Cascade Loop Trail

You have to pass through Moran Sate Park to get to most points East of East Sound, Orcas Island. The park road lines Cascade Lake so you get a  nice tour of the lake that is 200 feet above sea level.
http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/cascade-lake

But our 2nd day on Orcas we decide on the Cascade Loop to see where it goes.

Back to the woods to escape the smoke, the water seems to help too.

Moran is a very popular spot for campers and Cascade Lake is pretty lively during the summer with small rental craft and even swimmers.

Tried to find out the name of that hill but even the locals I talked to did not know.

This tree we find is a popular spot with both locals and campers who know about the magic gained from jumping from the branches.

The foot bridge between Cascade Lake and Rosario Lagoon appears to be another popular jumping point.

Rosario Lagoon

Even the older kids take the Leap of Faith

There are two trails to rosario, we took the one made for mountain goats and turned around. We will try the other one next time. 

That afternoon I tried to capture what a setting sun looked like through the smoke. This picture for whatever reason does not show the red color that we were seeing. 

So as I zoomed in the color begins to show up in the pic.

Zoom in further and ....It was not this red to us but pretty close.

Cascade Loop Trail

The scene at Cascade Lake is like a scene out of a early 60's movie. Incredible lake at the foot of a mountain, with lots of happy campers, families, lots of kids of all ages.Row boats with people fishing a small pier with some catching trout, a roped off swimming area with lots of young children. rental kayaks, canoes, and paddle boats. The trail can easily be managed by most and we saw lots of kids running along wearing flip flops.

As the smoke does not seem to be diminishing we begin to learn of the severity of the fires in British Columbia. The Canadian Border is just a few miles from Orcas, and often you pick up their cell service so you have to be careful how you use your phone to avoid unexpected charges on your bill. We are learning how the fires started and why they are so severe. The spring was the wettest ever causing lots of undergrowth in the forest. Then all of a sudden it turns to record dry drying out the undergrowth. Then British Columbia experiences a never seen before series of lightening storms setting off all the fires in the dry undergrowth. Over 135 separate fires strain the Canadian fire response and over one million acres of fires threaten an area the size of the entire state of Delaware. The dense and record smoke will contribute in its own way to climate change.  And yet there are those that still believe that Climate Change is not real. 

Whatever, I'm not worried,  Mother Nature will win the battle even if it takes her thousands of years to correct the destruction humans have brought to bear. All the older generation who cant seem to believe that the rivers that is washing them away, the tornadoes that knock down their schools, and the fires that burn their homes down is due to global warming will soon age out and die away. Mother Nature will take care of the believers and the non-believers in the same way. One storm right after another, or just a few feet of sea rise to make them run away or die. Get rid of enough humans and the earth can return to normal.