Great long day hike to Surprise and Glacier Lakes, then PCT to Deception Lakes, old Surprise Mountain Trail up to the summit, and then back down the good but rocky and steep "Abandoned Trail" from Surprise Gap to the PCT (the normal ascent route when heading southbound) and Surprise Creek Trail back to the car.
Bugs were not bad earlier in the day, but it got progressively worse--especially from Deception Lakes all of the way to the summit and back to Surprise Lake. Berries are not quite there yet in this zone.
Despite the bugs, highly recommended lollipop amble on mostly soft tread with lots of views and 4 lakes for swimming. I also happen to like PCTers and the easy miles on the PCT. This might be ideal in about 1-2 weeks with less bugs and more ripe berries.
Cheers!
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