Heliotrope Ridge — Monday, Jul. 18, 2016

North Cascades > Mount Baker Area

This is a great hike. I don't know why I hadn't done it sooner! The trail was very muddy, so I'd recommend boots. I brought my small/med sized dog up, and I was concerned about the water crossings. They ended up being fine. I had him leashed up (of course), and tied the leash around my waist just in case. He did slip and get stuck between two rocks, but I was able to easily hoist him out of the water. There are plenty of reasonably safe areas to cross. I don't generally use hiking poles, but my cousin brought his and found them very helpful during the water crossing as well as in some muddy areas. The view of Coleman glacier from the top was GORGEOUS. Totally worth the mud and water. Also, we saw surprisingly few people AND a marmot. Bonus.