On Sunday, October 10th, Reconnect Earth set out for Lost Lake on Chuckanut Mountain, our first Fall 2021 day hike for students. After meeting at the North Chuckanut Mountain Trailhead just south of Bellingham, we followed the Hemlock and North Lost Lake Trails through forests of Douglas-firs, western red cedars, big leaf maples, and other Northwest trees. Along the way we stopped frequently to identify plants, look at fall mushrooms, and admire the Chuckanut sandstone cliff formations that towered above the trail as we drew near to the lake.

On arriving at Lost Like itself, our group took some time to enjoy the sunshine by the lake’s edge as we listened to Douglas squirrels and a barred owl calling from in the trees. Before leaving, we came together for an activity that involved making a large map of the area around Bellingham with lengths of rope and sticks from the forest floor. We moved ourselves to different points on the map in response to a series of prompts, including “Go to the place where you spend most of your time,” “Go to a place that you associate with nature,” and “Go to the place your water comes from,” learning in the process about our local landscape and how we each interact with it as individuals.

Finally, it was time to begin hiking back to the trailhead–though we stopped along the way for an action opportunity, writing letters to U.S. Representative Rick Larsen about the importance of federal action on climate change. By the time we neared the trailhead, dusk was beginning to fall and we heard the sound of a great horned owl hooting as it wakened from its daytime slumber. It was a fitting reminder that we share Bellingham’s landscape with many wild creatures whose lives may touch our own.

Want to join Reconnect Earth’s hike? Check out upcoming events here!