7/9, Sunday. Warm but with pleasant breeze. 9 of us (in 2 cars) started at Johnston Ridge Observatory ($8/pp. My America The Beautiful interagency pass allows 4 adults in, and prompted the event organizer to add me to the hike above others in the waiting list). The observatory opens at 10am where you can get a ribbon on your wrist once the fee is paid. 
Saw a little snake on the pavement. Flowers are in full bloom a mile or two around the observatory, mostly Paintbrush, Penstemon (from pink to deep blue), Lupine (dwarf and broadleaf). Mountain Golden Pea in the parking lot (only), and plenty dandelion-like yellow flower. Higher up, we saw Pasque Flower, Avalanche Lily, Rose Spirea, Valerian. Expansive views, almost no shade, dusty, 2+l water + electrolyte. Wheelchair accessible pavement near the observatory.
After leaving the paved walkway, the trail follows a flowering ridge for awhile and then slowly descend to the basin of dusty pumice plain and leaves most people behind. That's about an hour in. 
45 minutes later, you'd reach the trail junction to Harry's Ridge. There you'll start to see Spirit Lake and all the white logs floating on top. Seems more log and less water than what I saw it last. We headed up the hill along Boundary Trail. The view gets progressively better, until the top of this hill. A few snow patches, nothing big. A good lunch spot if you turn around here. From here, loosing elevation, through an ugly stone arch, towards Coldwater Peak. Then zigzag gaining elevation, until you see these big antennas (seismic equipment?). Penstemons here are bright pink. That's about 3.5 hours and 6 miles from TH. 
We weren't running (as we have a 70-year-old with us), but I still worked up a lot of sweat and feeling very tired when gaining elevation. View is amazing, deep blue St Helens Lake, and the bigger Spirit Lake. Rainier, Goat Rocks, Adams, Hood, and St. Helens.Return as we came. I slipped on the sand at one point. Didn't realize that it killed my phone until I was on the drive home. I switched to the car going straight back to Portland. The others went to dinner. Back at home shortly before 9pm.
