Click the link for Washington Trails Association web page with directions and details on this knock-out hike:
Glacier, WA in February for "snowboarding and golf vacation". Well, actually I was on a "hang out with the dogs, read books, eat food, and hike" vacation. Either way, it was lovely. We drove several hours from Glacier to check out the Baker River Trail hike. Again, we picked this out of a Northern Cascades Wilderness hike book from our local library. It's great to have the book with you when you are on the trail, in case you get turned around, or arrive at a closed trail and have to pick something else, etc.
This entire trail was filled with ancient cedars, and petrified logs. Don't be fooled by the sunshine, as it was quite cold out! A good portion of the rock areas on the trail were frozen over. The trail was in beautiful condition considering the warnings we saw in our books stating the several areas that were damaged or washed out from the large flood in 2006. We did not see any other hikers, but you can tell the trail has been cared for and well maintained throughout the season. It seems as though this trail could be treaterous depending on the weather deep in to winter. Had there been snow, we may not have been able to have the same access.
There are a few areas where you have to cross a small creek, make sure you have ways of staying dry. A few miles in you will come to the boundary for the North Cascades National Park (dogs not allowed past this point). If you continue past, in half a mile you will come to an epic camp site just south of Sulphide Creek, where if water is low you can walk out to an unbelievable view of Mount Shuksan (pictured below). This is a great spot to set up shop for lunch. If you head back at this point, you'll make it a 5 mile in and back hike.
This is serious business folks.
Maggie trying to follow my lead in manuevering the icy trail.
Frozen steps, all over the trail. Quite pretty, and oh so slippery!
Tom crossing some very cold water!
So many huge ancient cedars on this hike, what a treat.
"I'm goin' where the sun keeps shinin', through the pourin rain...."
Insect Art
Timmy and Tommy at the National Park Border (No dogs allowed past here)
Knockout View of Mt. Shuksan. She's a beaut Clark!
Great little camp spot close to the river. Again, no dogs allowed here, it's National Park land.
It was quite a breathtaking hike.
(below) Someone's been busy!
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