Photographs Copyright 1982-2008 by Tom
Dempsey.
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I last updated this page on March 5, 2010. Send
comments to: tom@photoseek.com
Right: Mount Shuksan reflects in Highwood Lake. Fireweed blooms pink on the edge of the water. Mount Shuksan (9127 feet
elevation) is in North Cascades National Park, Washington. Highwood
Lake is in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National
Forest.
Index to Washington: Page 0: Highlights ~ map ~ 1 ~ 2 ~ 3
~ 4 ~ 5 ~ 6 ~ 7
- Page 1: Seattle Area: Seattle , Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island
- Page 2: North Cascade Mountains (this page) : guidebooks , Mount Baker , Mount
Shuksan , Sauk Mountain , Anacortes
, Grasshopper Pass , Maple
Pass , Rainy Pass SR20 , Hidden Lake Lookout
, Sahale Arm , 2a: Skagit Valley
Tulips
- Page 3: Whidbey & San Juan Islands:
Deception
Pass , Ebey's
Landing , Fort Casey
, Meerkerk
Gardens
- Page 4: Mountain Loop Highway: Glacier Peak , Mt Pilchuck , Green
Mountain , Gothic Basin , Lake 22 , Walt Bailey
Trail , plants,
flowers, insects , southern Mt Baker
-
Snoqualmie National Forest
- Page 5: Central Cascades, Highway 2 &
Interstate 90: Alpine
Lakes Wilderness (mountains, larch, mushrooms)
, Granite Mt
- Page 6: Southwest WA: Mt. Rainier , Goat Rocks , Mt. Adams , Mt. St. Helens
- Page 7: Olympic Peninsula: Lavender Farms , Olympic
National Park
This page describes outings and hikes in Whatcom
& Skagit Counties accessible from State Routes 20 and 542, from
Anacortes and Bellingham on Puget Sound eastwards to the North Cascades
Mountains. See bottom for a
Washington map.
Mount Shuksan
Left: Mount
Shuksan (North Cascades National Park), reflects
in Highwood Lake, which is located in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. [Published
in January/February 2002 Sierra Magazine, Sierra Club Outings]
Left: A lenticular (wave-shaped) cloud forms over Mount
Shuksan, seen from the south (near Lake Ann).
Below: Mount Shuksan reflects in the rippled surface of Picture Lake. Mount Shuksan (9127 feet elevation) is in North Cascades National
Park, Washington. Picture Lake is in Mount Baker - Snoqualmie National
Forest.
Left: From Herman Saddle on the Chain Lakes Loop Trail in Mount Baker Wilderness, view Mount Shuksan (9127 feet elevation), located in North Cascades National Park.
Below: A snowy Mount Shuksan (9127 feet elevation), located in North
Cascades National Park, reflects in Picture Lake, in Heather Meadows,
Mount Baker - Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington.
Above: Mount Shuksan (which is located in North Cascades National
Park)
reflects
in Picture Lake (located in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National
Forest).
Mount
Baker
Mount Baker: Artist Point
Below: Panorama of Mount Baker (summit 10,775
feet, upper right) and Baker Lake (far left) from
Artist
Point (stitched from 4 images):
Left: This map indicates Chain
Lakes Loop Trail, Heather Meadows, Artist Point, Picture Lake, Highwood
Lake, Lake Ann, Mount Baker Ski Area, Mount Baker Wilderness, Mount
Baker Snoqualmie National Forest, and Mount Baker Highway #542, in
Washington. An excellent starting point for the Chain Lakes Loop Trail
is marked "You Are Here".
Above: Artist Point gives you a great view of Mount Baker, located in Mount Baker Wilderness, North Cascades mountains, Washington.
Left: Hikers walk toward Anemone seed heads the Galena Chain Lakes Loop trail, in Mount Baker Wilderness.
Anemone occidentalis (Western pasqueflower) is an herbaceous plant
species in the genus Anemone (or Pulsatilla) and family Ranunculaceae.
Behind the Anemone is Mount Shuksan (9127 feet elevation), located in
North Cascades National Park. Anemone occidentalis is native to far
western North America including British Columbia to California and
Montana, found growing in gravelly soils on slopes and in moist meadows.
Mt. Baker: Galena Chain Lakes Loop Trail
One of the most rewarding hikes in Washington is the Galena Chain Lakes
Loop Trail in Heather Meadows, best from
summer through early October. On a clear day, you will find stunning views of Mount Shuksan, Mount
Baker and pretty lakes at almost every turn. In late
afternoon, don't
miss seeing Mount Shuksan reflected in Picture Lake or Highwood Lake, where Highway 542 splits into a one way loop around the lakes in Heather Meadows
Recreation Area. For a special treat, hike at
peak autumn color season in early October.
