18 miles
Anderson Point Camp
PNT Waypoint C826

Nice makeshift bridge over Rainbow Creek.

I was full of indecision this morning. Should I get to town the quickest way by hitching after only 4 miles of hiking? Or should I walk around Baker Lake which meant spending one more night before I got town? I checked the weather. 10% chance of rain and cloudy. Same as yesterday when it did rain for the last hour including while setting up my tent. There are some great views of Mt Baker and Mt Shuksan to be had while walking around the lake. But probably not today. And already the mosquitos were bad. The big unknown is that the town of Concrete has 2 motels and that’s it for miles around. It’s Saturday so the chance of No Vacancy was high. I got to the road intersection at 8:30 and gave myself 1/2 hour to hitch. Several cars passed but they were full of people and camping gear. So I started to walk the 5.5 miles of gravel road to the trailhead. I tried a few more cars but it was affecting my mood. I decided to embrace the walk. Then I decided to try to get a ride to the trailhead. Several cars passed. Then one more. But it stopped just ahead of me. Bingo! My day changed big time. Joyce, Joyce, Corey, and the driver (I can’t remember his name) from Redmond, WA, were on their way to the same trailhead. When I told them what I was doing they made me feel like a rockstar… as if I would know what that feels like. When we got out of the car they gave me a bunch of food. Was it ever good! An egg, spinach and mushroom burrito. And a bagel sandwich…. avocado, spinach, arugula, walnuts, raisins and cranberries. 2 hard boiled eggs and peanut butter crackers. I’ve been eating dehydrated food for 11 days. Without yesterday’s boost from the cafe and this I would have been much hungrier. But the biggest boost was mental. The interaction with these kind people made me float through the rest of the day. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

It was a nice walk along the lake. I passed by old growth cedar trees and stumps. No views of mountains this time but it’s a relatively easy area to return to.

Lunch spot.

Lobster mushroom.

I’m now camped on the edge of Baker Lake at one of the established backpacker camps. The view is great and there is a nice breeze which is keeping the mosquitos away. It’s one of the nicest evenings in a long while. I’m getting used to having a toilet at camp. Oh, the luxurious life I lead!

The day turned out perfect. I couldn’t have wished for anything better. Things always work out. Always.