Lake Ann did not disappoint. Breathtaking vistas, meadows, glaciers, and of course the lake. It is…read morerated on the Washington Trails Association as a HARD hike. Approximately 8.2 miles round trip 1900 feet elevation gain, with the highest point 4900 feet. I do recommend getting there early, before 9am, as the parking lot is very small and fills quickly! 4 stars because of the crowds. The trail starts downhill which is a confidence booster especially when you are backpacking. But what goes down, must come up! The last mile is probably what classifies this hike as hard. Hiking up, over loose gravel and boulders and up to almost 5000 feet elevation is difficult for us non-Colorado living people. On the trail you cross many small creek beds that were almost all dried up when we went here at the end of the summer. There is plenty of water at the lake for water source. There are multiple well groomed areas for tents along the trail uphill from the lake. I appreciated these spots at night when the mosquitoes came out and we're a nuisance (only when getting water). Speaking of night... do dress for cold weather! You do get the breeze coming off of Shuksan's glaciers. Very little salmon berries left on the main trail but plenty of huckleberries left. Night time is beautiful. The sky is completely full of stars and the sound of waterfalls coming out of the glaciers is relaxing. No campfires allowed at the lake. Pack out trash and human and animal waste. Trailhead provides blue bags for this.

If you're a hiker: Lake Ann is a gorgeous place to camp! You have sweeping views of Mt Shuksan and…read moreit's cracking Upper and Lower Glaciers. Rushing waterfalls augment the flanks of these enormous sheets of ice. The lake is a deep blue and there is plenty of flat space to find the perfect camp site. If you're a climber: this makes for a LONG summit day. Best to keep moving and camp higher on the peak.

I've crossed the bridge over the Nooksack River by car and have contemplated stopping to check it…read moreout for years. This weekend, I finally did. If you are headed east on Mt. Baker Highway, turn right just before you reach the roundabout. This single lane road will lead you past the WHS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, and then the road will turn rough with gravel. Keep going about 50 more yards, and on your left, you will find about 5 parking spots in front of a grassy field. Follow the trail sign and tree-lined path to the water where you will have spectacular views of snow-capped Mt. Baker. The Nooksack river will be flowing pretty fast all year long, but is more calm along the shoreline where you might consider dipping your toes during the summer. The cold river water will feel good on a hot day. Unfortunately, the beach is rocky, so bring some sturdy water shoes for navigating the plethora of pebbles and boulders. Leashed dogs are allowed here too, but I saw plenty running free on both sides of the shore. One dog kept charging and barking at me despite his owner's best efforts to recall and control him by voice. According to one park sign, you can fish here. I'm not sure if there are designated points. I didn't see any bathroom or picnic table facilities, so "go" before you arrive and bring your own blankets, towels and chairs if you plan on hanging out. The park is open from sunrise to sunset which is great for those wanting to photograph the natural beauty of this place.

I like this hidden little park. There are about 5 parking spots available to use but the location…read moreis hidden from the street so there are seldom anyone here during the weekdays. One thing that I like a lot about this park is the open field adjacent to the river. I have flown my drone around to get footage of the river and mountains and the views are amazing! Plenty of rocky shoreline to relax by the water as well.

Very beautiful views, calm spot when no one is around. Can get crowded during nicer times of the…read moreyear. No bathroom almost pooped myself but overall a lovely experience.

The perfect spot for beautiful views of the bay and relaxation. The trail to/from the water is…read morenarrow and steep at times. There are some steps along the path, which makes the hike a little bit easier. This is an ideal spot to lay under the stars and snuggle up with someone. There's some light pollution from the city, but it doesn't take much from the starry night experience. This is rumored to be a nude beach area. I believe that it may have been at some point, but isn't considered to be one now. There are two beach areas. No bathrooms. As usual, parking at the trailhead is a risk. You may return to your car to find a shattered window. Don't leave anything visible.

A Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful Pass is required. Day passes are available near…read morethe bathrooms. This hiking area is heavily populated with rangers so do yourself a favor and purchase the day pass if needed. The parking lot has about 160 spaces and every single space was taken by the time we completed our hike. This is area draws large crowds. There are several trail-heads that can be accessed from this parking area. The views are amazing! This hike can be anywhere from 4 miles to 9 miles round-trip. The choice is yours to decide how far to hike. Ptarmigan Ridge is considered "intermediate." As always, listen to your body and know your own limitations. The terrain is rocky and narrow at times. Due to the high altitude, expect snow no matter what the season. There is minimal shade on this hike so be sure to wear a hat and sunscreen. If you have hiking poles, it's a good idea to pack them. Poles come in handy when crossing large patches of snow. Pack plenty of water! This whole hike is above-timberline. Lots of alpine trees, meadows, snow patches and wildflowers. During the day of our hike many people witnessed mountain goats in the meadows. Unfortunately, we did not spot a single mountain goat. Bummer! Overall, if you have time for only one hike in the Mount Baker area, make it this one. The views are incredible, the hike is achievable, and the wildflower medley is stunning. As always, if you pack it in, be sure to pack it out.

