Gobsmacked by Glacier Washington

Gobsmacked is a real word, look it up. It means “overwhelmed by wonder” or “utterly astonished” and it perfectly describes how we felt getting our first glimpse of the North Cascades near Glacier Washington. Eric and I have been to some beautiful places, but only a few have rendered us speechless. Lake Superior, Faroe Islands and the west coast of Ireland make our list of gobsmackable places — and now Glacier Washington.

But before we talk about ethereal landscapes…

let’s talk about pie!

I’ve heard that travel writers are often guilty of altering their narrative for a more appealing story or more flattering picture of the author. So, in the spirit of full disclosure, I must confess my overindulgence for pie on this particular trip. We ate pie every place we went, with the exception of Forks (and that was only because they didn’t have good pie). Me overindulging in sweets is not unusual, but me craving pie is VERY unusual. I’m more of a chocolate cake kind of gal. Apparently Washington state makes me crave fruit and homemade pie crust, so like a pregnant woman I had to eat it every day (and no I’m not pregnant).

La Conner, WA

One of the places we stopped for pie was Calico Cupboard Old Town Cafe in the small town of La Conner. Population 891, La Conner is out of the way for most travelers heading north from Seattle but it is well worth a quick visit. This region is farm country, in particular flower farms, so driving the backroads is a sensory delight. Fresh vegetable and flower stands are abundant. The best selection looked to be Hedlin Farms, located at the traffic circle entering La Conner.  Everything is walkable in this well preserved town, including the Pacific NW Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum and Museum of Northwest Art. It’s a town that loves the arts and is a popular boating community, so you can expect higher quality dining and shops that cater to this clientele.

If you go, plan to visit in March or April for their daffodil fields or Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Click HERE for a great list of things to do in La Conner. Keep in mind that all these beautiful flowers and produce are possible because of very hard workers, so show your appreciation whenever you can.

Apples and Brandy and Pie, oh my!

Still on the backroads, we left La Conner and headed north towards Lynden for, you guessed it, MORE PIE! To our credit, brandy and apples also played heavily in our decision to stop at Bellewood Farms & Distillery. Here you can pick your own honeycrisps, enjoy a hearty lunch, sample their award-winning vodka, gin, and brandy, and shop from a huge assortment of bake-it-yourself pie! I don’t remember how much we spent at Bellewood but let’s just say we did our part to stimulate the local economy. We bought TWO pies (a savory and a sweet), a quart of chicken curry soup and the Pumpkin Spice Liqueur.

If you go, Bellewood is just 8 miles north of Bellingham and 6 miles east of the quaint town of Ferndale, so it makes a great day trip loop. Pair it with stops at local wineries like Samson Estates Winery, Vartanyan Estate Winery and Dynasty Cellars. Find out more about these fascinating winemakers HERE.

Lest you think all we do is eat and imbibe, let me talk about some epic hikes.

Best Day Hikes near Glacier Washington

Glacier has a population of 211 and the road literally ends at a mountain — Mt. Baker to be exact. This is the most remote northern section of Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and it borders the North Cascades National Park. You either come here to hike or ski and considering Eric’s aversion to flying down a mountain at breakneck speeds, hiking it is!

There are enough day hikes in this area to keep you busy for a week. We were only there for three nights so we had to be extra picky, but that’s ok because one trail in particular was worth flying 2,500 miles to hike.

Skyline Divide Trail

BEST. HIKE. EVER!

Skyline Divide is a 9 mile in-and-out trail with 2,500 feet elevation gain up to a 6,500 foot peak. Your calves and ankles will burn and your heart will remind you it still pumps, but it is worth every bit of hurt and is totally doable. If this rheumatoid arthritic flatlander can do it, YOU can do it! You’ll need a Northwest Forest Pass which you can get from a self-pay kiosk at the Glacier Public Service Center. The trail begins with a bumpy drive on NF-37 that’s only 13 miles but takes 40 minutes (4-wheel drive recommended). The trail begins with immediate elevation gain through a lush forest with funky mushrooms.

