72 – Exploring Chowder Basin (Day 2 – Chowder Basin Backpacking Trip)

With our camp perched on a knoll above Chowder Basin, what a splendid place it was to sit and sip our coffee as the morning clouds cleared to reveal Mount Baker.

Mount Baker . . . morning light

After our hike over Skyline Divide and into Chowder Basin the day before (see Hike #71 – Skyline Divide to Chowder Basin (Day 1 – Chowder Basin Backpacking Trip), we rewarded ourselves with a morning of reading and relaxing, and enjoying our camp.

Reading and relaxing at camp

Then we made plans for an afternoon of hiking. Grabbing our daypacks, off we set to do some exploring.

Along the trail . . . Chowder Basin

We decided to hike to – there. Well, at least as close as we could get to there.

Let’s hike to . . . there

Of course, there were fields of snow to cross. Really no more than a boot path, we lost the trail in a snow field so did some scrambling up and down hills of crumbly rocks until we once again identified the trail.

Snow fields . . . on way to Chowder Ridge

There were streams to ford too. All easy to cross though, and we managed to hike all afternoon without even getting our boots soaked. Believe me, that’s not always the case!

Along the trail . . .

We hiked through fields of wildflowers.

Wild flowers along the trail

Here we are, in a field of wild flowers along the trail through Chowder Basin.

Along the trail . . .

After purifying water from a stream to re-fill our canteens, we thought that would make a great place to stop for our picnic.

Purifying water . . .

That was about when we realized that we had forgotten to stuff that lunch into our daypacks when we left camp. Oops! No problem though, Kent just turned around and made quick work of hiking back to our camp – and in no time had returned with our lunch.

Boot shot . . .

Later, back at camp, evening sunset was even more stunning than it had been the night before. Casting a pink glow behind all the mountain peaks, this is Mount Shuksan.

Mount Shuksan . . . at sunset

The Skyline Divide Trail is such a popular hike, but by having hiked only a few miles further on – tino the Chowder Basin, we were the only ones there. Such a beautiful area entirely to ourselves – absolutely amazing!

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