Sunrise Peak — Friday, Jul. 17, 2015

South Cascades > Dark Divide

WTA's magazine article introduced us to The Dark Divide. What a beautiful area! The roads to the trailhead are rugged but doable with caution. The trail is steep most of the time but there is a nice flattish area in the middle. It is very dusty. The hubby stayed way back from the dog and I to avoid the dust cloud that our steps caused. There is no water so bring plenty, you will want it. The huckleberries are ripe and delicious. We ate our way up and filled our baggies on the way down. There are flowers but they are mostly past their prime. Butterflies and bees were everywhere. The biting flies were wicked. Bug spray didn't stop them. Long pants and long sleeves would help. The views are AMAZING!!! We made a loop out of it by turning right, on the way down, at the junction below the switchbacks and left at the two junctions you come to. It was especially dusty but softer and it includes a gentle uphill section after the second left turn. My feet like a little uphill on the way down. Our tracker said our total mileage was 3.78. It felt like more due to the heat and steepness. Great hike!

More Information on this Trip Report

• https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153640246293109.1073742012.547133108&type=1&l=93d18dcf4a