For some reason I had not gotten around to walking this section of trail in the 35 years I've hiked around Mt Baker. I decided to set out soon after sunrise, defrosting my trusty Subaru to arrive at Baker River Trailhead by 10AM. The northern 5.5 miles of Baker Lake Road was an obstacle course of deep potholes and windfall tree debris but passable, with caution, by most street vehicles. Recognizing that the days are nearly as short as they get around here I set off at a brisk pace, pausing only momentarily to take in the view from the first bridge over Baker River to watch the brilliant green and clear waters flow swiftly by. The trail is a bit of a 2 star roller coaster, never rising to a high degree of difficulty but making me work a little bit to keep up my fast pace. Keep in mind that the return trip is understandably much the same and will likely take the same amount of time. There were a number of small trees and woody debris over the trail every so often and a fewer larger trees that required some thought on angle of attack. Some of these might be impassable to a less able bodied person. There were also a number of small streams requiring some rock hopping or judicious stepping, especially in the 3rd mile of the hike. Parts of the trail were hard frosted, making the trail a little slippery, while forested sections were damp, green and quite alive with mosses, hardy evergreens and fungi. Also watch out for the many wooden boardwalks which were quite slippery by their own slime or frost, depending on location. In spite of all obstacles and natural distractions I made it to Noisy Creek Camp in just under 2 hours. The area was vibrant green and lush. I headed down to the much receded shoreline to take my leftover turkey. Beware of frosted cobbles on a cold day. I slipped and slided my way down to the shore to get some photos.
Note: I left my mini seat pad draped over a log on the shore near the farthest campsite. I've managed to hang onto it for many years and still hope someone will leave a message here if it is found. It is trifold, brown, with a light colored water resistant coating on the bottom.
After lunch I powered my way up the Noisy Creek Trail to see the big trees. There is indeed a majestic Douglas Fir in the company of many other large trees. There were a couple large downed trees to clamber over. This little detour cost me some time and energy to where the trip back to trailhead was a bit of a slog. But if you don't wish to take the side trip there are many very impressive trees along most of the Baker Lake Trail. I finally caught some sunlight at about 3 PM when I was nearing the bridge over an unnamed creek. I made it back in good time to leave in the light and catch the sunset from highway 20. I saw 4 persons and 2 dogs all day, only briefly and none in my resting places. It was a good day. :)
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