With sweeping views and wonderful vistas, everyone should try this trail. I have lead those from…read morethe city (who were not the hiking types) and the trail is easy enough for about a mile/mile and a half to soak up the views and get a taste of what this area has to offer. You will still need solid walking shoes as the trail is covered in gravel and rocks with a large portion of the trail extending from a slope. The best time to visit is in August through early October, but preferably August since the snow will be completely gone from the trails and the days will be warm and sunny. You may see Pikas, largish rodents that live in the hills. You can hear them chirping and they are cute little suckers. Bears have been spotted in the early season, since they are waking up from their winter slumber. I have camped overnight on this trail during this time and you are required to keep food up and away from your tent site. But I have never had issues in the past years that I have camped here.

Honestly not sure if there is a better view to be had! You could just take it in from the parking…read morelot (it's worth the drive up), or embark on one of many hikes which originate from the trail head. Even the short trails give you unbeatable views of Baker and Shuksan. Definitely check snow and weather conditions before you drive up, especially in the shoulder season. It's otherwise usually closed in the winter. Will be back for sure!

World class views and potential photos here with minimal effort so long as the snow conditions are…read morenot a problem for your vehicle, driving skills, or patience.

In 1985 a geology professor came up with the concept of types of fun which is a scale that outdoor…read moreenthusiasts use today. Type 1 is experiencing fun in the moment. Type 2 is looking back on a strenuous experience which was not fun in the moment but fun in retrospect. Type 3 is zero fun. No fun in the moment and no fun in retrospect. I just came back from the AAI alpinism 1 course and this was definitely type 2 fun. The course for a true novice like me is designed to take you out of your comfort zone and experience something radically different from what you are used to. Although it was quite strenuous for me, looking back on it, I'd do it again. Before you tackle this course, don't do what I did to train. Most of my time was in the gym, doing heavy leg and back work. While this is useful, a better approach would have been to practice hiking up hill with a pack. This is the strategy that one of my team mates used and it makes total sense for the hiking portions of the course. I'll detail the trip: 7 am: show up early like 645 to the store. Here you will go over all your gear and get rentals. One thing I would advise is to purchase a down sleeping bag of your own to minimize weight and volume. The rental bag at the store is a mountain hardware lamina synthetic bag which is very warm but bulky and will take up a bunch of space in your pack. Most things I rented. I definitely agree with a four season double wall tent. A single wall is not a great idea in the early season. If this is your first time, rent as much as you can to see what works for you and what doesn't do you can buy your own gear later. The first day is rock climbing at Mt Erie. After the gear review at the shop, you will get into a van and carpool to Mt Erie. Having never done this before, it was fun and totally safe since you do have belay devices etc. if I could do it again, I would practice for a couple weeks on an indoor rock wall. After the first day you go to a campground and spend the night. There are showers there so take advantage while you can. The second day is the day that will really test your mettle. You drive from the campground to the trailhead area at Baker. In the early season, there will be a lot of wet heavy snow on the ground. The hike is 5-6 miles uphill (sometimes very steep) carrying a 50-60 lb pack on snowshoes. If you haven't done this before, this is where endurance training comes in. Don't take this lightly. You then make it to basecamp and set up. Third day: recovery day. You learn self arrest, rope tying, and picket anchoring for crevasse rescue. Fourth day: steep hike up to the glacier to practice crevasse rescue. This was probably one of the hardest uphill hikes I have ever done but the views were amazing. Look up some videos beforehand on crevasse rescue. Fifth day: probably a summit day if weather permits. This is an 8 hour hike from base camp to the summit. Since I was the slowest one on the hike in and up to the glacier, I opted out and hung out at basecamp to recover. Summit day is probably more unpredictable in the early season. It was raining and was overcast on the summit that day. Sixth day: hike out. This is naturally much easier and faster than the hike in. All in all, I was glad I did this. My guide was Andrew who was amazing and gave me some much needed pep talks during hiking. In fact all the guys in the course were awesome and kept me going and encouraging me to keep pushing forward. In sum, a great course if you're thinking about taking it. Just train properly with a mix of strength and endurance work and some practice rock climbing. If you do this kind of preparation, you may get closer to type 1 fun rather than type 2.

I took the Alpinism 1 course with AAI, the last course of the season. It was an amazing experience…read more We covered everything from glaciology to glacier travel, and crevasse rescue systems. Even though it was a late-season course with no snow, the guides improvised creative demonstrations for skills like snow anchors so we didn't miss out on the learning. They were patient, kind, funny, and extremely knowledgeable, creating a supportive learning environment and providing clear, helpful feedback. By the end of the course I felt confident in my ability to be a safe member of a rope team. I would 100% recommend this course to anyone interested in mountaineering.

There isn't a more quintessential park in the Bellingham area than Berthusen Park. When you pull…read moreinto the driveway, you pass a red barn into a deep forest. There are several parking areas each by shaded playgrounds. There's a public restroom and trails that take you onto the forest with stunning Pacific Northwest views.

Super cool old growth park in Lynden. I came with my bicycle based on a recommendation and was not…read moredisappointed. There are so many trails that one can cover in a relatively short amount of time. Trail information can be obtained through a pamphlet provided at the park. I was able to ride through a few trails and chose to walk others due to hills. As a new cyclist, I'd have hurt myself because it was an especially wet day. There's a playground, facilities, and picnic areas. The information pamphlet also provides a short history of how the land became a park. Very cool and beautiful place. I'll likely visit anytime I find myself in Lynden.

The lava beds are found under ground. There is a wooden stair case to enter. The cave is small but…read morewonderful. It's not much of a hike either, you park and walk a few steps and your there. Bring a sweater, flashlight and hard hat.