Hello, hikers,

Oh, happy day! Cloudy skies with a few scattered patches of blue greeted us at the trailhead. Having prepared to do this hike again without sunny skies, we were very pleased that there was the hope of sunshine. And what a nice surprise that Doreen, absent from the group for awhile, also could join in. Having donned appropriate clothing, our boots, and the trekking poles in hand, Doreen, Vanessa, and I headed off, ready to conquer the summit at some 5300 ft. in elevation..oof! The trail, always well maintained and a great workout, has become a favorite of mine. I could however, do with a few less rocks on it. Low and behold, a short way up the trail and having passed the first rock slide area, the skies opened up to sunshine and wonderful views of the surrounding area. Vanessa, speedster that she is, was choosing to hike ahead of us, while Doreen and I took advantage of the nice weather and views, and stopped to take picture after picture. The colors of fall were present, vivid reds and oranges dotting the hillsides. A pleasant breeze followed us up the way, making this one great time! Soon, the trail curved around the hill side, signaling me that the top was not far away! A string of hikers were making their way down....good, this means there will be plenty of room in the lookout to rest up, enjoy the panoramic views, and have some lunch! And now that we've leveled off near the top, here comes the hard part....navigating a short boulder scramble...... collapsing the trekking poles down and putting them in my pack, it was time to use hands, feet, knees, and the derriere to make my way to the ladder and inside the lookout. I was greeted by Doreen, Vanessa and their cameras as I reached the top rungs of the ladder...success! What a view...there are signs identifying the numerous peaks surrounding us, as we enjoyed lunch in the midst of Mount's Shuksan, Baker, Glacier Peak, Three Fingers..and the list goes on...and on. Oh, and the parking lot with our ant sized vehicles far below..Having eaten, rested, and enjoying the serenity that this altitude brings, we packed up to head down..it was much easier conquering the scramble on the way down..sit and slide wherever one can! Down and down we went, remarking again that the trail could be a bit less rocky. There was a lot of conversations on the walkie talkies from others outside our group. Vanessa and I, carrying them and listening in, quickly surmised that someone was summoning for help in the vicinity. We heard the party that called for help talking to an operator, and a message to the same party that a helicopter would sweep the area in question...Vanessa also heard the word demise...that doesn't sound so good, as there was trouble in the Monte Cristo area not far from us...our minds back on our descent, the breeze picked up in intensity, and the clouds rolled in just in time for us to reach the parking lot. Changing in to comfortable shoes and out of our boots, we climbed in and headed for home...what a lousy day weather wise it must have been in this area, as the fog and clouds that we had left behind this AM were still here! Doreen and Vanessa, thanks so much for participating in this wonderful day and hike...fun was had by all!

Happy Trails,
Kathy