Our Sunday plan was to hike down to Dewey Lake from Chinook Pass but driving up from Cayuse Pass through some super thick low visibility cloud/fog with the temps dropping close to freezing we rethought that plan and headed up to a sunny Sunrise instead. This was my second time up to Dege Peak but the few weeks between my trips made for remarkably different conditions. The temperature at the Sunrise parking lot was high 30's but the sustained north west wind may it seem much colder. Hats on, hoods up, and gloves out was the order of the day. The main bathrooms are closed for the season but there are two pit toilets east of the day lodge. Don't make my mistake of jumping out of the car to join the long line without my jacket! Twenty minutes later I had to beg off waiting to go find it before a good ten more minutes of line standing. The nice full service restrooms at the White River entrance are still open and are a much better option.
Suitably bundled up we headed up Sourdough Ridge hanging right at the first junction. Fortunately the trail stays on the south side of the ridge and offered shelter from the wind. Any thoughts of a warm fall hike were quashed as soon as you hiked past one of the ridge gaps though. The wind had it uses though keeping the threatening cloud bank south of the Cowlitz Chimneys, and the ever changing cloudscape was a mesmerizing high light. Although not know for its fall colors hiking up the meadow the low light illuminated the Pasque flowers leaves into a sea of yellow candy colored dots. Along the ridge we saw ptarmigan just feet from the trail. They are such gentle birds and have begun to transform to their winter white. Also of note we saw a Bald eagle gliding through the valley, not a bird we see very often at the park. Surprisingly the top of Dege Peak was not too windy and we were able to stay quite some time to admire the views and the ongoing cloud tug of war.
Coming back down we continued back along the ridge to the west and found a sheltered spot with an old log bench for a late lunch. From here we could watch the match box sized cars still streaming into the parking lot. Parking was now tight but the cold temperatures were encouraging a rapid turnover of spaces. Watching the clouds swirl around Mount Rainier's top was impressive and finally they would not be denied. Hiking on we took a last look over the ridge to Huckleberry basin where from the shadows you could see just how fast the clouds were moving, and as we hiked back down the main trail the sky above became a sea of white cotton candy.
Back at the car temps were now only mid 40's a reminder that at Sunrise winter likes to try and leap frog fall. Not a long hike, less than five miles, but a great way to say goodbye to Sunrise for the year.
Note: Someone had left a half eaten apple core on at the top of Dege peak, luckily I had a waste bag to pack it out. Please do not leave fruit skins or apple cores. The little critters will add these to their winter storage food piles where they will rot their stored food and the animal will starve. Also fall means animals are on the move meaning special attention is needed to driving - we saw way too much road kill on the way up to Sunrise including chipmunks, squirrels and sadly ptarmigan. Slow down watch for wildlife.
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