To start a shorter version of this hike, drive from Bellingham to the end of
the Mount Baker Highway 542 (see Heather Meadows map
above). At the Artist Point parking lot, start a 6 mile
out and
back walk to Chain Lakes (or 3 miles round trip to the Ptarmigan Ridge
turnoff; or 2.5 miles round trip to the top of Table Mountain). Even
better, hike the 9 mile Chain Lakes Loop
Trail counterclockwise starting from Austin Pass
Visitors Center or the Ski Area parking lot at Bagley Lakes in Heather
Meadows
Recreation Area. The best Chain Lakes Loop includes Bagley Lakes,
Herman Saddle, Chain Lakes (Iceberg Lake, Hayes
Lake, Mazama Lake), Artist Point, and Austin
Pass Visitors Center.
Above: Iceberg Lake lies beneath Table Mountain (left, 5742 feet
elevation) and snowy Mount Baker (10,781 feet), in Mount Baker
Wilderness, seen from Herman Saddle on the Chain Lakes Loop trail, in Mount Baker Wilderness. North Cascades, Washington, USA. (I stitched this panorama from 2 images).
Carol admires Mt. Shuksan (left, 9127 feet
elevation, in North
Cascades National Park) and Mount Baker (right 10,781 feet elevation) on the Chain Lakes Loop Trail in Mount Baker
Wilderness, in the North Cascades mountains of Washington. (I stitched this panorama from 8 images).
Left: Mount Shuksan rises to 9127 feet elevation in North Cascades
National Park, Washington. Photographed from the Chain Lakes Loop Trail.
Below: The volcanic summit of Mount Baker reaches to 10,781 feet
elevation in Mount Baker Wilderness, North Cascades mountains,
Washington.
Above: Freshly dusted with snow, Table Mountain reflects in Upper Bagley Lake, on the Chain Lakes
Loop Trail, in Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington, USA. (I stitched this panorama from 7 images).
Left: Frost heaves and ice formations grow on a freezing morning on the Chain Lakes Loop Trail.
Below:
Table Mountain reflects in a pond on the Chain Lakes Loop Trail, near
Austin Pass Visitor Center, in Heather Meadows, Mount Baker Snoqualmie
National Forest.
Left: Frost heaves grow over a wide area on a freezing morning on the
Chain Lakes Loop Trail, forming towers of ice one to three inches high.
Below: Fresh snow dusts Table Mountain, seen from a boardwalk in Heather Meadows on the Chain Lakes Loop Trail.
Left: Sunlight reflects in ripples from the outlet of Upper Bagley
Lake, on the Chain Lakes Loop Trail, in Mount Baker Snoqualmie National
Forest, Washington, USA
Below: Delicate frost heaves crystalize a couple of inches high on a
freezing morning in Heather Meadows on the Chain Lakes Loop Trail, in
Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest.
Left: Small columns of ice heave upwards on a freezing morning.
Below: Icicles grow on a freezing morning on the Chain Lakes Loop
Trail, in Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington, USA.
Frost heaves grow next to berries and autumn colored foliage on a
freezing morning on the Chain Lakes Loop Trail, in Mount Baker
Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington, USA.
Left: An Anemone occidentalis (Western pasqueflower) displays profuse seed heads in Mount Baker Wilderness on the Chain Lakes Loop trail. This herbaceous plant species in the genus Anemone (or Pulsatilla) and
family Ranunculaceae. Anemone
occidentalis is native to far western North America, from British
Columbia to California and Montana, found growing in gravelly soils on
slopes and in moist meadows.
Below: The seed head of Anemone occidentalis (Western pasqueflower) makes a hairy tangle.
Left: From Herman Saddle on the Chain Lakes Loop trail in Mount Baker
Wilderness, see Mount Shuksan (9127 feet elevation) to the east.
Below: Also from Herman Saddle, observe Mount Baker to the southwest.
Left: Mount Baker dominates over Iceberg Lake.
Below: The Chain Lakes Loop Trail passes through autumn red and yellow foliage along Iceberg Lake, beneath Mount
Baker.
Left: A fresh dusting of snow whitens the volcanic cone of Mount Baker, seen from Herman Saddle.
Below: Icicles hang from on evergreen needles in Mount Baker Wilderness, Washington, USA.
Left: Evergreens make a silhouette in front of Mount Baker (10,781
feet), in Mount Baker Wilderness, North Cascades mountains, Washington.
Below: Mount Baker caps the North Cascades mountains, in Mount Baker Wilderness, Washington.
Left:
Iceberg Lake nestles in an evergreen forest beneath Table Mountain
(5742 feet elevation) and snowy Mount Baker (10,781 feet), in Mount
Baker Wilderness, North Cascades mountains. (I stitched this panorama from 3 images).
