If there’s one thing Washington’s Mt. Baker is famous for, it’s snow. In 2006, Baker set the world record for annual snowfall with nearly 96 feet of powder. Every winter, the mountain’s northeastern slopes are alive with powderhounds seeking out first tracks both inbounds and out. The best way to experience this iconic PNW volcano is to snowshoe or ski tour up to Artist and Huntoon Points for an overnight adventure.
Oh man, I’ve been way too busy climbing and not blogging enough. Is it okay if I still talk about chasing fall color even though fall color is fading faster than fast? After oogling at glaciers and Mt. Baker the day before, I headed deeper into the North Cascades with my good friend, Jessica, for a romp on the Heather-Maple Pass trail.
I always make it a point to see her when in Seattle. She’s a great blogger friend who kind of just gets me, and I’ve hiked with her previously on the Mountain Loop Highway and at Ebey’s Landing. This time she brought along one of her puppies! Yep, she really did hike Heather-Maple Pass with her wiener.
A few years ago I stumbled across something called Twitter chats, specifically #hikerchat. From there, numerous adventure friend relationships spawned across the country. I’m so lucky to call Lee, the founder of the illustrious Washington Hikers & Climbers Facebook group, one of my good friends. He knows the best spots in Washington and is always happy to hike with the biggest smile on his face. This time around we headed out to Mt. Baker to check out one of his favorite spectacular spots, just off the beaten path.
When Lee Jacobson tells you you’re going hiking, you’re going hiking. And to end 2014, hike is what we did. A motley crue of #hikerchat friends headed north to Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve to catch the sunset over the Olympic Peninsula.
Jessica from You Did What With Your Wiener was kind enough to pick Tara and me up from Seattle to whisk us by ferry to meet up with Lee and Terry. The sun was shining. The mountain was out. We soaked in the spectacular weather and drank ciders as the sun sank for the last time in 2014. There’s nothing quite like walking along the beach as the last light fades behind you with good company.
Happy New Year, friends! I wish there were words to adequately describe the awesomeness of how I kicked off the new year. I barely made it past midnight, but the next morning, I set off to see the Big Four Ice Caves with Lee, Tara, Mike, Terry and John.
It’s not the biggest adventure, or even the most badass, but the ice caves were a spectacular sight. The company, even better. Sometimes it’s not about the destination. Sometimes it’s just about who you’re with (or the journey, ha, ha). Cheers to 2015! Looking forward to hanging out with you all!
