Hi Y'all,
Just wanted to share with you that a Mt. Baker camping trip is totally possible with a Leaf! Surely a 2013+ one, but even a 2011-2.
We did it a few weeks ago. We set out of Seattle in a 2014 Leaf that has a QC. Going to Bellingham via Chuckanut drive (stopped for a hike, Fragrance Lake I think it's called), we arrived at the Bellingham Starbucks QC after 84 miles - nicely enough, that's the 2014's official EPA range - except that we still had 14 miles showing on the GOM. I'd maintained strict 55 MPH discipline on the I-5 (with ECO, B-mode and cruise on), except ambling up to ~60 for some of the 70-speed-limit stretch. Much of that stretch, though, the highway was crawling along anyway due to construction. We really weren't traveling that much slowly than the average car overall.
But I digress. Our night destination was Silver Lake County Park. That's some 36 miles and 800 feet up from Bellingham, so easily reachable after the QC, we were nearly half full when we got there. We slept at an RV spot (well, my sister came there with an RV, long story), and it was totally a breeze to refill to 100% by morning on trickle. And the park is nice, too; Ron Judd's Mountaineers book gives it 4 stars for good reason. The only downside is the showers are cold (yes, you put in coins and it spits cold water at you
).
Next day we drove up the mountain, all the way to Artist Ridge. The campground is 38 miles from Artist Ridge, and you need to climb from 500 feet (you do some downhill from Silver Lake) to 5200 feet or so. We made it up there with 32% remaining; at the base of the 10-mile steep switchback part we were still at 65% or so. Coming back down, we regen'ed up to 48% after those 10 miles, and arrived back at Silver Lake with 34%! So the entire trip back was "free"! In fact, it seems we were consuming energy at a 110-mile range pace or so over that day trip.
On our drive back to Seattle, we charged at Burlington QC while eating lunch there, there's a small semi-gourmet American restaurant right there in the outlet store complex. In fact, both our QC stops were totally delay-free except the time to hook up, b/c at Bellingham going north we went grocery shopping at the supermarket there.
I was toying with the idea of trying to stretch it all the way home without any charging, it's 100-110 miles from Silver Lake to NE depending on how you go. But with kids and a couple of nieces, and a swim stop we made at Whatcom Lake adding some 10 miles to our trip, it wasn't the right time to play dare challenges.
Anyway - again - an easily enjoyable camping trip for any Leaf with a QC, all the way out to one of Washington's premier destination. The two USFS campgrounds further uphill from Silver Lake have no power AFAIK, but if there are any private RV parks on the Mt. Baker Road, they are an option too. Somehow though, the Silver Lake Park seems perfectly situated, both for approach in and for the mountain drive.
Cheers, Assaf