Anyway, back to the title of the post. Oyster Dome. Yesterday, I hiked Oyster Dome in the Chuckanut Mountains (cool name, eh?) just south of Bellingham by Lake Samish. I have been eager to hike Oyster Dome for some time since it is usually clear of snow year-round and instead of the usual Cascade range hike, you get sweeping views of Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands. Ergo, sunny Saturday... Oyster Dome... with ulterior motives to also visit the Boundary Bay Brewery in Bellingham for some Northwest goodness in the form of microbrew.
Oyster Dome is approximately 6.8 miles round trip with an elevation gain of around 2,000 feet. So it's easier than Mount Si but not a walk in the park. There were parts of the trails that were, how do I say, steep. And I forgot my hiking boots to boot so I was operating with no tread, mud, and a genetic penchant for clumsiness. However, with only a few trips and slips, we made it to Oyster Dome for a great view of the San Juan Islands and Puget Sound. Some high overcast made Olympic Mountain views limited, but nonetheless, it was impressive and worth the climb.
Below the Oyster Dome itself, there are a series of bat caves (for the winged mammal, not the bat mobile). We stopped for a short peak into these, though the entrances were small and cramped so we opted not to go spelunking this time. After tromping our way back down the trail, we set off north on Chuckanut Drive with Boundary Bay on the brain.For a Seattle girl, I do so enjoy Bellingham. It has a much more relaxed vibe, with younger, easier going folks and wide, empty streets. Boundary Bay was fun with lots of great beer, good food, and some ridiculously spicy Thai vinagrette salad dressing for a ginormous small house salad. It was a good end to a good hike and great day. Once there is a bit more snowmelt, I'll be back up north for camping at Baker Lake and hopefully rafting on the Nooksack River.
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