2007.7.14-15.
Mt Adams wilderness. Gorgeous views. Few people. Aggressive mosquitoes. Flowers are out! Sandy (dusty) trails.
Direction: From Randle, take
FR 23 (largely paved) ->
FR 2329. About 3.5 - 4 hours from Seattle.
Day 1.
Lunch at Takhlakh Lake (4600 ft). Pretty. I got about 20 mosquito bites in less than 5 minutes. 4 miles further, Killen Creek trail (
#113, 3.1 miles, 6100 ft.), which ends at PCT.
Heading further up along High Camp trail (
#10, 1 miles, 6900 ft) to set up the tent in the high alpine meadow. Lots of dwarf lupines with silvery leaves, phlox covering a few slope. I wanted to touch the glacier before calling it a day, which seemed so close. Well, that's another hour, if not more (~ 8000 ft) of rock scrambling and ice trekking. Tied and COLD, but worthwhile. Saw some interesting miniature rock plants (e.g.
mountain sorrell,
pussypaws, and the very fluffy
pale mountain dandelion). Peeked into a couple of deep blue crevasses. Expansive views 360 degrees. Majestic South Cascade mountain range extends to the horizon. Down below is vast green forest shrouded in the sunset. Awe inspiring.
It was already past 8pm back at camp site. A streak of orange cloud broke through many dark menacing ones. Mt St. Helens almost seemed to be lit within, as one little bright cloud lingered there.
Day 2.
Woke up to see some cougar prints next to a creek, steps away from the camp site.
Down along High Camp trail, turned right to join PCT (
#2000) for about a mile.
There we encountered the sweetest of all meadows: wide, seemingly tended grass land, tarns alive with tadpoles, fields of lupines dotted with paintbrushes, two waterfalls. Idyllic if not for the mosquitoes.
Soon after, followed High Line trail (
#114) for a number of ups and downs, until reached Muddy Meadows trail (
#13, 4 miles). No view of Mt Adams, soon lost Mt Rainier to the woods. Many beargrass, bunchberries and mariposa lilies.
Muddy Meadow at the trail head is simply grand, plus a fabulous view of Mt Adams. Picked some mushrooms here! That's 2 miles away to the car.
Start heading back to Seattle around 3:30. Terrible traffic near Tacoma.
2007.7.28. Johnson Ridge. Originally planned to go to Blanca, but the trail head was not accessible due to the wind storm last winter. Suggested by the ranger in Skykomish. Started hiking at 4pm! Ended at the Sunrise Mt (5,056 ft), where a small clearing offers a better view, and more mosquitoes. Mount Fernow and maybe Captain Point to the south, Glacier Peak and some interesting peaks to the north. Otherwise, except for the beginning of the trail (see the top image), no view to speak of: obstructed by the trees. Sunscreen is not useful, at least not till this point. 
