I was planning to get to Excelsior Mt. But the road to Damfino Lakes are closed this year. Due to the time constraint (had to take my dad to YVR, so only arrived at Glacier Ranger Station ~2:30pm. Had lunch and filled water. Didn't start hiking until ~3:20pm.), I chose the shorter Welcome Pass, instead of the 4.2 mile and 3500' gain to Excelsior Pass. Someday, I'd like to ridge walk between these two passes (minimal ups and downs, great view).
The hike is steep (except for the first 15 minutes). Almost all in the woods. DRY and warm. 1:45 hr later, each the pass. Nice view to the north, with some snowy peaks low in the far north. Glowing green under the slanting sunshine. Yellow and white flowers. Stopping here would be a pity. The left (west) trail wanders behind a ridge with trees obscuring the view for ~20 minutes, but the slopes were covered with flowers. Once the trees are gone, the view of Shuksan and Baker is fabulous. Lupines cluster together. No flowering carpet. Still not bad. The east trail heads up a knoll, steep, but covered with more yellow and white flowers. Great view to the pass below. Headed back ~6pm, and reached the car in an hour.Encountered only 3 hikes before 4pm, then I was entirely alone. Flies followed me from the trail head. At the pass, mosquitoes joined in to feast on the only sweaty body for miles around. When I left, the 5-6 cars at Excelsoir Pass trail head were all gone too.
Stopped at Nooksack Falls (a side 0.6 mile wide gravel road) on the way back to Glacier Ranger Station. Very pleasant. Not just the North Fork Nooksack River tumbling down here, another creek was also rushing to join Nooksack River. Unfortunately, high fences were lining the rock edge, couldn't get a photo of both. There was one other car on this Tuesday evening.Direction: 12 miles east of Glacier Ranger Station. At milepost 46, take an unmarked and overgrown rough road on the left for 0.8 miles. YVR to #99 exit for 32nd ave is 30 minutes. Instead of waiting for 40 minutes (estimated sign on hwy) at the border, I drove along 16th ave to Abbotsford, then Huntington Rd to Sumas border crossing. Only 2 cars ahead of me. So, just 50 minutes after hwy, I was in US. 30 minutes later, arrived at Glacier.
