Bart Hikes Heliotrope Ridge on Mt Baker, WA

I can confidently say that I know the hikes along Hwy 542 in northern Washington state like the back of my hand. I’ve been exploring the area for the last 8 years. I know it better than the hikes around the North Shore mountains, which are within a 20 minute drive of where I live. This is because the trails state-side are engineered better, at least in my opinion. They have good switchbacks, not like the thigh-busting straight-up-the-mountain trails around Vancouver. In the North Cascades it is also easier to access the alpine country. By easier I mean that there are more trails where you can reach spectacular scenery within a day hike. The hike with the biggest reward for minimal effort is Heliotrope Ridge on the shoulders of Mt Baker, a semi-dormant volcano, with the Coleman Glacier and a view of the peak of Baker as your ultimate rewards.

In terms of guide books for the area, I highly recommend ‘Don’t Waste Your Time in the North Cascades’ by Kathy and Craig Copeland. This is in fact the best hiking guide book I have ever used.

Heliotrope Ridge is one of my ‘warm up’ hikes, which I usually do at the beginning of the hiking season. But since I haven’t been to the area for almost 2 years, and I’ve never hiked here in October, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity for an afternoon hike, and it was. Take a look at the short video (about 5 min) to see what you can expect if you hike here, or if you just want to see where I’ve been.

One of the downsides to this trail is that you will see other hikers if it’s a nice day, especially a weekend, which means that your solitude will be limited. When I go hiking I’m after peace and quiet, and hope to be alone for some reflecting, mind clearing, and wildlife spotting. Be careful between August and October too, and that goes for pretty much any hikes in the US – it’s hunting season! Take a look at one of my previous videos for a bit more on this: Bart Takes a Trip to the Wenatchee WA Area – Part 1 – Camping.

On a positive note, I don’t think there is another hike in the Pacific Northwest where you can hike for an hour and a half or so and see real glaciers and mountain peaks.

On this hike I spotted a herd of white mountain goats far across the Coleman Glacier. There were two groups of about 6 each, on a steep slope. It was by accident too. I lifted my binoculars (a wonderful gift I received a while back) to my eyes and the first thing I saw was a goat. How lucky! I took a picture with my video camera because it has a ridiculous digital zoom, but the result wasn’t too great – distance and shaky hands that no image stabilization could fix. On previous hikes to the area I spotted a sunbathing marmot.

Heliotrope Ridge Facts:
Distance: 6.5 miles (10.4 km) round trip
Elevation Gain: 1900 feet (579m)
Roads: Highway 542, Glacier Creek Road 39