Mountains

For those of us who live adjacent to the Cascades, the mountains are our weather beacon. On clear days they’re the anchors to our landscape. After 22 years in the Pacific Northwest it’s hard for me to imagine living somewhere that doesn’t have snow-capped mountain peaks in my back yard.

Whatcom County contains some of the most scenic mountains in the continental United States. Mt. Shuksan, located at the edge of the North Cascades National Park, is one of the most-photographed mountains in the world. Mt. Baker, which rises to 10,778 feet just a few miles west of Shuksan is a perpetually snow-capped volcanic peak visible from Puget Sound. Surrounding these well-known peaks are dozens of less-known but equally rugged summits which attract climbers from around the world. Snowboarding got its start at the Mt. Baker Ski Area which actually sits on the shoulder of Mt. Shuksan.