Fremont Lookout — Friday, Jul. 2, 2021

Got to the Sunrise parking lot around 4:30PM and was surprised by how many cars were there for the first day with the road open. With that said, the trails past Frozen Lake were not crowded.

Going through Sourdough Ridge, there are a few snow patches in the usual spots - some at the junction with Huckleberry Creek trail that was very easy to avoid, and then two longer stretches closer to Frozen Lake. These are in an area where the slope is steep, and there is a boot path just large enough for two feet - on the way out, hikers were taking turns going in one direction or the other, and even so there was a person stuck in the middle for a bit who seemed in distress. The snow is slippery and the dropoff is steep, so everyone should be very careful going through until it melts out. Trying to cross while someone else is already in the middle and then stepping out to the very steep slippery slope is not a good idea :( 

The Fremont Lookout trail on the other side is completely clear of snow! There isn't even any snow on the very last stretch right before the lookout. It is in great condition as usual. Today was a weird day with the ongoing haze, but the views were beautiful regardless. There were several groups when I got there around 5:30ish but still enough space for everyone to spread out. Wildflowers are out along the Fremont Lookout trail. The meadows around the visitor center are just starting out.

There was a marmot on Sourdough Ridge trail near Frozen lake, and another one hanging out at the Yakima Park viewpoint. They must be wondering where all these humans are coming from all of a sudden!