Hope and Mig Lakes — Sunday, Jun. 27, 2010

Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West

Snow level at 4,400 ft and spring wildflowers are blooming!!! A nice day for a hike. Trail was in good condition with only one or two blowdowns, which were easily circumnavigated. The trail up to Hope Lake was mostly snow free with a number of spring wildflowers blooming. Today’s flowers were: Western trillium, Marsh-marigold, Queen’s cup lily, Foamflower, Stream violet, Spring beauty, Bunchberry or dwarf dogwood, Solomon’s seal, Tall bluebells, and Thimbleberry. Once you got to Hope Lake it was time to put on gaiters as the snow, while mostly firm, was deep with the occasionally plunge through. If you want to travel on the PCT I would strongly suggest gaiters, sunglasses, map, and especially a GPS and knowledge of how to use it for snow travel. There were no tracks in the snow. We walked from Hope Lake south on the PCT where our hope was to get to the 5,200 ft knoll. We turned back near the step ascent (~ 0.4 miles from Hope Lake) as it would require crossing a fast moving creek and one of our hiking dogs was not up to it. On the way back down we stopped to take pictures of the wildflowers. A most pleasant afternoon. We had it all to ourselves.