The High Life: Backpacking Mt. Baker

by Meg Olson

“You feel like the earth is pretty large when you’re out in these places,” says Steve Hovde, looking through a summer’s worth of hiking pictures and wondering where they’ll go next. Hovde and his wife Jan raised their family in hiking boots.

Their kids are grown now but still come home to head out for a weekend at Yellow Aster Meadows, and while the Hovdes enjoy a day hike up Skyline Divide, they’d rather wake up in a nice flat spot at the south end of the ridge, and take it from there “It’s just an expanded experience,” Hovde said. “It’s nice to seethe sunset in the mountains, have a nice meal. The stars up there are just different than they are in the flatlands. Morning. Dawn.

There are things you don’t want to miss in the hours a day hike can’t get you. ”It doesn’t take much to make the jump from a day hike to an overnight trip. “You need the essentials but you have choices and you don’t need a huge load,” Hovde said. “Start with a shorter trip, maybe one or two nights out, though one night is almost too short and all you seem to be doing is fiddling with a tent.” The beginning, Hovde said, is in planning and training. “A lot of people buy all this gear and forget about training,” he said. “You can always find a lot of places locally to help you get ready for a backpacking trip.” While you’re getting your legs in shape with some day hikes, Hovde said you can be scouting out places you’d like to make camp at on a longer trip. “You want some place level, with some shelter, and close to where you think you might run for water,” he said. “Try and look for a spot that’s been camped in before so there’s less impact.”

Novices can glean information to make their trip smoother by talking to people who know theare a, finding out about trail conditions, campsites. For the Mt. Baker area a good place to start is the Glacier visitor’s information center at 360/599-2714. When you pack for your trip, pack light and keep it simple, Hovde said. “Maybe you don’t need $350 worth of rain gear when a poncho will get you through a squall,” he said. Hovered starts with the basics that should be in your pack every time you hit the trail (see sidebar).

He adds flagging tape if traveling where there isn’t a marked trail, to be removed on your way out, moleskin for blisters and a 50-foot piece of rope. “You can use it to help you through difficult spots,” he said. Hovde also recommends keeping a cellular phone in your pack but turned off to be used in case of emergency. In the Mt. Baker area one tip is if you can see the ski area your phone has a better chance of working. Overnight gear is simple: a place to sleep and something to eat.

Essentials to take include a light tent and sleeping bags, some cookware and a small stove, dehydrated meals and you’re set. “We spike dried meals with extra dried veggies,” Hovde said, and brings pepper flakes to add a little zing to dinner. A favorite for dessert is beefing up blueberry cheesecake from a dried meal with part of the late summer crop of mountain blueberries. Where novices and experienced backpackers alike should spend some time and money is on their feet. “Get really good shoes and socks,” Hovde said.

“Footwear is critical so you want to get something and wear it around for a few weeks before you go.” He added that despite some initial resistance he’s using hiking poles and loving them. “With that little extra weight from a pack they can really make a difference,” he said. Heading out, get an early start. “It can make for a bad experience if you get up there and it’s getting dark,” he said. “It’s nice to get all set up and relax and get your meal prepared before dark.”

Fires are prohibited in most areas in the national forest, so if you have your heart set on a campfire, do some checking before you pick your destination. Hovde likes to camp at Yellow Aster because it’s usually easy to find an established campsite and access to water is easy from one of the many tiny lakes peppering the meadow.

Another good choice that offers some great day hikes along High Divide from your base camp is Excelsior Ridge, he said,but water can be scarce once the snow fields have melted. “Every spot has its advantages and disadvantages,” he said. Compared to many parts of the country where backpackers have to enter a lottery to get permits for specific dates, Hovde said local mountains are wide-open. “That gives you so many options as far as timing, weather and conditions,” he said. But perhaps the biggest advantage is being able to call off a trip if the clouds look a little menacing and try again next week. “You still have to really respect the mountains,” Hovde said. “Watch.”

The 10 Essentials System, the newest version of the classic list developed by the Seattle-based Mountaineers. 1. Navigation (map and compass): You also need to know how to use them. A whistle is also a good navigation tool that could bring others to you. 2. Sun protection: That’s sunscreen and shades but maybe a bandana or hat too 3. Insulation: Extra clothing including rain gear and especially extra socks. Avoid cotton and go for layers that will keep you warm, wick moisture away and protect from wind or rain. 4. Illumination: A flash light or a headlamp, and remember batteries. 5. First-aid supplies 6. Fire: Waterproof matches and fire starter 7. Repair kit and tools: This can just be a good pocket knife or a multi-tool and a roll of duct-tape 8. Nutrition: Extra food that is light and easily digestible for quick energy. 9. Hydration: Carry water but also a way to make water safe,a filter or iodine tablets. 10. Emergency shelter: A survival blanket or a bivy sack