Summerland - Panhandle Gap — Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

A great day to enjoy another trail in the Sunrise area. Berries were gone, fall foliage was not quite there yet in the forest or meadows, but views were spectacular and weather was perfect.

We arrived around 7:50AM and had to park at the shoulder. Overall the trail was maintained very well, even the exposed parts were graded nicely in a few spots, then with the gradual ascent, the 11~12-ish miles trail felt easier. Some might feel the miles of forest section could be boring, but at this time of year there were quite some mushrooms to check out to kill time. Other than the mountains, the meadows at the Summerland campground felt very special. Lots of marmots and squirrels. There were many water falls running down all the way down from the high glaciers, hitting the colorful boulders.

No smoke here today, but views towards Adams were hazy. On the other side, a smoke layer floated over Stuart.