Picture of the week ~ Eyes in the forest

Baker Lake camping, hiking etc.

We headed to Baker lake Friday to camp for a few days at the Koma Kulshan Campground. It is a first come first serve campground owned by PSE. *Free in the off season. The largest section of the campground was closed for the season, just a small section was open and of those sites there were only a couple available when we arrived in the early afternoon. Lucky us.

We seem to be getting some "rain" camping practice in lately. 

The campground isn't fancy. We didn't even have picnic tables, but we did have a fire ring which was helpful in the evenings.

 Saturday morning I went for a hike by myself, I began at 8am and it was a little foggy, but not too chilly. It was a short walk from our campsite to the dam.

The view from the dam, the spillway and a waterfall.

Looking back at the dam after I'd crossed it.

I walked awhile up the road to get to the trailhead. I enjoyed looking at the trees beginning their fall color turn and leaving their "leaves" scattered about on the ground.

I arrived at the trailhead for the Baker lake trail. My goal was Maple creek for lunch and then to return. A nice out and back trip.

The trail entrance.

The trail had that nice fall forest scent: damp earth, fir trees and mushrooms.

Golden leaves along the trail.

The bridge crossing Anderson creek.

From the bridge, looking towards the lake and Anderson point.

There were lots of mushrooms bursting forth from the earth.

Springboard logging holes in this trunk. It seems to me that the holes create a face in the trunk.

I got to step over...

and crawl under some trees on the trail.

More color on the Maple trees as I neared Maple Grove campground.

Maple Grove campground.

I ate my lunch at the lake shore on the dock and enjoyed the view of the lake, hoping for a peek at Mt. Baker but it wasn't to be.

The photo below shows the north end of the lake.

The walk back was enjoyable as the sun cast it's light on the colorful leaves.

This forest is full of great giants. I can never seem to capture their height all in one frame without using the panorama feature on my camera.

More colorful mushrooms or just colorful fungi?

A Hobbit home or just a place to wait out a torrential rain storm.

The photo below shows the lovely color of the lake at the Anderson creek outlet.

The weather cooperated for my hike. It was dry for the most part with just a short shower as I walked down the road.

The sun shining on the rain drops as I walked out the road towards the dam.

Garmin stats:

12.8 miles hiked

Total ascent - 1417 feet

Total descent - 1585 feet

Oh and by the way, the other reason we stayed at the campground for the weekend😉

My husband completed his first 50k trail run, the Baker Lake 50k Saturday while I was hiking!