While staying in Birch Bay, Washington, we took a drive one day to see Mount Baker. On our way, we stopped at the Mount Baker Visitors’ Center, built by the CCC in the 1940s. Situated in the town of Glacier, it is 24 miles from the mountain.

The road to Mount Baker took us past a ski resort and ended at Artists’ Point. From there, we could see Mount Baker on one side and Mount Shuksan on the other. The road is winding and steep.

Artists’ Point is a perfect place to get a view of Mount Baker, except on the day we were there. It was covered in clouds.

I hiked the trail for a while, hoping the clouds would clear and reveal the mountain. But that was not to be. Both mountains were shrouded by clouds

The berries on the Sitka mountain-ash bushes contrasted brightly against the gray mountain. Disappointed, I hoped I might have another chance to see Mount Baker.

There are eleven glaciers on Mount Baker. Table Mountain Glacier is visible from this viewpoint.

Mount Baker, at 10,781 feet, is the highest peak in the North Cascades. It is the second most active glacier-covered volcano. It is also one of the snowiest places in the world.

From the trail, I could see Baker Lake in the distance. It is believed to be formed much like Spirit Lake was formed. Mud, rock and water flowed from Mount Baker during an eruption that blocked the Baker River and created a lake.

I got another chance to try to see Mount Baker. On our second trip, the clouds again formed over the mountains in the afternoon. But this time, we could clearly see Mount Shuksan.

On our way to Artists’ Point, we saw this interesting twisted rock formation.

The clouds lifted a little on Mount Baker as the afternoon wore on. The summit was almost visible.

An interesting fact about Mount Baker is that in 1975 there were signs of “renewed volcanic activity, ” according to the USGS. Monitoring was increased, but then it was dismantled. (?) The USGS says that it is a high priority to enhance the monitoring systems in the future. (It’s still an active volcano with regular steam eruptions!)

Later, a cap cloud formed over Mount Baker. The sun started peeking out beneath the clouds.

As the sun crept across the landscape, Mount Shuksan lit up.

As we turned to drive home from Artists’ Point, we drove by this lake. We were there at the perfect moment to capture the photo of the day.

Nooksack Falls

On our way back home, we stopped at Nooksack Falls. It is a beautiful spot just off the highway.

Flower Picking in Mount Vernon, Washington

While we were staying in Concrete, Washington, Ray wanted to meet Mark Ward, a Christian YouTuber. Ray found out that Mark’s wife has a flower business. Ray signed me up for an afternoon session where I got to choose and cut 10 flowers for $10. All the while, Ray was hoping that he would be able to meet Mark. It turned out to be a fun time for me. And, yes, Ray got to meet Mark.

We had some shopping to do before we headed home. We had to leave the flowers in the truck, so they wilted a bit before we got them home. But the next day, they perked right up again. I had to buy a vase at a thrift shop to show them off.

Here’s the bouquet while the flowers were still a bit wilted. I’m not much of a flower arranger, but with these beautiful flowers, it was hard to go wrong. The flowers lasted for more than a week.

May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works;
He looks at the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the mountains, and they smoke. Psalm 104:31-32