Blanchard Mountain is Bellingham's version of Tiger Mountain, with a network of trails that can be hiked year-round.
It takes several visits to get to know the mountain; after a recent hike to Samish Overlook, we returned to explore one of the trails that leads to Lily Lake.
A smattering of small lakes adds spice to the second-growth forest of Blanchard Mountain, a result of logging in the 1920s and '30s. A lake always makes a good destination and since many lakes are still snowbound, Lily and nearby Lizard lakes were ideal.
By Karen Sykes | March 16, 2000
