Ptarmigan Ridge — Monday, Jun. 29, 2015

North Cascades > Mount Baker Area

September conditions in early July! We spent a couple of nights on a ridge to the south of Ptarmigan Ridge looking for mountain goats. The trail was free of snow until the end of Ptarmigan Ridge, and the only extended snowbanks that we crossed came after the crossroads past Coleman Pinnacle, and the snow there was soft and easy to traverse. The views of Baker and Shuksan are amazing, and well worth the trip. We also saw several groups of mountain goats (including one group of 30!) and some ptarmigans. Some wildflowers are blooming, mainly heather and lupin. If you go this weekend, bring a hat, sunscreen and water as the trail is exposed and dusty, and consider avoiding the trail during the heat of the day.