Iron Peak

With the exception of the very chill breeze on the summit of Iron Peak, it was a perfect day for what can be a hot trail. That chill breeze made the hike very pleasant and the initial cloud cover also kept the temperatures moderate. The trail climbs very steadily to the pass mostly in very open forest. There are sections that a rocky, that is smaller cobbles and some brief eroded sections. From the pass to the summit, there were two totally trivial snow patches but more eroded tread.

Just a few moments after summiting (spelling seems to prefer the single "t") the few clouds at the top of Stuart cleared. We spent an fine hour up there, watching Adams and Rainier briefly appear and disappear in cloud.

There were a variety of wildflowers but not many but included were Columbines and small blue bells near the trailhead, small lupine nearer the pass, phlox and paintbrush, anenome and yellow paintbrush on the summit ridge and a rare flower (identified in a past hike by another hiker) whose name escapes me but something like "Lewisa"

Not far down from the summit, we met another hiker. Further down the trail, a 10-person horse group was on its way up.

A great day and quite lonesome after sharing Mt Si two days earlier with 100's and lots of fog.

I believe Esmelada, Stuart, the Enchantment Plateau and the summit ridge are the images.

Oh two afterthoughts - NO bugs and the road was in nearly perfect shape (even a water truck wetting down the road on our way in - associated with the logging (sigh) that is occurring along the way)