August 20, 2026 -- Mt. Baker Wilderness Stats: 18.5 km / 1385m gain / 1746m high / 5:40 hours MT / one way, done as a crossover Wow! I would say this is one of my favorite hikes. The far reaching views of so many familiar peaks were superb! After more than two weeks of forest fire haze, it was a real treat to have clear skies. About half an hour in we came to this water source but beyond that there weren't any. We hiked from west to east because the Excelsior Pass trail is n

August 18, 2026 -- Chilliwack Valley Stats: 10 km / 735m gain / 2084m high / 3:30 hours MT / 4WD You get a lot of bang for your buck on this hike. Open alpine views right from the get-go. I had cancelled the day prior because my other driver said it was too smokey to do it. It was but when I woke in the morning and saw the sky, thanks to the wind the smoke haze was down to a minimum. I was regretting having cancelled it. Four of us women had made other plans to do a forest h

August 15, 2026 -- Cultus Lake Stats: 9 km / 670m gain / 1719m high / 3:30 hours MT What to do when the air quality index is moderate? Stay local and do a moderate hike. The smell of forest fire smoke and the haze it creates, was a constant throughout the hike. But it was still a pleasnt day well spent. I managed to get not one, but two 4WDs. It being a Saturday, our company could spare one. Owen said that the road was in good condition which was true, but he didn't mention