With Kids, You Don't Always Have to Finish a Hike

We set out for the Lake Ann Trail on Mount Baker Highway! It's quite a drive, but anything in the Heather Meadows and Artist Point area of Mount Baker is well worth it. The parking lot is not very big, but we found a spot and headed out.

I knew it was four miles to the lake and so I also knew that the girls would not be up for an eight mile day. Because the trail starts at such a high elevation, I also knew that the views would be awesome along the way. What I didn't know, was that there is a gorgeous meadow with the headwaters of Swift Creek ambling through it. 

We passed the perfect lunch spot and continued on, just to see what was around the next corner. We were amazed to see the creek was bigger now and had smooth rocks making slides with small pools at their bases. Perfect!!

The girls played for 30 minutes and then we headed back for lunch in that meadow. The biting flies had found us and we hoped that the meadow was fly free. It was and we enjoyed our sandwiches and fruit. Then Reggie fell in the pool of water head first and scared both Raichel and I.

There was huge slanted rock here also, and of course we had to climb it. Everyone we passed was headed to or from Lake Ann and we talked with them, but we just weren't on this trail for Lake Ann. Growing up, I can't remember going on a trail and not going all the way to the final destination. That made this hike one of my favorite hikes in quite some time.