The parking lot was fairly empty this morning, as it was very cold and foggy with a strong east wind. We bundled up and hiked up the trail. On the lower trail, trees looked like a winter wonderland in the frozen fog. At 0.7 miles, the trail splits: to the right is the easier route and to the left, the more difficult ascent. Soon the trail was covered with frozen snow and ice and MicroSpike traction cleats on our boots assured solid footing. Other hikers without traction were slipping and sliding. Many of those hikers wisely turned around when the trail became icy. Otherwise, the trail was in great condition.
As we continued up, we broke through the strong inversion into clear, sunny skies and tempertures in the mid to upper 40s! The views from the top were spectacular with the fog over the Columbia River below, Mt. St. Helens, and a peek-a-boo view of Mt. Adams.
A welcome reprieve from the foggy lower elevation weather today!
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