Opinion A stunning area of endless views and superb ridge walking, this area is simply sublime hiking terrain. And remarkably easy to reach, provided the road is open. July is a great time to visit with all the wildflowers in bloom, but I imagine autumn is at least as good. Fact Canyon Creek Road was … Continue reading Excelsior Pass, 20-21 Jul 2019
Tag: Mount Baker
Church Mountain, 15 Jun 2019
Opinion Wow! I'd been putting off this hike for so long because it looked steep and not particularly impressive (the photo in the Copelands' guide book is not at all inspiring!) but this is an exceptional hike with superb meadows and fantastic 360-degree views at the summit. Don't be put off by the number of … Continue reading Church Mountain, 15 Jun 2019
Goat Mountain, 6 Jun 2019
Opinion A steep but steady hike up into some lovely meadows and a superb viewpoint over the valley. It's certainly worth doing to this point, especially with the number of glacier lilies currently in bloom, but I can't help thinking that it's just the beginning of the good stuff. Next time we'll return to head … Continue reading Goat Mountain, 6 Jun 2019
Heliotrope Ridge, 11 Nov 2018
Opinion Talk about a high reward-to-effort ratio! I'd seen plenty of photos from previous trips but nothing beats seeing the view of the ice shards and crevasses of the Coleman Glacier in person, all with a stunning view of Mt Baker itself. Not only that, the road access is largely paved. A great hike for … Continue reading Heliotrope Ridge, 11 Nov 2018
Ptarmigan Ridge, 15 Aug 2015
Truly a superlative hike and one well worth doing as an overnighter. But as all the guide books say, seriously think twice about doing this trail in poor visibility. We were fortunate that our faith in the weather forecast paid off: we had persistent drizzle and poor visibility all day until a brief clearing just … Continue reading Ptarmigan Ridge, 15 Aug 2015