Day 6: Baker Hot Spring to Concrete

August 21, 2011

Below is the map for days 6 and 7, from Baker hot spring to Diablo lake. Terrain view shows how the route is deep in the Cascade range.

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I got up at 7:30 and went up the trail to have a soak at Baker hot spring. I was surprised to see 4 people already there. The weather was still warm, humid, and buggy. Not the most appealing conditions to soak in hot water.

At 10 I went back to my campsite to make breakfast, shave, and pack up.I got on the road at 11. I need an easy day today after 2 consecutive days of long mileage.

View from the Baker hot spring parking area.

I pedaled up the steep hill to Forest Road 1130. Then I turned north, further uphill, to find Rainbow falls. I found the falls, but the trees were so dense that I couldn't get a good view. The only good view of the falls would have been from a hiking trail near the hot spring parking area that goes into the canyon below the falls.

The gravel road returning to Baker Lake road was easy because it was mostly downhill.

One of many glacial creeks flowing down from Mt. Baker.

At Baker Lake road I turned north to find a spur road to Baker Lake. The unpaved spur road went about a mile through the forest before ending at a parking area. Then I rode 200 yards of single-track to get to the lake shore. Finally a view of Baker Lake. It's a reservoir, so the bottom of the lake is mostly stumps.

My first view of Baker Lake, where a creek flows into the lake.

A couple dozen people were camping in the area. It looked like a great place to camp, with good sunshine coming from across the lake. A bald eagle was perched on a dead tree nearby. It was a worthwhile excursion even though I had to climb 300 feet to get back to where the detour started.

A short distance south on Baker Lake road was the best and closest view of Mount Baker on this tour.

The best view of Mount Baker was from the Boulder creek bridge.

A few miles further south I stopped to walk the half-mile "Grove of the Patriarchs" nature trail that makes a loop through a grove of old-growth trees. Sadly, most of the old-growth trees were cut down long ago.

Grove of the Patriarchs near Baker Lake road.

Getting back to highway 20 in Concrete was more downhill than uphill but the weather was unusually warm and humid. I got to Concrete at 3 PM and had a late Mexican lunch.

After lunch I roamed the town a bit, then got a $15 campsite at Eagle's Nest RV Park just east of town. I had a much-needed shower, washed all my clothes at the RV Park's laundromat, and had plenty of time to relax and enjoy the view of the Skagit river.

View of the Skagit river from my campsite at Eagle's Nest RV Park in Concrete.

Hopefully today leaves me sufficiently rested to cross the North Cascades over the next 2 days. Today had a high of 88F in Concrete. Tomorrow is forecast to be cooler and probably rainy.

Distance: 30.3 mi. (48.5 km)
Climbing: 1921 ft. (582 m)
Average Speed: 8.9 mph (14.2 km/h)
Hiking: 1.5 mi. (2.4 km)

Today's ride: 30 miles (48 km)
Total: 281 miles (452 km)

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