Sourdough Ridge, Burroughs Mountain — Monday, Aug. 9, 2021

On a sunny, clear Monday morning, I arrived at Sunrise to an almost full parking lot at 8:30. Headed up to the Sourdough Ridge trail toward Frozen Lake in lots of company for a weekday. Fabulous views of Rainier all along this loop, and enough clarity to see Mt Baker, Glacier Peak, Mt Index, Mt Stewart and Old Snowy. Wildflowers are generally past their peak, but there are some damper meadows on the east slopes still in full flower.  One solitary mountain goat and one group of four were browsing down in the valley to the west. Heard a pika. Trails were not as dusty as past few weeks, due to rain two days before.  Streams of hikers were ascending and descending the trails to the first and second Burroughs alpine tundra. Dwarf lupine was still blooming. I chatted with a man who had worked at MRNP and sumitted via most every route including Liberty Ridge, Finger Fuhrer, Sunset Ridge. Still hiking it in his upper 70's or low 80's.  Later on I met another who's been visiting Rainier for 55 years, with a good number of Kautz Glacier summits. Upon returning to first Burroughs, I took the Sunrise Rim trail to make a loop back. It's a long descent, fully exposed to weather, pretty warm this sunny day. The forest near Shadow Lake offers relief, as does the outhouse. Stay right for the most scenic route back to Sunrise, passing the east side of Shadow Lake and the lushest, most color-filled meadows. Then then up through fields of asters, a stop at the overlook, and up the shady forested trail. About 5.2 miles total.