Ira Spring Trail - Mason Lake, Mount Defiance

Fantastic (if not very hot) day on the trail! We hit the trail around 7 am and climbed up and down to Mason Lake. I decided to take a dip in the lake but quickly regretted it. Soooo cold. We met a very nice group of ladies who hike weekly and shared stories of our favorite hikes.

After that we headed up the trail to the summit of Mt. Defiance. The wildflowers were going crazy on the south slope. Very pretty. The views weren't bad either. From the top we could see Rainier, Adams, Baker, Glacier, and even downtown Seattle.

Sun was out of course and beat us up pretty good but we made it to the summit in just under 4 hours (including the break at Mason Lake) from the car. It took us about 2 1/2 back to the car on the return.

Very very nice hike and I'm really glad to have done it. All trails are in fantastic shape. No snow, no water, no mud. A few bugs above the treeline on Defiance but nothing a little bug juice couldn't handle.

Pictures:
http://www.lemarts.com/[…]/mt-defiance-via-mason-lake.html