This was a solid choice for a cloudy day with bad avalanche conditions. Despite being a forested hump on the south end of Lake Whatcom, Anderson Mountain boasts over 3000 feet of prominence. In fact, it’s Washington state’s 51st most prominent peak. Because of this, it does receive a bit of attention from peakbaggers.
Most ascents are made from highway 9 on the east side, but I chose to ascend from the north on a trail that is sometimes used by mountain bikers. I parked at a pullout on South Bay Drive, crossed Fir Creek and made my way up the unsigned trail. It immediately became a mud bog, and I had to gingerly choose my foot placements, using sticks and small logs to avoid sinking in too deeply. Thankfully, this section is short, and you eventually emerge into a nice open field before entering the forest. The woods low down is very nice, everything is draped in green moss, and the foggy day gave it a very ethereal feel.
The trail really gets down to business, reaching Mailbox-levels of steepness at times. I’m not sure who mountain bikes this, I would certainly not be caught dead on a bike on some of those slopes.
There is a big clearcut at around 2600’ where there are supposedly some nice views of Baker and out to Canada, but it was completely socked in on this day. Near the top of the clear-cut the trail becomes hard to follow but keep heading up in the same general direction and you will eventually intersect the obvious trail again.
From here, more steep climbing takes you up to the summit area. The farthest south knob is the true high point, and there are two plastic chairs up there to enjoy the view in. I kicked back and relaxed for a bit but had to imagine what the view might look like on a clear day.
The way down was steep (like I said, I couldn’t imagine mountain biking this) but was pleasant on foot. I took time to appreciate the deep greens of the forest and moss-covered woods down low. I was happy to check this one off the list and am inspired to check out some of the other high-prominence peaks around Bellingham.
Final Stats: 7 miles / 2886 feet of gain
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