- Samish River Wildlife Area Unit (wdfw.wa.gov)
The Samish River Unit covers 107 acres in northwest Skagit County. The unit was comprised of agricultural land until WDFW acquired it in 2004. The federal Natural Resource Conservation Service holds an easement on the property which allows for 15 acres to be managed with agricultural enhancements for migratory waterfowl forage. The remainder of the unit is a mix of sculpted wetlands, grass fields, and shrub-scrub habitat. Two waterfowl hunting areas on the unit are managed by WDFW’s Private Lands Access Program.
- Big Bear Mountain (summitpost.org)
Big Bear Mountain is among the western-most peaks of the cascades, which makes it clearly visible along the skyline from many locations around the northern Puget Sound (Everett, Marysville, Arlington). It is located approximately 1.3 miles SSE of Three Fingers, and is the closest peak to the south of Three Fingers. It is a fairly remote peak within the Boulder River Wilderness area and is not very easy to access. This is why it is seldom climbed. On the plus side, if you are looking for solitude you can be just about guaranteed to not see anyone else on this peak! The route has it all; a road walk, brush bash, large creek crossing, old growth forest, steep climb, and (usually) a steep and somewhat exposed summit scramble on snow.