Below: Fresh snow dusts the red North Cascade Mountain peaks of Nooksack
Ridge, in Mount Baker Wilderness, Washington, near the Canadian border. Photographed near
Austin Pass Visitors Center on the Chain Lakes Loop Trail below Artist
Point.
Above: Mt. Shuksan (left, 9127 feet
elevation, in North
Cascades National Park) and Mount Baker (right 10,781 feet elevation)
are seen from the Chain Lakes Loop Trail here in Mount Baker
Wilderness, in the North Cascades mountains of Washington. (I stitched this panorama from 9 images).
Mount Baker: The Railroad
Grade Hike
Left: Hiking the "Railroad Grade," a lateral moraine of the Easton
Glacier on the south side of Mount Baker. Mount Baker National
Recreation
Area.
Below: Hiking the "Railroad Grade" beneath Mount Baker
(summit=10,775
feet).
Left: Hikers traverse the "Railroad Grade", a lateral moraine of the
Easton
Glacier in Mount Baker National Recreation
Area, adjacent to Mount Baker Wilderness.
Below: Hikers walk beside the Easton Glacier in Mount Baker National Recreation
Area.
Left: Several hikers pause beside the Easton Glacier in Mount Baker
National Recreation
Area.
Below: Twin Sisters Mountain in Mount Baker Wilderness is visible from the Railroad Grade
on Mount Baker within Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
Mount Baker: Excelsior Pass Hike
Left: Heather blooms on Excelsior Pass and Mt Baker rises to 10,775
feet, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
Below right: View of Mt Baker (10,775 feet) from Excelsior Pass,
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
Mount Baker: Church Mountain Hike
Above: Panorama from Church Mountain to Mount Shuksan, to Mount
Baker. Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington, USA. (Tom
Dempsey stitched this panorama from 10 images.)
Left: Three hikers walk a switchback on Church Mountain trail, in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, in the North Cascades, Washington, USA.
Below: A Tiger Lily (or Columbia Lily, Lilium columbianum) blooms
on Church
Mountain across from Mount Baker, in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
Left: Tiger Lily (or Columbia Lily), on Church Mountain in mid-July,
Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
Left: Mount Baker (10,775 feet) is dusted with
volcanic sulphur
emissions,
seen from the Lake Ann trail (where I proposed marriage to my wife
Carol).
Below: Monkey-flower (Mimulus) on Church Mountain,
with
Mt. Baker in the distance.
Left: Green flowers bloom on Church Mountain, with Mt. Baker in
the distance.
Below: Pretty blue butterflies alight on Church Mountain.
Sauk Mountain
Left: Three hikers cross a snowfield on Sauk Mountain in view of
Glacier Peak. Sauk Mountain is an easy day hike of 4 miles round trip
and 1100 feet vertical gain, near the town of Concrete, Washington, on
State Route 20, the North Cascades Highway.
Below: Phlox alpine flowers glow with a pinkish lavender color on Sauk Mountain, Washington.
Left: The graded trail zig zags up Sauk Mountain, with a view to Mount Baker, in Mount
Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
Below: A Glacier Lily blooms on Sauk Mountain in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, near the town of
Concrete.
Above: From atop Sauk Mountain, I captured this wide
panorama of the North Cascade Mountains from Mount Baker southwards
(scroll right to see all). To the right and
far below the hikers is the Sauk River at its
confluence with the Skagit River. (I stitched this panorama from 12 images).
See separate page 2a.
Above: Mount Baker rises above early yellow blooms in the tulip
fields of the Skagit River Valley on April 3, 2008. For more Skagit
flower images, see Washington page 2a.
Above: In the Skagit River Delta in winter and spring, snow
geese fuel up, bond with a mate, then fly 2500 miles to wild Wrangel
Island for breeding in the Russian Arctic, with a stopover in the
Fraser River Valley in British Columbia. These snow geese from Skagit County are the only snow geese that winter in North America and
breed in Asia. (Reference: The Nature Conservancy)
Anacortes & Mount Baker
Left: Old ship at dock in Anacortes, with Mount Baker (10,775 feet)
rising in the distance.
Left: Oil refinery in Anacortes.
Below: Oil tankers come and go in Anacortes, fueling
the
northwest economy. Mount Baker is visible 40 miles in the distance.
Left: Decaying old dock in Anacortes.
Below: Abstract concrete.
Grasshopper Pass, Larch Color
Above: The needles of deciduous larch trees turn gold in the
fall, between Harts Pass and
Grasshopper
Pass, on the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, in the North Cascade
Mountains, Okanogan National Forest.
Left: Golden larch trees on Grasshopper Pass, Pacific Crest
National
Scenic
Trail, Okanogan National Forest, North Cascades Mountains.
Below: A vista of golden larch trees between Harts Pass and
Grasshopper
Pass, Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, Okanogan National Forest.
Maple Pass
Left: Carol hikes the Maple Pass Loop Trail through autumn colors, in Okanogan National
Forest, North
Cascades.
