Leaving Mountain-Free Texas To Hike With Maxine In The Noisy-Diobsud Wilderness

In the picture you are in the Noisy-Diobsud Wilderness in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest on the west slope of the North Cascades, a few miles northeast of my old home zone in Mount Vernon, Washington.

Very specifically, you are looking at Watson and Anderson Lakes, with one lake up close and one in the distance.

Maxine sent me this picture today. Maxine hiked to this location over the weekend. Maxine has visited me at my location in Texas. Maxine knows how scenery deprived my location in Texas is.

I don't think Maxine sent me this picture to make me homesick, but that has been the result.

In 6 days it will be exactly 5 years since I have hiked in an actual mountain zone. That mountain would be Mount Rainier.

One of the very first times I hiked in the Cascade Mountains was with Maxine.

Me, Maxine and Miss Mac.

That hike was up the south slope of Mount Baker. Mount Baker is one of Washington's 5 active volcanoes.

I don't know how many active volcanoes there are in Texas. Most likely none. Seems like there'd be some, what with all the underground explosive material in the form of oil and shale.