The view from the top is approaching peak fall color. Probably another week or two will do the trick. In addition to the changing foliage, there were even a few lingering wildflowers. Small, purple bell-like clusters. Don't rush your time along the ridge, but take time to enjoy the culmination of your hard work...even if clouds obscure Baker and other nearby peaks. Do wear hiking boots...the trail through the forest is muddy and downright slick. Trekking poles will help you maintain balance in the slick spots. Also, big plaudits to the Forest Service personnel. They were hard at work doing what they could to improve the trail. Also, thanks to each and every dog owner I passed. They kept their dogs under control and cleaned up after them when they answered nature's call (the dogs, that is). Granted, not all dogs (or owners) are as well behaved, but experience has taught me that the whining about dogs on trails is generally undeserved.

This is a beautiful ridge hike, even on a cloudy day. Our hope was to set up camp on Saturday in Chowder Basin, and then continue to Hadley Peak. But since the clouds never lifted, and it got foggy, we stopped 2 miles before the summit and returned to camp. This trip starts on the Skyline Divide trail. About 2.5 miles in there is a grassy knoll on the left with a great, but dry, campsite. A little furter is another nice site on the ridge, but it is also dry. You reach the end of the maintained trail in 3.5 miles. The left fork is very well used, and leads to Chowder Basin. There is one nice, established site here, with running water. The right fork climbs a short, steep rocky section to attain the ridge. We continued for another 1.5 miles where there is a tarn and a flat area to camp. (Peggy Goldman's GPS pt. #3). We will definitely return in better weather and continue on Chowder Ridge all the way to Hadley Peak.

With demands of a remodel and the unfavorable weather patterns as of late, I had planned to take some time off to chase the sun. Well, the mountains had something else in mind. I decided to re-visit a local favorite that has recently been liberated from road closure. It had been 6 years since I had been up Skyline Divide. At 4400’ it has one of the highest trailheads in the Nooksack drainage, but don’t expect cakewalk travel. Once this trail attains the dragon-tail ridge it burns through another 1000’ of elevation gain and loss to the end at Chowder Ridge. Consolation can be found in a tundra-like open feel and continuous views. The latter part of the trail has an intimate tread, gently coaxed into the landscaped instead of being imposed. Judging by the scat, it is traveled more by mountain goats and coyotes than people. The forecast “partly cloudy” never materialized on Saturday leaving me to contemplate majestic old-growth, or the trailside blush of blueberry against green heather in the fog. The final scramble to Chowder Ridge is a bit sketchy with a full pack but fine with proper care and snow-free conditions. I had planned to stay on the austere ridge and tipple from the retreating Hadley Glacier, while gazing upon Kulshan in warm sunshine, but reality convinced me otherwise. Chowder is far too exposed for foul weather, and the voluminous Puget vapors were less than reassuring. I retreated to the headwaters of Deadhorse Creek where I could lie in thick grasses in relative shelter. This was to be a fortunate choice; rain and wind began by 5p. Low down to 26 degrees. The morning was astoundingly clear, almost enough to make me a believer. But the cloud machine kicked in and all vistas were closed by 10a. I was packed and hiking out by 12. During my brief stay I did enjoy watching many Ptarmigans, half whitened, foraging for whatever mountain chickens eat, and a couple of fat coyotes foraging for mountain chicken. In the end I decided that work, or painting the house was more appealing than being tent-bound with a wet hound. Han Shan says, “Travelers ask the way to Cold Mountain. Cold Mountain: there’s no through trail.” I think I understand now.

Skyline Divide would be a spectacular hike in clear weather. Unfortunately, the Pacific Northwest fog descended to about 6,000 feet by 10 a.m. Since I prefer not to hike alone in the fog near timberline, I turned around at 6,300 feet which was significantly short of my goal of reaching Chowder Ridge. The views would have been superb. The trail is in good condition, especially for the first 1,500 feet of elevation gain in the trees. The 13 mile approach road is driveable in an ordinary vehicle provided the driver is not too intimidated. The washed out bridge has been only recently been replaced.

This was my second attempt at this hike and once again Mount Baker seemed to become completely encased in clouds just as I broke above treeline onto the ridge. I saw Baker while driving through Glacier on 542, and again on the drive home, but not at all in between. Furthermore this seemed to be the only substantial cloud cover in the North Cascades area - any other hike would have been a better choice. For me this is par the course this summer - bar far the worst for photography that I've had in 7 years of hiking in the Cascades & Olympics. I blame the lack of snowfall over the winter and some bad luck like I had today. As for good news there was a horde of plump, sweet blueberries in Chowder Basin, the best wild blueberries I've ever had. I also saw a herd of 16 mountain goats scale a gravelly cliff on Chowder Ridge like they were walking up a staircase. Very cool.