Mount Shuksan is the star on this glorious hike. Traverse forest and meadow, bogs and talus, all while anticipating the hidden gem of Lake Ann. And once she's revealed-dark blue-green waters often ringed in snow- her charm is enhanced hundredfold by the awesome backdrop of craggy, glacier-clad, 9127-foot Shuksan hovering above.

This trail is living proof that statistics lie. Consider: Start at an elevation of 4700 feet. Finish at an elevation of 4800 feet. Total elevation gain, 100 feet? Yeah, you wish! Lake Ann will cost you 1900 feet in gradient change, and quite a bit of that is on the return. So keep that in mind when toting along the little ones.

Starting in attractive forest, begin a long descent into the Swift Creek valley. Tree cover soon thins, revealing Shuksan looking down on you. At 2.3 miles your downward drive bottoms out at a trail junction (elev. 3900 ft) set in a lush parkland of showy flowers and babbling creeks. The trail right heads down the Swift Creek valley toward Baker Lake. It's obscure and brushy, requires some difficult creek fords, and is definitely for the adventurous.

For Lake Ann continue left, climbing 1000 feet through forest, then meadow, then rock, and then on slopes that often harbor stubborn snowfields. Reach a small saddle and rejoice that your climb is finished. Rejoice, too, when you look down into the rocky and snowy basin housing Lake Ann. Descend 100 feet to the sparkling jewel and savor its beauty. Gaze across its toe-numbing waters to a row of hemlocks dwarfed by Mount Shuksan behind them. Admire Shuksan's numerous hanging glaciers, which are deeply crevassed by late summer.

Linger long enough to hear blocks of glacial ice crashing down valley floors and echoing through the wilderness. The Skagit people gave Shuksan its name, meaning "roaring mountain." A fitting name indeed.