Grandy lake is but a shadow of what it once was. I grew up in the 60's fishing the lake. It was not…read moreover grown with weeds and the camp ground tho primitive at the time was adequate. Fishing was excellent as was the crayfishing until a commercial trapper hit the lake and others nearby. Only thing that has not changed is the mosquito's

First off the campground is ok, and views are lovely, but it seems they are letting people stay for…read morelong periods, perhaps living there. This has resulted in less sites and lots of garbage laying around. Very disappointing and it did not feel safe.

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.

This hike is very intense but very pretty. The beginning part of the hike is full of switchbacks in…read morea wooded area. Then, you cross through an overgrown thicket that may contain stinging nettles. There are lots of files and bugs during this part. After the thicket is another wooded area with a couple of streams running through the path (but there are bridges so you're shoes probably won't get wet). Towards the end of this section, there is a fork in the road that is kind of hard to see. One path takes you to the lookout tower and the other takes you to mirror lake, where you can call overnight with a permit. If you're going to the tower, the next area you'll walk through is the spectacular Alpine meadow full of flowers and the beginnings of views of the surrounding mountains. After that the remainder of the hike until the top is relatively short. There is a lookout tour at the top that you can climb and view all the surrounding mountains and foothills, such as Mt Baker and Mt pilchuck. The hike took me (a semi novice hiker) and my friends 4 hours to get to the top and 3 hours getting down (going downhill is tricky because it's very steep, and you'll probably be tired). This hike is super hard and long but worth it for the view, at least for me.

The camp hosts were super helpful, friendly and so hard working ! Every day we saw them working in…read moreflower beds, repairing stuff, mowing lawns. The park itself is well kept up overall. There seem to be folks living there - this is common we are finding - and their rigs can be a little rough looking but it didn't affect our stay. It's in Marblemount which is tiny but has some stores and one restaurant. The only concerns we had were 1) our neighbor who we think lived there but was never present ran their AC 24/7 which caused our electricity to turn off when we used our AC. The camp hosts were helpful in responding to this but with two rigs using one 30 amp power station it was a little dicey. 2) We were in space 17 with a 37 ft class A. This was an oddly situated space as when we had neighbors on one side we faced each other so that our picnic table fire pit etc were not separated by either of our RVs. This was kinda challenging for privacy and was especially challenging as both of us had dogs that we liked to hook up outside. This was impossible as the dogs could watch to each others sites while hooked to their long leashes. This caused us to stay inside our rv for the last few days of our stay. But for camp hosts friendliness, work ethic and helpfulness it should get 100 stars !!!

The South Fork of Nooksack River is a really fun and beautiful river to tube. To view the website…read moreyou may have to click on the READER button to the right of the URL to view this excellent resource. The information is accurate so I won't be redundant and post it here. Just remember to check with people who have come out about the water heights as you may have to walk in areas that are too shallow for your tube. This is especially important if you are disabled/physically impaired/have an amputated limb, etc. And as you'll probably park one car at your chosen launch area and one car at your chosen pick-up area, remember to bring your car keys for the pick-up car otherwise you'll may find yourself wet, chilly, tired, and hungry and having to bum a ride back to the launch area for that vehicle (spoken humbly from experience). My last two cents to allow a pleasant experience for all: Please don't drink and float and Please don't litter at the river.

Anyone thinking to raft with Paul Engel and Wild and Scenic River Tours should know that two…read morepeople, a father and his ten year old son, died on a trip with him in June of 2022. The trip was led by Paul with Alex as his assistant. It was a family of 4, the raft flipped and the father and son died and the mother and daughter survived. Many aspects of that rafting trip raise very serious questions about how things were handled before, during and after the accident by Paul and Alex. The local authorities should have looked into it more carefully than they did. It was a tragedy that should not have happened and a very strong argument can be made that it was not just a freak accident or bad luck.