It seems like a nice normal cascades hike until you get to the midpoint and the world opens up all around you…

We stopped at this point for a well deserved snack, enjoying our 360 degree view of mountains and chuckling as everyone behind us had the same reaction as they reached the viewpoint — squeals of delight and “woohoos!” We also stopped because the trail became a true ankle bender after this, heading straight up and around the next peak. I was glad I had read the trail notes which advise you to take the trails on the right that look “easy” because they lead you around the mountain instead of over. Even the easy routes can be nerve-wracking for anyone with a fear of heights.

There’s a second area that opens up and gives your ankles a break, offering more majestic views of mountains. This is also where we saw our first bear running down the mountain (most likely startled by hikers on the trail above).

The last part of Skyline Divide involves scrambling over rocks and views that I have only ever seen in the Austrian Alps. Little wonder why they call the North Cascades the “American Alps.” We had lunch towards the end, just before you get to the snow, and it was here that we met a group of retired men (from Texas, Louisiana and Delaware) — all places we’ve lived! We had a great chat and they invited us for gumbo before we realized we’d never be able to get the ingredients.

Bagley Lakes and Artist Point Trails

It’s hard to imagine anything grander than Skyline Divide but our next hikes offered equally satisfying views. From Glacier, we drove to the Mt. Baker Ski Area and began with a quick peak at Picture Lake.

From the Bagley Lakes parking lot we began an easy walk around skinny alpine lakes along the Bagley Lakes Loop Trail. It’s a family-friendly trail with two little bridges, tranquil water and wildflowers. Perfect for soaking up sun and finding some serenity…or sunbathing on a rock while your husband trades stocks during a rare moment of cell service.

After Bagley Lakes we headed to Artist Point which is the end of Mt. Baker Highway 542. It’s a huge parking lot with access to several trails. We chose the short but scenic Artist Ridge, a 1.2 mile trail with great views of Mt. Shuksan and Mt. Baker. It’s a special place, only open 3 months out of the year and offering a glimpse at high alpine flora and glacial tarns (melted ice ponds) that non-hikers rarely get to see. We made friends at the top of this trail, an older couple from Washington whose daughter is a librarian at the nearby Deming Library.

With views like this we will most certainly be returning. When we do, we’ll add the following day hikes to our list: Chain Lakes Loop, Lake Ann, Ptarmigan Ridge, Table Mountain and Hannegan Pass. If I can drug Eric enough to convince him to drive up NF road 3065, then maybe we’ll hike Winchester Mountain and Twin Lakes. Speaking of returning, we know exactly where we’ll be staying for a repeat trip.

Where to Stay in Glacier Washington

We knew we’d be pushing our bodies physically while in Glacier so we splurged on our Airbnb. The Hygge Hus was all luxury, from the 2-person shower to the West Elm decor and cedar hot tub, this place was designed for comfort. My favorite place was on the luxe rug in front of the heater. It’s part of a gated vacation community and feels very private because each house is surrounded by forest. There’s even a nice trail accessible right next to the house, although we never figured out how to reach the river. They need a trail map! For a cheaper alternative, look at Snowline Lodge across the street or cabins at Mt. Baker Lodging or Airbnb.

If you go to Glacier, bring food with you or be prepared for limited options. The nearest grocery store, Cross Road Grocery & Video, is 11 minutes away. For a small mountain store, Cross Road surprisingly has a great selection but you will pay more for it. The closest restaurants that look enticing are North Fork Brewery (18 minutes), Yuki Yama (12 minutes) and Rifugio’s Country Italian (24 minutes). There’s also a great farm stand, Kragnes Family Farms, just 10 minutes away. You’ll spot it on Mt Baker Hwy when you see their large sign that lists everything in stock.

Our Washington Trip is almost complete, stay tuned for one more post as we leave the Cascades and head for ocean and rainforest.