Below: Carol hikes the Maple Pass Loop Trail in the North
Cascade Mountains, Okanagon National Forest.
Below: Here on the Maple Pass Loop Trail, Carol walks on the
border of North Cascades National Park, looking towards Lake Ann in
Okanogan
National Forest. Lake Ann is a great side trip from the Pacific
Crest
National Scenic Trail at Rainy Pass, Washington.
Rainy Pass
Above: Carol hikes the Maple Pass Loop Trail above the North Cascades Highway
(Washington State Route 20) at Rainy Pass, Okanagon National Forest.
Hidden Lake Lookout
Left and below: Carol hikes with poles near Hidden Lake Lookout, North Cascades National
Park. [Left image Published in
January/February
2003
Sierra Magazine, Sierra Club
Outings.]
Below: Dome Peak is seen from Hidden Lake Peaks Lookout, North Cascades, Washington.
Below: This panorama from Hidden Lake Peaks Lookout includes El
Dorado
Peak, Hidden Lake, Boston Peak, Mount Forbidden, Dome Peak, Glacier
Peak,
& Mt. Baker. North Cascades National Park and Mount
Baker-Snoqualmie
National Forest. (Scroll window right to see wide panorama):
Sahale Arm, North Cascades National Park
El Dorado Peak (left) and Forbidden Peak (right), as seen from
Sahale Arm in North Cascades
National Park.
Above: Doubtful Lake and the Stehekin Valley, as seen from Sahale
Arm, in North Cascades
National Park (Panorama stitched from 9 images).
Above: Stehekin Valley, as seen from Sahale Arm, in North Cascades
National Park (Panorama stitched from 6 images).
Left: Tom and
Forbidden Peak reflect in a tarn on Sahale Arm in North
Cascades
National Park.
Below: Carol ascends Sahale Arm in North
Cascades
National Park. The Triplets are the sharp peaks on the left, and
Cascade Peak is on the right.
Above: The Triplets are the sharp peaks on the left, and Cascade Peak
is on the right. North Cascades
National Park.
Above: A big wall on the hike to Cascade Pass, seen in the evening.
Below: the same wall in the morning:
Hikers on Sahale Arm admire El Dorado Peak (left) and Forbidden
Peak (far right) in North Cascades
National Park.
Above: Forbidden Peak reflects in a small pond on Sahale
Arm in North Cascades
National Park.
Above: El Dorado Peak in North Cascades
National Park.
Above: Peaks in North Cascades National Park.
Recommended hiking guidebooks: The "100 Hikes"
series published by The Mountaineers, Seattle.
Washington Map
Washington Page 2: North Cascade Mountains : Mount Baker , Mount
Shuksan , Sauk Mountain , Skagit Valley
Tulips ,
Anacortes
, Grasshopper Pass , Maple
Pass , Rainy Pass SR20 , Hidden Lake Lookout , Sahale Arm
Guidebooks: I recommend any of following books from
Amazon.com for hikers and bicyclists:
Index to Washington:
Page 0: Highlights ~ map ~ 1 ~ 2 ~ 3
~ 4 ~ 5 ~ 6 ~ 7
- Page 1: Seattle Area: Seattle , Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island
- Page 2: North Cascade Mountains (to top of this page): guidebooks , Mount Baker , Mount
Shuksan , Sauk Mountain , Anacortes
, Grasshopper Pass , Maple
Pass , Rainy Pass SR20 , Hidden Lake Lookout
, Sahale Arm , 2a: Skagit Valley
Tulips
- Page 3: Whidbey & San Juan Islands:
Deception
Pass , Ebey's
Landing , Fort Casey
, Meerkerk
Gardens
- Page 4: Mountain Loop Highway: Glacier Peak , Mt Pilchuck , Green
Mountain , Gothic Basin , Lake 22 , Walt Bailey
Trail , plants,
flowers, insects , southern Mt Baker
-
Snoqualmie National Forest
- Page 5: Central Cascades, Highway 2 &
Interstate 90: Alpine
Lakes Wilderness (mountains, larch, mushrooms)
, Granite Mt
- Page 6: Southwest WA: Mt. Rainier , Goat Rocks , Mt. Adams , Mt. St. Helens
- Page 7: Olympic Peninsula: Lavender Farms , Olympic
National Park
Back to Photoseek home. ~ Tom's Portfolio of
Published Images ~ My Fine Art Gallery ~ Buy My Images ~ The Best Travel Cameras ~ About This Web Site
Washington Page 2: North Cascade Mountains : Mount Baker , Mount
Shuksan , Sauk Mountain , Skagit Valley
Tulips ,
Anacortes
, Grasshopper Pass , Maple
Pass , Rainy Pass SR20 , Hidden Lake Lookout , Sahale Arm
