East Bank Baker Lake

I was definitely feeling the winter fever setting in and needed to get outside. I managed to convince two girlfriends to go backpacking in January and we headed out to the North Cascades area for the East Bank Baker Lake trail. We drew the lottery in terms of weather, with only small sections of snow the first 1/4 of the hike. After that, it was all lush forest, river views, and gorgeous Baker Lake to behold. It really did feel like we were on our way to the Shire (for those LOTR lovers out there). There were a few water crossings and downed trees, but all passable.

Once we got to the lake we had our pick of campsites without another soul in sight, and settled right on the lake at Noisy Creek campground. Noisy Creek has metal bear safes for safety and convenience, and there’s a glorious pit toilet surrounded by forest.

The downside of camping in January was that it got pitch black around 5pm and the wood is all so damp that starting a fire is unlikely. I tried to find the driest wood I could, but the fire only lasted a few minutes. We cooked dinner with our headlamps on, shared stories over dessert (yes, I packed dessert), and then hunkered down in a tent to play Red Flags.

Waking up to a serene lake, covered in a thick layer of fog, was incredibly peaceful. I enjoyed a pour over coffee and breakfast before packing up camp and heading out. We were nearly back to the trailhead before we saw any other group.