Glacier Vista-Panorama Point, Skyline Trail Loop, Golden Gate

What a gorgeous Friday to hike the trail from Paradise up Skyline and Golden Gate to Panorama Point, up to High Skyline, then down Skyline the other way to complete the loop. Our GPS said 4.8 miles, 1,500 some feet for the loop. The Golden Gate trail only had one other couple (headed to Muir), the other route being much more popular. Just before Panorama Point there is a snowfield to traverse. It’s no big deal – I wore my traction devices but my husband, who forgot his, did fine without. I’d do this loop the other way (Golden Gate going back) so you have more of the mountain in your face on the way up.

The trail is in pretty good condition, but you need to watch it much of the way due to rocks and steps. This is hard given the fabulous, panoramic views. The flowers are waning but still worth seeing, lots of pasque flower seeding (mouse-on-a-stick galore!), bright red huckleberry bush leaves, gentian at peak with lupine, asters, monkeyflower and more fading. We saw hoary marmots but the pika were hiding, though we saw their grasses laid out on rocks to dry.

This is a classic hike and well worth it. We’d not done it other than snowshoeing for years, and it was fun trying to orient ourselves to the landscape without snow cover. We’ll be back with our snowshoes! Pics of trail & snowy bits are at: http://www.flickr.com/[…]/