to win the ACC. West Virginia is in the log jam that is the middle of the Big 12. Both teams have their own concerns and this will be a good test for both.

2. #11 Michigan vs #17 Florida (Arlington, TX)

Series Ledger: 4-0 Michigan Last Meeting: 41-7 Michigan 1/1/2016 Citrus Bowl

Honestly, this game might be a little boring, but the stakes are very high. Michigan is replacing a huge amount of talent from last season, but they have the guys to fill the holes. The only question is whether they can play at a high level instantly. Florida has QB questions, nothing new, but they do have a solid style of play that can take advantage of a Wolverine team that isn’t quite ready. Last time these teams played was an ungodly beatdown by UM two years ago. I’m sure the Gators remember.

1. #3 Florida State vs #1 Alabama (Atlanta, GA)

Series Ledger: 2-1-1 Alabama Last Meeting: 21-14 Florida State 9/29/2007

Well duh. The pièce de résistance. The main event. Two Playoff favorites clash in Atlanta in a game with nationwide repercussions. Most people agree that the pendulum in the ACC has swung away from Clemson and back to Florida State. The Seminoles are loaded for bear and are expected to win every game on their schedule. Except this one. Alabama, somehow, might be the best iteration of the team since Nick Saban came to Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide are completely stacked with talent and the offense has been thoroughly modernized. The winner has a clear path to the Playoff, provided they don’t slip up along the way. The loser has a much tougher row to hoe, and will almost certainly need to go undefeated to make it back to the top four. This is what makes the long offseason worth it.

-

5 Group of 5 Games of the Week

5. Kentucky at Southern Miss

Series Ledger: 2-1 Kentucky Last Meeting: 44-35 Southern Miss 9/3/2016

I like to put potential upsets in the G5 list because it’s always important for the G5′s best to remind everybody that the gap between P5 and G5 is smaller than you think. This game doesn’t feel like much of an upset. Kentucky is going to have a legitimately hard time winning this one and it could cost them a bowl game. Southern Miss is good and getting better. The Golden Eagles will be out to sweep this two game series.

4. Tulsa at #10 Oklahoma State

Series Ledger: 39-27-6 Oklahoma State Last Meeting: 59-33 Oklahoma State 9/17/2011

This could be an insane game. Oklahoma State has been pretty good the last couple of seasons but them being in the preseason top 10 has ruffled a few feathers. The Cowboys could be getting setup for a fall. Tulsa had the same number of wins as Okie State last year (10) and could certainly make this into a shootout. Both teams have high octane, Big 12 style offenses which will make for some interesting football (and potentially a 4 hour game).

3. Houston at UTSA

This game has been postponed due to the Hurricane. I don’t know the details yet.

2. Temple at Notre Dame

Series Ledger: 2-0 Notre Dame Last Meeting: 24-20 Notre Dame 10/31/2015

Now this could be really fun. It probably won’t be, but Temple has the potential to throw a huge monkey wrench into Notre Dame’s comeback season right away. The Owls are the reigning champions of the AAC, though head coach Matt Rhule is no longer with them. The Fighting Irish were better than their 4-8 record last season, and should certainly rebound. Still, it’d be fun if Temple won...

1. Troy at Boise State

Series Ledger: First meeting!

Potentially the best team in the Sun Belt playing the best team in the Mountain West. No further analysis is needed.

-

Notable FCS Games

The FCS usually does very well in scheduling good matchups in the early weeks of the season. This year is no different. I’ve outlined EIGHT games that could be more interesting than almost any game in the FBS this week. I hope you can find a way to watch them.

8. Delaware State at Delaware

Series Ledger: 7-0 Delaware Last Meeting: 56-14 Delaware 9/1/2016

Okay, this might not be as interesting as your average FBS game, but it’s a cool rivalry that only very recently started to be played. Delaware has won every time and often by a lot.

7. Maine at New Hampshire

Series Ledger: 54-44-8 New Hampshire Last Meeting: 24-21 New Hampshire 11/19/2016

In a curious turn of events, the traditional end of season game between Maine and New Hampshire will take place at the beginning of the year in 2017. The Battle for the Brice-Cowell Musket has never been played this early in the season. New Hampshire has won seven in a row and 14 of the last 15. It’s the 108th game in this long running series.

6. Tuskegee at Alabama State

Series Ledger: 63-34-4 Tuskegee Last Meeting: 27-25 Tuskegee 11/22/2012

The oldest tradition in HBCU football is the Turkey Day Classic played between Alabama State and Tuskegee University. The series between these two tragically ended when Tuskegee had to pull out in 2013 due to the moving up of the Division II Playoffs. Now, the legendary series will resume at the beginning of the season. What a wonderful turn of events. It’s the 102nd meeting between these two rivals.

5. #1 James Madison at East Carolina

Series Ledger: First meeting!

The reigning champions of the FCS have a prime opportunity to get a win over an FCS opponent when they travel to Greenville to play the East Carolina Pirates.