We arrived at Wild and Scenic River Tours on June 23rd, 15 minutes early to have time ask a couple…read morequestions about taking my cell phone, sun block, water availability on the boat, and the kind of wetsuit we'd have (not clear from the website). Paul was one of the guides. After greetings were exchanged, I started by asking about taking my cell phone. He said the boat had a waterproof box for the phone. He demanded: "Get out all your questions at once." After each question (of about 3) he said, "Next." Or "Is that it?" After we got into our gear and the rafts were loaded, I said to Paul that I'd like to put my cell phone into the waterproof box. Paul answered sarcastically, "I didn't get the memo. I didn't bring it. With all the questions [three!] I didn't know you wanted it." He blamed ME that the waterproof box he'd said was there, was now NOT there. "You can put it in the cooler." Ok. When we arrived at the entrance to the Nooksack River, our second guide, Alex, gave us a detailed safety overview. There was another family of three on the raft trip. After the safety explanation, we all grabbed a side rope and helped carry the raft down a flight of stairs to the riverbank. I was on the left, same side as the river. When we stopped at a point still several yards above the river itself, Paul said, "Ok, we're going to carry this down to put it into the river." There were two possible routes, one next to me and one several yards further." I started to ask, "So we take the boat down here or . . . " Before I even finished the question, Paul pushed me aside and grabbed the rope from my hands, cutting me off. "Or I can just pick up this side and carry it down!" I was stunned at his disrespect! Without even glancing back, he marched with my group toward the section further on. The oars were sticking out of the back of the raft at an angle. The left one smashed into me, shoving me over the rocks toward the river. Pure luck, there was a flat rock I landed on and a tree that stopped my fall. Otherwise, I would have tumbled over the rocks! He never looked back. I decided not to say anything right then as Paul was clearly acting like a mentally unbalanced person. I also didn't want to put a damper on the event for the other family. The trip would have been fun except Paul's crazy, offensive behavior ruined the experience. After we finished lunch, and it was all packed up, instead of leaving, we just hung around there for at least an extra half hour that we could have been paddling. Paul was blabbing to the other family about Mt. Baker snow. When we finally got going, I figured we had at least another 45 minutes of paddling Instead, after about 15 minutes we pulled into shore and were done! I think we total paddled no more than 90 minutes. We pulled the boat out of the water. He said we'd all lift the raft onto our heads and carry it up. I started to ask how to hoist the raft, got out about 2 words, and Paul shouted at me: "Stop talking!" What the heck is wrong with this guy? Does he have a personality disorder? I've interacted with guides from all over the world. I have never encountered such rudeness and disrespect for those in his care as I experienced with Paul. The river rafting would have been fun with a normal human being, but not with some weirdo with a chip on his shoulder. You will like the rafting as long as you don't ask any questions--and watch out for those oars. Paul won't be watching.

Amazing location. Almost don't want to leave a review so it can remain a secret. Mt. Baker Lodging…read moredid a great job setting us up. Highly recommend, great for families with kiddos 12 and younger.

