Sauk Mountain — Monday, Aug. 1, 2011

North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20

This was a beautiful hike on a beautiful day. Only a family of five made it to the top before me. I passed 50 other hikers on the way back down...before noon! The road to the trailhead is in good condition for 6.7 of the seven miles, where fairly steep snowpack covers most of the road. That did not deter the hikers, who parked their vehicles along the narrow road for over 1/4 mile from the snowpack. The trail is in good condition. There are several ribbons placed by USFS designating minor repairs, but even now these areas pose no problem. The trail is snowfree until just before the approach to the summit (see photo #2). This area is easily traversed without traction devices. The first summit can be reached easily, but you will need traction devices for the third (and actual) summit. I knew from prior experience that there would be snowfields on the East side of the mountain, especially this year. I took crampons, which turned out to be exactly what I needed to take the summit track (see photo #3) to the summit. There are many varieties (I counted more than two dozen) of wildflowers that are just beginning to put on their show. I always enjoy the Tiger Lilies, Glacier Lilies, Columbine, Phlox, Paintbrush, and Lupine. There are Wooly Marmots and Ptarmagins with chicks to add even more interest to a great place. The views are magnificent: Baker to the North, Rainier to the South, Glacier Peak to the Southeast, etc. The river valley to the West and the little lake to the East round out the scenery. There are no bugs, just too many hikers. Go early.