With miles of flower- saturated meadows along a rolling lofty ridge radiating from the big volcano itself, Skyline Divide is one of Baker's best offerings to the hiking community. While the views are supreme-from the snowy peaks of British Columbia to the salty waters of Puget Sound-you'll struggle keeping your eyes off of what the area's first peoples called Koma Kulshan, "the Great White One." A popular place on a summer weekend, Skyline provides enough nooks and crannies to spread out. And while this hike is 4.5 miles long, feel free to quit anytime after 2 miles-there's no shortage of views along the way.

Without delay, begin climbing in a beautiful stand of mature silver fir. The trail is wide and firm; many a boot has walked this way. As you toil up and up, steeply at times, let the anticipation of alpine rapture carry you to the ridge crest. Approaching timberline, the trail passes into the Mount Baker Wilderness. At 2 miles clutch your heart and prepare for visual attack as the trail emerges onto a grassy knoll (elev. 5900 ft), unfurling a backdrop of the Great White One, surrounded by some pretty darn nice ones.

Roam the knoll. Look out to Shuksan, Ruth, Table, Goat, Winchester, and of course, Koma Kulshan. Be sure to smell the flowers too. Lupine, harebell, bistort, valerian, daisy, and aster make bountiful bouquets beside your boots. But it gets better, so carry on. Drop a little into a small saddle, a little up and down, and then sidehill around the next knoll, coming to a flat where Baker poses ever so majestically for your memory card to capture. Climb the 6215-foot knoll or continue on the ridge.

With Baker now breathing upon you and bearing a slight resemblance to Rainier from this angle, come to an unmarked junction at 3.5 miles in a small saddle (elev. 6000 ft). The trail left continues for 1 mile, dropping a couple hundred feet into a wild peaceful basin. The trail right continues on a rougher route along the divide, climbing higher. Over ledge and through krummholz and heather, work your way up to yet another knoll, number six if you're keeping track, and call it quits upon this 6563-foot gem. Beyond to Chowder Ridge is strictly for climbers and goats.

Look at all those mountains! The Cheam Range, Golden Ears, and McGuire in Canada, the High Divide and company in front of them. East is Yellow Aster Butte, Shuksan, and a slew of craggy goliaths. The Black Buttes and Twin Sisters are to the south, and the Olympics and San Juan Islands lie to the west. Simply amazing!