4. #5 Eastern Washington at Texas Tech

Series Ledger: 1-0 Texas Tech Last Meeting: 49-24 Texas Tech 8/30/2008

This could be a shootout of epic proportions. Eastern Washington has upset or threatened to upset many Power 5 programs recently and now the Eagles travel to Lubbock to take on a Texas Tech team that could be ripe for the picking.

3. #10 Villanova at #17 Lehigh

Series Ledger: 8-5 Villanova Last Meeting: 26-21 Villanova 9/10/2016

A smart regional matchup between two potential Playoff opponents. Villanova and Lehigh have played frequently in the past decade but the Wildcats have gotten the best of the Mountain Hawks of late. With the game being in Bethlehem this year, Lehigh could turn things around. 

2. #9 Youngstown State at Pittsburgh

Series Ledger: 3-1 Pittsburgh Last Meeting: 45-37 Pittsburgh 9/5/2015

The runners-up last season take on a tough Pittsburgh team. Youngstown State was the Cinderella story in 2016 and have a lot of hype going into this year. A win here would be huge.

1. #7 Richmond at #3 Sam Houston State (Waco, TX)

Series Ledger: First meeting!

This was the matchup that was postponed from last week because of Hurricane Harvey. It’s now being played in Waco at Baylor’s McLane Stadium. Weather delay notwithstanding, this is a game between two teams that are pretty much assured to make the Playoff. What’s more, they could even get byes.

[jwdonley]

A Hike up for Glacial Views

Hiking the Heliotrope Ridge Trail in the North Cascades.

As an Okie, seeing a glacier was not something I was likely to see without traveling very very far. Even seeing substantial mountains in Oklahoma was not a real possibility. There were the Wichita Mountains down near Lawton but they were just a patch of high piles of granite boulders. All of it surrounded by plains which teeter on the edge of desert. It is beautiful out there. There are buffalo, and the rugged terrain is a welcome site in comparison to the forever rolling highways edged with billboard after billboard.

The Wichita’s are the best place to hike in that part of the country. But they do not compare in majesty to the North Cascades of NW Washington. Some call them the ‘American Alps’.

Recently I moved out of Oklahoma and up to Bellingham, WA. This is only 30 minutes South of the Canadian border. One of the best perks of living here is the easy access to outdoor adventure.

BHam (as the locals call it) is right on the shore of the Salish Sea. The beaches are less sandy and more rocky here, but the views out the San Juan Islands are amazing.

But to the west are the Cascade Mountains. The volcano, Mount Baker, is in view from everywhere. But it is about 40 miles away. As are all of the awesome trails that meander the sides of the volcano and the landscape surrounding it.

The Hike

The first hike I tried out in the Cascades is Heliotrope Ridge. This hike gets you up close and personal to Mount Baker and a couple of the glaciers anchored to it’s side. Trail is 2.5 miles one way. Almost all up hill. 1800 feet of elevation gain. (according to Dayhiking the North Cascades by Craig Romano)

During this first hike I came across a WTA (Washington Trails Association) volunteer work crew. They are a local organization that helps to maintain the trails. They were out there digging drainage trenches and placing stones and logs to help in the steeper parts. I have great respect for all of volunteers who do this.

I’m not in the best shape, so the first third of the trail is a grueling up hill trudge for me. But after a while you get to a point that you decide you’ve gone too far, and that you might as well just finish. It is then that the trail levels off a bit for quite a while. There are also a few creek crossings to beware of. The first is an easy stone hop across. The second is not as easy, but there were a couple logs laying over the top. The third isn’t too bad. But the last one is a doozy.

Both times I’ve gone out on this trail I’ve been stopped at this last crossing. The first time I could’ve gone across bare foot and dried off on the other side, but I was already too tired. The second time I came prepared with water proof socks and water shoes to change into. But the weather was substantially warmer, and the glacier above was melting fast enough to make the creek a danger to cross.

Note: Always remember that during the days the temperature will rise causing more glacier melt, which then causes the creeks to rise. Your trip back over the creeks will be more difficult.

So instead I backtracked a bit on the trail and went up the summit route for a view of the glaciers. This route is used by those summiting Mt. Baker and is very steep. But you only have to go up a short distance to get above the tree line and see the Coleman and Roosevelt Glaciers.

Most of the hike you are surrounded by large trees. These trees put Oklahoma trees to shame. They tower above seemingly forever. Occasionally the trees clear out giving you vistas of the surrounding Cascade Mountains and the meandering valleys between. While approaching the last creek, Mt Baker makes itself known and stands tall above the meadows that now surround you as you approach the tree line.

Photos

Mt Baker and Glaciers. Taken from the Heliotrope Ridge Trail

Conclusion

I love this hike. It is beautiful from beginning to end, with the rolling glacial creeks, the giant trees, and the grand vistas over the valleys radiating from Mt. Baker. I’m a bit biased towards this hike since it was my first North Cascades hike, but I do highly recommend it if you get the chance.

