Stewart Mountain South Peak by Haner Mountain lies on the south edge of the massive range. To the west spans Lake Whatcom Park above the 10-mile-long lake. Moreover, a bike trail via the south reaches the peak directly.
See more trip photos here.
Stewart Mountain South Peak at a Glance
Access: Park Road
Round Trip: 5.5 miles
Elevation Range: 360′-2978′
Gear: none
Route Info: Wyatt Mullen
GPS track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Back to Lake Whatcom
Sir Cody stayed home while Mr. Connor and I went up north. It was our first trip to the area this season, and exciting to explore a new place. We previously visited Bigfoot Hill and Haner Mountain on the same range.
What I find interesting is that Haner Mountain separates the main summit and the south peak. It’s also the highest point on the range, followed by Bigfoot Hill. Oddly, most roads here, including the bike trails, don’t appear on any map.
See more trip photos here.
South Route via Park Road
The bike trail sat near the gate to the right, which we almost missed. The steep path in the trees with sharp corners soon rose 2200′ to the upper roadway in 1.5 miles. We followed it for a quarter of a mile before turning north.
En route were open south views, including Alger Alp and Puget Sound. Snow appeared below 2800′ before we went through the clear-cut forest to the top. Then a short, hidden track on the north reached the woodsy top in 1000′.
See more trip photos here.
Stewart Mountain South Peak Summit
We soon returned to the clearing with expansive east views. The vista included Mount Baker, Sisters Mountain, Blue Mountain, and Eddys Mountain. There was also Lyman Hill to the south behind the old-growth.
The views lasted until we returned to the dense forest by the bike trail. As we plunged down the steep path, several riders passed us from behind. Then we stopped by Lake Whatcom’s south shore before driving back through Interstate 5.
See more trip photos here.