Mountains: Better than a Cartload of Books

“One day’s exposure to mountains is better than a cartload of books.”
— John Muir

The view from Artist’s Point, the terminus of the Mount Baker Highway

“The mountains are calling and I must go.”
— John Muir

My home in Seattle is well situated to heed the call of the mountains.  To the west lie the snow-capped Olympic Mountains and the Cascades lie to the east.  On my wish list of things to do this summer was to return to Artist’s Point at the end of the Mount Baker Highway.  I had been there just once before in September 2012 (you can see my blog posts about that trip here and here and here and here), and I was now again feeling its call.  So when I read that the final stretch of the 57-mile Mount Baker Highway had been cleared of snow and was open for the summer season, I filled my car with gas, picked up my friend Carol to accompany me, and headed out.

The landscape looked quite different in early July compared to my previous late-season September visit.  It was less colorful (no oranges and reds) and most of the trails were still covered with snow.  This visit was beautiful in its own way.

Mount Shuksan seen from the shores of Picture Lake

Miniature sub-alpine lilies

Sub-alpine plant

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.”
— John Muir

Our first stop was Picture Lake.  We walked the trail around this tiny sub-alpine lake, listening to the sound of the meltwater all around, and marveling at the majestic Mount Shuksan dominating the scene.  When we continued our drive to the road’s end, we started gaining elevation more rapidly, and soon we were dwarfed by snowbanks on either side of the car.

Snowbanks along the Mount Baker Highway

Hairpin bends in the road

At Artist’s Point, we were the only visitors.  The primary view onto Mount Baker was hidden in clouds, but there were visual rewards in other directions.  Occasional breaks in the clouds gave us short peeks of brilliant blue.  Low skeins of clouds set off the surrounding peaks like gauzy scarves on the shoulders of haughty models.  The sun broke through to warm our faces as we relaxed into the solitude of this spot.  Solitude.  But not silence.  The sound of the melting snow all around was almost as steady and loud as the drone of freeway traffic in our Seattle homes.

View from the parking area at Artist’s Point

Certain views gave me the feeling of being in an Arctic landscape

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings, Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.  As age comes on, one source of enjoyment after another is closed, but nature’s sources never fail.”
— John Muir, from Our National Parks

We made one more stop at Heather Meadows before the long drive home.  Parts of the trails were still snow-blocked, but we wandered as far as we could, enjoying the views of distant lakes nestled like jewels in the cleavage of the surrounding mountains.

View from Heather Meadows

Patterns of shadows in the snow

Better than a cartload of books?  Yes, I do have to agree that experiencing the mountains directly gave a deeper satisfaction than reading about them.  Reading comes a close second, though.  But together, words and visual memories give the deepest joy.

 

 

 

Exploring Along the Mount Baker Scenic Byway (2): Picture Lake

Mount Shuksan mirrored in Picture Lake

This little lake, appropriately called Picture Lake, is right along the Mount Baker Scenic Byway near the Mount Baker Ski Area.  When I arrived here, I knew the trip was worth it without even getting to the end of the road.  Just look at this classic mountain scene!  I learned that this particular image — Mount Shuksan reflected in the still waters of Picture Lake — is one of the most photographed in all of North America.  You may even have seen it on a calendar somewhere.

There is an easy 1/2-mile trail around the lake, and I enjoyed every step.  The air was fresh and crystal clear.  The fall colors — especially the stained-glass window colors of the low huckleberry  (or possibly blueberry) bushes and the brilliant red clusters of berries on the mountain ash — gave this peaceful spot an unmatched resplendence.

Fall colors on the shores of Picture Lake

Jewel-like colors reflected in the lake

Clusters of red berries on mountain ash

Picture Lake with ski lift on distant mountain

Fireweed

Fireweed and tansy (?) along the road

The low huckleberry bushes glowed like stained glass.

Reeds in the lake — water calligraphy

Dead tree in the meadow by Picture Lake

Another view of Mount Shuksan from across Picture Lake

Fall leaves at Picture Lake