Bang for the Buck - Baker Lake/Anderson Point, 7.30.18 - 7.31.18
With temps still lingering in the lower 90’s, we wanted to sleep somewhere cooler than our bedroom which has no AC and is therefore hotter than a snake’s ass in a wagon rut at night. Cool breezes and a refreshing swim in a mountain lake was the only remedy so Bridgit and I loaded up our backpacks and did a one night backpack trip to Anderson Point on my beloved Baker Lake. This trip in my opinion gives you extremely high ratings in the bang for your buck category for several reasons.
1. The drive to the trailhead is only an hour and a half from our house.
2. The hike in to the backcountry camp is only two miles on very easy trail.
3. The trail meanders through beautiful trees with views down to the aquamarine colored water of Baker Lake.
4. No roads go to these sites so it keeps the crowds thin, especially on a weeknight.
5. The sites are situated right by the lake with tremendous views of Mt. Baker, Mt. Shuksan and the lake itself.
6. The water is gloriously refreshing most of the summer.
Since the hike is so short, we decided to carry water noodles to float on and that was a great idea because we swam and floated several different times throughout the day and even late last night in the luxuriously clean cool water. These past couple of years I haven’t had much time for the outdoors so it felt really good to strap on a full backpack and “rough it in the wilderness” for a night. This hike is so easy and it is such a beautiful spot to swim and camp that anyone could get there. It only takes an hour to hike from the car to the campsite. If there are any of you that have never gone backpacking that want to see what the experience is like, this is the perfect place to try it out. I’d go back any time. Just call. Now I am really looking forward to planning our next backpack trip which will hopefully be for at least several days in a row.
Bridgit and her noodle on the really lovely forest trail that goes up the entire east side of the lake (no roads).
They grow ‘em big out here in the Cascades!
Another mossy stretch of trail on the way to Anderson Point.
Lakeshore by our campsite. We would swim right off the point in a quiet cove.
View up the lake from our campsite. Baker Lake actually curves around the bend to the right of the picture and goes quite a ways further. Up at that end is where we usually car camp at Shannon Creek.
Hazy sunset next to Mount Baker. California wildfires are affecting the air up here too.