Summertime in the Northwest is busy busy busy as everyone milks the most out of long days, occasional warmth, and mostly consistent sunshine. This trip was the third camping weekend running! Humorously enough and in-keeping with our daddy/kid camping trip last year, we did manage to find a bit of precipitation as the rain began pitter-pattering on our tents some time during the night Saturday. Very glad it held off…the photos show some of the rather amazing light and clouds forming in the lee of mighty Baring Peak. This night owl stayed up for a bit more campfire and the full moon coming up over the ridge amidst more amazing cloud patterns in the sky. Magical.

It’s hard to get an idea of the vertical relief from lake to the looming summit above, but it’s nearly 4000′. What was even harder to believe is that this is a popular BASE jumping venue. On the way in we passed a group of about 6 or 7 jumpers packing out large packs and carrying helmets with cameras.

Just before dark we took the kids down to the west end of the lake to “the beach”. As we hiked the trail, we heard an alarming roar above the trees which scared the kids (or at least Dylan). Looking up, we just caught a glimpse of one parachute gliding east toward the meadows at the east end of the lake. We were pretty eager to witness this spectacle, but we had just missed it. Visions of bodies screaming, flying down that wall in a wingsuit pulling the chute 100 feet above the trees filled our heads as we gazed up the wall hoping for more jumpers. Alas, there were no more, and the evening settled down eventually as we watched a green heron land lakeside and bats consuming a feast of insects hatching from the water.

Marinate on this:

Baring Mountain BASE jump