Impulse Hike

This hike, as the title would suggest, wasn't planned. It was a spur of the moment decision to go in search of the great Mt. Baker viewpoints Tony Young had so eloquently described to me once upon a time. He had the advantage of a dirt bike, I instead had the advantage of 5 year old discounted REI "hiking" shoes, a couple water bottles, a free pair of ironman brand sunglasses and an Erin Bakers breakfast cookie. In the early afternoon of a beautifully clear and pleasantly warm April Saturday, I stormed up the North Shore access roads and ended up embarking on a 5 hour trek. For the majority of the time, I meandered all throughout the maze of roads and trails created by the wonderful logging community. After a few wrong turns and numerous water breaks on my way up, I happened upon a very nice view of Mt Baker and her Twin Sisters to the south. But they weren't good enough, I somehow knew the views could somehow get better, so I hiked on. After each bend in the trail, the views proceeded to become enhanced in little ways. That is until I crested a mini peak and found myself with a 360 degree view of the logged acreage i had summited, the town of Acme, Highway 9, the Nooksack river and the beautiful Mt Baker. Unbelievable. Pictures will never describe the full experience, but it's all I've got. So take it in.