Whatcom Falls Park walk

I went for a walk in Whatcom Falls Park today, and I think today is my last day in Bellingham.

I used to go through the park all the time with a bicycle and a fishing pole when I was a kid, and it hasn't changed that much. There is an old stone bridge where I had my first kiss when I was a junior in High School... And the main falls next to that bridge still look the same.



There are a bunch of falls, and I wandered down along the stream to see them all.


There is a place where you can go and jump in off of a cliff...


Bellingham has made most of the trails into official trails, with gravel everywhere, but there is a section of the creek that doesn't have an official trail next to it, and I had to fight my way through the small paths to get there...


And then there was a big fire in 1999 where a gasoline pipeline exploded, and the trees are still all dead.


The tallest falls are in the burnt zone, and they used to be the secret place that only the cool kids knew how to get to. You have to scramble down a steep slope to get to them. It was very bright, since the trees are all dead, so I didn't get any good pictures. Also the creek is very high right now, so I didn't walk around in the water.


Then as I was coming back, I saw a few more things.


I will miss Bellingham, this is a great time to be here, and to be outside. I'm going for a hike this weekend, which will be more like a mad run, up in the Enchantments, an area near Leavenworth. We will run or walk and try to do lots of miles each day, but returning to base camp each time. I hope it is fun. Then Tuesday I go back to the humidity. Puerto Vallarta is very hot right now and very humid. And I need to find a cheap hotel near the airport to stay in for one night if anybody has ideas....

I went for a hike up to the Bat Caves a little while ago, and it has a nice view over the San Juan Islands. With little boats sailing around!