We made it to Vancouver and no worse for wear. It only took 15 days…and people doubted us.

We left Bothell, WA this morning at 8:00 AM, 60 degrees and headed back up I-5. Given our experience yesterday with the Skagit River detour, we were ready to spend an hour in Mt. Vernon. But it didn't happen. We drove right through town, never stopped once for a light, crossed the bridge and were back on I-5 in about 5 minutes. Timing is everything.

Where the view of the mountains was clear and bright yesterday, it was not the case today. The many peaks to the east were mere silhouettes in the early morning haze. Mt. Baker was still visible because of its bright snow cover, but still it was dimmed by the white mask cast on it by hanging moisture in the air. I had expected to get a better view of it as we drove further north, however the corridor of tall pine trees and rolling hills along the road prevented us from seeing mountains for much of the drive.

As we moved further north, we drove through foothill with lush covers of tall pines. And we saw a lake nestled down with hills encircling it like protective armor. Some of the hills presented gray stone faces peeking out of the green blanket, trees growing out of rocks, towering over the roadway and reaching for the sky, with trunks twisted from their hillside roots.

Eventually we reached the border and waited in line to be scrutinized by the Canadian Border Agents. There were 10 gates, but only two were open. Finally we had our turn. The agent asked where we lived and we told him. And he asked if we had driven all that way and we told him, yes. And he appeared to be surprised. He walked around the car to look at our license plate and returned to his perch in the tiny guard house and asked again "did you drive all the way up here?" And again we told him, yes. He was pleasant. He looked at our passports, asked a few more questions and told us to have a nice visit. And we were on our way. He didn’t even ask for Beamer’s papers. Beamer got a free pass. That only took about half an hour. Hopefully the return trip through American Customs will be as easy.

Half an hour later we were in Vancouver. And the city welcomed us by this incredible white suspension bridge, with rods of steel meshed together in harmonious rhythm to hold the span high above the water, the span that took us into the city. It was early in the day, so we drove around taking in the vibrant atmosphere that is a city of young people, walking, running, riding bikes, hiking up mountains, all so hale and healthy. We found the Sunset Beach along the water where pleasure boats and tankers live together, where three paths are carved out, one for pedestrians, one for bike traffic going north and one for bike traffic going south. And care needs be taken not to step into a path without carefully looking to see what is coming, for it will not stop for you.

We drove into North Vancouver and up Mt. Seymour, hoping to catch a view of the city from across the river. We were not lucky enough to find one, however we did find a ski resort that serves as a hiker’s haven in the off season. And we watched with amazement the bikers with calves of steel and thighs of massive muscle who peddled the 7 mile uphill climb and made it to the top and back down again. Oh, to be young once more.

We checked into our hotel at 5 PM and spent our wine hour modifying plans for the next few days before having a salad for dinner. Tomorrow, Mt. Rainer, maybe. It will all depend on the weather, which seems to be cloudy a lot of the time. But this is the northwest, now isn’t it.