Chain Lakes Loop, Ptarmigan Ridge — Sunday, Sep. 2, 2018

We did a combo Chain Lakes/Ptarmigan Ridge for a trail run totaling ~12.5 miles. It was amazing. We went counter-clockwise and started down the Wild Goose trail from Artist Point. We turned left after the stone bridge and continued up toward Herman Saddle. Running was too much work, so we hiked most of this section :) Gorgeous views from the top, with both mountains out to play. We enjoyed a feast of blueberries as we meandered through the lakes and up toward the Ptarmigan Ridge trail. We continued on that trail until a cairn and another junction that went toward a beautiful turquoise lake in the distance. We'll definitely come back and check that out sometime. There were a few snowfields, but nothing horrible and we managed fine in our trail runners and occasionally a hiking pole. Some of the rocks and gravel were a bit slippery, so watch your step. A rock that appears to be on solid ground just might make you slide down the mountain if you're not careful. Eek! We did Ptarmigan around this time last year and there was quite a bit more snow, so this was a pleasant surprise. Fall colors were starting to come out, but there were also a ton of wildflowers, so it was the best of both worlds! I'd highly recommend continuing on the Ptarmigan trail. You start to feel as though you could just walk up Mt. Baker. Definitely one of our favorite parts of the state.