Here’s a little video I put together of my hike here

Do you want to see more posts like this? Let me know! And do consider becoming a patron of my writing here:

Hiking the Heliotrope Ridge Trail A Hike up for Glacial Views Hiking the Heliotrope Ridge Trail in the North Cascades. As an Okie, seeing a glacier was not something I was likely to see without traveling very very far.

[jwdonley]

A Hike up for Glacial Views

Hiking the Heliotrope Ridge Trail in the North Cascades.

As an Okie, seeing a glacier was not something I was likely to see without traveling very very far. Even seeing substantial mountains in Oklahoma was not a real possibility. There were the Wichita Mountains down near Lawton but they were just a patch of high piles of granite boulders. All of it surrounded by plains which teeter on the edge of desert. It is beautiful out there. There are buffalo, and the rugged terrain is a welcome site in comparison to the forever rolling highways edged with billboard after billboard.

The Wichita’s are the best place to hike in that part of the country. But they do not compare in majesty to the North Cascades of NW Washington. Some call them the ‘American Alps’.

Recently I moved out of Oklahoma and up to Bellingham, WA. This is only 30 minutes South of the Canadian border. One of the best perks of living here is the easy access to outdoor adventure.

BHam (as the locals call it) is right on the shore of the Salish Sea. The beaches are less sandy and more rocky here, but the views out the San Juan Islands are amazing.

But to the west are the Cascade Mountains. The volcano, Mount Baker, is in view from everywhere. But it is about 40 miles away. As are all of the awesome trails that meander the sides of the volcano and the landscape surrounding it.

The Hike

The first hike I tried out in the Cascades is Heliotrope Ridge. This hike gets you up close and personal to Mount Baker and a couple of the glaciers anchored to it’s side. Trail is 2.5 miles one way. Almost all up hill. 1800 feet of elevation gain. (according to Dayhiking the North Cascades by Craig Romano)

The WTA

During this first hike I came across a WTA (Washington Trails Association) volunteer work crew. They are a local organization that helps to maintain the trails. They were out there digging drainage trenches and placing stones and logs to help in the steeper parts. I have great respect for all of volunteers who do this.

Trials on the Trail

I’m not in the best shape, so the first third of the trail is a grueling up hill trudge for me. But after a while you get to a point that you decide you’ve gone too far, and that you might as well just finish. It is then that the trail levels off a bit for quite a while. There are also a few creek crossings to beware of. The first is an easy stone hop across. The second is not as easy, but there were a couple logs laying over the top. The third isn’t too bad. But the last one is a doozy.

Both times I’ve gone out on this trail I’ve been stopped at this last crossing. The first time I could’ve gone across bare foot and dried off on the other side, but I was already too tired. The second time I came prepared with water proof socks and water shoes to change into. But the weather was substantially warmer, and the glacier above was melting fast enough to make the creek a danger to cross.

Note: Always remember that during the day the temperature will rise causing more glacier melt, which then causes the creeks to rise. Your trip back over the creeks will be more difficult.

Alternative Route

So instead I backtracked a bit on the trail and went up the summit route for a view of the glaciers. This route is used by those summiting Mt. Baker and is very steep. But you only have to go up a short distance to get above the tree line and see the Coleman and Roosevelt Glaciers.

Most of the hike you are surrounded by large trees. These trees put Oklahoma trees to shame. They tower above seemingly forever. Occasionally the trees clear out giving you vistas of the surrounding Cascade Mountains and the meandering valleys between. While approaching the last creek, Mt Baker makes itself known and stands tall above the meadows that now surround you as you approach the tree line.

Photos

Tall Trees in the Morning Mist

Trees Upon Trees

Some Local Fungus

Cascading Glacial Creek

Cascade Valleys

Coleman and Roosevelt Glaciers

Waterfall Above the Tree Line

Morning Dew

Spire Below the Canopy

Conclusion

I love this hike. It is beautiful from beginning to end, with the rolling glacial creeks, the giant trees, and the grand vistas over the valleys radiating from Mt. Baker. I’m a bit biased towards this hike since it was my first North Cascades hike, but I do highly recommend it if you get the chance.

Here’s a little video I put together of my hike here: [link to video]

Do you want to see more posts like this? Let me know! And do consider becoming a patron of my writing here: https://www.patreon.com/jwdonley

Hiking the Heliotrope Ridge Trail A Hike up for Glacial Views Hiking the Heliotrope Ridge Trail in the North Cascades. As an Okie, seeing a glacier was not something I was likely to see without traveling very very far.

[amaryria]

God they're so hot

spaus log - october #574564

⚠️ tw: mpreg ⚠️ even if mild but hUSH

server rp stuff for halloween 💜

stand-alone under here 👇

yeah so uh my roddi's in the server is trans and pregnant that's all thanks bye

and the crowd boos me