Chain Lakes Loop Hike

Jamie wanted to go on a fall hike with the family so we waited for a sunny day in October and made the long drive up to Artist Point at the Mount Baker ski area. We had hiked there back in 2003, but it was definitely worth revisiting. Despite leaving very early we found the parking lot almost full when we arrived. In fact the entire area had filled up with cars by the time we finished our hike. We did the Chain Lakes loop trail which passes along several lakes over less than six miles. When there wasn't a lake to see there was a view of either Mount Baker or Mount Shuksan. In addition the fall colors were in full display making for a very beautiful and scenic hike. Lily and Vivian did great on the hike and often were waiting for us to catch up. There was less than 2000' feet of elevation, but it still ended up being tiring enough that I let the family rest at Heather Meadows while I hiked up the final section to bring the car back down to them. The only bad part of the hike was the crowds. We were never alone on the trail and often were wedged between groups going too slow and too fast. I guess that's the price to pay when hiking in one of the most scenic areas on the last nice weekend of the year.