Snowater and Resorts West Vacation Club: Esoteric Cascades…read moreMountains The genesis for this business/ski trip was serendipitous. A primary professional organization to which I have been a lifelong member decided to hold a membership lottery. I have presented scholarly papers, chaired several committees, served on the national Board of Directors, and certify national higher educational programs for this organization. The national organization prepared a lottery for professors who recruited new members, and I was entered automatically in the lottery. The lottery prize consisted of two coach tickets to any national/international conference anywhere in the continental U.S. Little did I suspect that I would win free airline tickets. I already had papers accepted for presentation at an international conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. Remember the airline tickets were negotiable for the U.S. I know U.S. and Canadian geography. We redeemed the prize tickets for round trip coach tickets to Bellingham, WA. Do you know the location of Bellingham, WA.? Bellingham, WA. is beautiful town located on the Puget Sound, and Bellingham is one and one-half hour south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Nearby is Snowater and Resorts West Vacation Club. Snowater and Resorts West Vacation Club is only a twenty-minute drive to the Mount Baker Ski Area that has an average annual snowpack of 250 inches and fantastic skiing from November through April. Delta quickly redeemed the lottery prize, and we used our Delta Elite membership to upgrade to first class from Dayton to Sea-Tac international airport. Normally Sea-Tac international airport has a hefty cab fee into Seattle, and the rental car drive into Seattle might be an unpleasant experience due to heavy traffic. However, we were able to by-pass this problem because we connected with Alaskan Air to Bellingham, WA. We were somewhat amazed at the quality of service of Alaskan Air. Naturally, we were flying a commuter flight from Sea-Tac to Bellingham, WA. To our surprise the flight attendants were serving free wine to all passengers aboard the flight. I know several large carriers that could learn some lessons from Alaskan Air. Bellingham is a very small airport, and the car rental is a few steps from the luggage area. We always pack our own skis and ski boots for any ski trip. It is too much of a gamble to use rental ski equipment. Following deplaning we were home at Snowater and Resorts West Vacation Club within an hour. The following day we drove to Vancouver, B.C., presented the papers, found a great seafood restaurant for lunch, and returned to Snowater and Resorts West Vacation Club to prepare for nearly a week of skiing. Snowater is situated on the Nooksack River at the edge of the Mount Baker National Forest. Mount Baker is part of the Cascade Range. The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to northern California. Many peaks in the Cascades exceed 10,000 feet, including Mount Hood (11,235 feet), Mount Rainier (14,410 feet). Most of the summits are extinct volcanoes, but Lassen Peak (10,457 feet) and several others have erupted in the recent past. Mount Baker (10,778 feet) steamed heavily in 1975, and Mount St. Helens (8,365 feet) erupted in 1980 and again in 1981. The Cascades are beautiful to view from a commercial jet, from the urban areas, and especially from the ski slopes. The Interval International website does not do justice to the interior and exterior beauty of Snowater and Resorts West Vacation Club. The cedar siding of the townhouses blends in with the mountain forest. Check in required minutes, and there is absolutely no confusion in locating the specific condo. The kitchen is very functional, as is the cookware and plate ware. The dining room and living room are comfortable. The fireplaces are essential for the ambiance of a mountain retreat. We had a two-bedroom unit, and the master bedroom is very usable and comfortable. We had plenty of room to spread out our skis and all the ski apparel. The window seats with the extended large windows permitted the outdoors to merge with the condo. Snowater and Resorts West Vacation Club is at an elevation of only 1,000 feet. This meant that it was virtually spring at the condo, but winter at the Mount Baker Ski Area. We were able to find provisions nearby. There are a few restaurants in the area. Our holiday focused on intense skiing, and we were pleased to prepare most of our meals at the condo. Following an exhaustive day of skiing, the Snowater and Resorts West Vacation Club sauna, hot tub, and heated pools were beneficial to tired muscles. We transitioned from a mountain of snow to a national park setting in spring conditions in a few minutes. Often in Centerville, Ohio, we might receive eight - thirteen inches of snow overnight. My snow blower will clear the driveway and sidewalks in less than an hour.

My plan is to ride the Sehome High School unified soccer family and friend's excursion train in the…read morenext the few years. I know i will bring back memories of my high school from 2013 to 2017. I will see my mom , Heather Ledray, my dad, Jim Ledray, and my Sehome High School friends, Katie Boon Dooley, Fiona Dawson, Mahlea King and Gracie Reiley out at Mirror Lake after the train ride. I will have fun on these from June to August every Satutrday. Our engine pulling the train is Northern Pacific 1070, a 1907 0-6-0 Alco steam locomotive built in Manchester, NH. The cars that the locomotive will be pulling were built in 1912 by George Pullman, an American inventor for the Pullman Car Co. It will be so much fun. I can't wait to do it. All aboard!

I've taken the pumpkin train two years in a row now. I was looking for driving directions when I…read moresaw the low star ratings on yelp. These are very harsh reviews. I was inspired to write my own. The train is old, from 1912. It's not perfect but has old charm to it. My kids love it, and so do my husband and I. This year they shortened the ride (which is good because it was a little long before) so we got to stop by Mirror Lake and get pumpkins in the the railroad track. It's a photographers dream. We also love riding the old pump cart (I think that's what it's called). It's our favorite part actually. It was still very fun, the kids were so excited. They allow you to explore all over the train inside and out. Any questions they answer with a smile. Also, they allow you to bring your own snacks (There were some complaints on other reviews about the snack prices and the offered selection). I bring a picnic basket with a thermos of hot coco, and special snacks my kiddos enjoy. It's a fun family activity that is a glimpse of what transportation used to be like. As for the price, I would spend just as much money at the pumpkin patch with admission, buying pumpkins and whatever else they add on for entertainment (pony rides or tractor rides, etc). On the train you get a nice size pumpkin to take home. You can get one pumpkin per person (this year I saw people bring garbage bags to put their pumpkins in so they are less dirty in the train). Overall, this is a charming old train, run by knowledgeable people, who are sharing this experience with others and hopefully inspiring others to love trains and the history of them too. If you are expecting a really fancy train, with modern amenities you'll be disappointed. We look forward to coming back again next year.