Travel Log Archive

July 26th, 2008 Mount Baker RIDE!

The route I saw Mt. Baker for the first time today. It’s not that I’d never been there before, just that I had never actually seen the mountain before. We tried this RIDE! last summer and rode all the way to Artist Point, the end of the road, but the weather was so cruddy that we had no idea how scenic this route could be. Five or six of us endured the rain and wind last year, hoping that things would improve by the time we reached the top. Sadly, our hope was misplaced. That was last year, however, and this was a new year and new day. Hallelujah! Sunshine greeted Dale and I as we made our way up I-5 to our turn off at Burlington, WA. With the tedium of the Interstate behind us, we began to enjoy the twists and turns of state highways 20 and 9 which led us to our planned breakfast stop in Acme, WA. We had eaten breakfast at the Acme Café last year and everybody seemed to enjoy their meals. If there was a disappointment in this year’s trip, though, it was breakfast. Not that it was bad, it just wasn’t as good as I had remembered. There are lots of other little cafes nearby, including Mom’s Café in Sedro Wooley, complete with lots of motorcycles parked out front when we went by. We may just have to give Mom’s a try next time. Dale at the Acme Cafe With breakfast finished it was onward on WA-9 to the turn-off for WA-542, The Mount Baker Highway, between the small towns of Van Zandt and Deming. Highway 542 is, at times, a pretty entertaining motorcycle road. It mimics the twists and turns of the North Fork of the Nooksack River, snaking up to an elevation above 5000 feet. It seemed at every turn there was a new and different breathtaking view of the North Cascade Range, the river or Mt. Baker itself. It was difficult to keep my attention on the road ahead. I decided I would try to forgo making a lot of photo stops on the way up. Instead, I thought it best to try and make mental notes as to where the best photo opportunities were and hit them on the way back down. Once inside the National Forest, the roadway narrows somewhat and gets a bit tighter up to the Visitor’s Center at Austin Pass. Dale and I rode on past as we wanted to get to Artist Point and see all that we couldn’t see last year. The roadway beyond Austin Pass gets narrower still and it is wise to heed the warning signs for the single lane switchbacks and steep drop-offs. This last section, though much easier with a dry road surface, is not for the faint of heart and requires decent slow speed maneuvering skills. Several of the hairpin curves, with a little gravel and some rocks strewn across the lanes for good measure, had me down in first gear at parking lot speeds. Once in the parking lot at Artist Point all of that was forgotten, however. The views here were stunning. With a bit of overcast and high cloudiness, photos don’t really do the scenery justice. The requisite "Bikes in front of snow bank" shot View of the North Cascade Range Bikes in front of Mt. baker North Fork Nooksack River Valley After we’d had our fill of the vistas provided by Artist Point, we began our descent towards the Visitor’s Center. This is a “must see” for anyone’s first trip to Mt. Baker. There are some very interesting displays that tell the history of the area as well as identifying much of the surrounding topography. This is also where the rest rooms are, if that’s of any interest. The Visitor's Center at Austin Pass View from Austin Pass From Austin Pass it was pretty much a backtrack down the mountain but with plenty of stops for pictures. Mt. Baker from WA-542 North Cascade Range North Cascades and The Mount Baker Highway Once back to Highway 9, we opted to keep riding west towards Bellingham. Dale had never sampled the burgers at Boomer’s Drive-In and we decided this was as good a time as any. My son Keith got his BA at Western WA University in Bellingham and our visits there usually included a stop at Boomer’s. Although their burgers are really good they’re not “top 10” good in my opinion. They probably aren’t worth the trip to Bellingham, mostly due to the fact that you have to ride right past some truly great burger places on the way. The Chuck Wagon Drive-In in Mount Vernon comes to mind. But, if you find yourself in or near B’ham for any reason and you’re looking for a good cheeseburger, don’t hesitate to give Boomer’s a try. Their fries are excellent, waffle cuts and their milkshakes are made with hard ice cream. Delicious. Boomer's Drive-In We left Bellingham with full bellies and rode out to WA-11, Chuckanut Drive. Chuckanut is a local motorcycle favorite. It’s fairly twisty and mostly hugs the shoreline of Samish Bay, providing some beautiful backdrops. The speed limits are pretty slow and there are some congested spots near residential areas and a handful of restaurants so it’s not the sports bike heaven that it might seem from simply viewing it on a roadmap. It’s still worth riding if only once just to experience it. There were several places to pull over for photos along 11 but I somehow whiffed on the best ones. Most have too many trees that block or obscure the view. The few that offer a clear shot are not readily identifiable until it’s too late to turn in. Now that I know where the best ones are, I will return sometime to get better pictures. Samish Bay from Chuckanut Drive Another obscured view of Samish Bay All too soon Chuckanut opens up and parallels I-5 through some flat farmland. We could have stayed to the west on some local roads down to Marysville where WA-528 would take us east, back to WA-9. Opting for expedience, we got on I-5 at Burlington instead. By the time we were approaching Arlington and WA-530, we had had enough of the Interstate again and made our way back to WA-9 from there. This section of 9 is noteworthy for nothing except the fact that it’s not I-5. Soon enough we were exiting onto US-2 and riding toward Monroe where we would pick up WA-203. Finally some fun roads again. 203 led us through Duvall and Carnation and past Snoqualmie Falls before depositing us in the town of Snoqualmie. At this point the ride was basically over and all that was left was to hit WA-18 and “head for the barn.” This trip will likely show up again on next year’s Spoke N Word calendar. It is truly a great ride. Maybe next time we’ll plan a little extra time and stay off of the freeway coming back, testing Pioneer Hwy. and Marine Drive instead. Until then, feel free to check out the rest of the photos in the Gallery.